<p>Really want to go here for college, and just wondering what you guys think :)</p>
<p>I think the “favoring change or innovation” is a more applicable definition of “progressive” than the political interpretation in this case; so I say “yes,” but for different reasons. </p>
<p>Duke is progressive in that we’re constantly improving, hiring new expert faculty, growing our academic departments (especially engineering), building new facilities and renovating old ones, initiating new interdisciplinary programs like Bass Connections that bring together undergrads, faculty, and medical professionals, extending the reach of international social service programs like Duke Engage, adapting our academics to match modern needs (neuroscience major added four years ago), and so much else. We have students leading activist causes, improving the standard of living in developing communities (installing sustainable water sources, establishing internet capabilities, etc.), winning Truman, Rhodes, and Marshall scholarships, and starting businesses. These are just a few vague personal anecdotes, but you get the idea. </p>
<p>Considering Duke makes progress in our world every day, I’d say yes, Duke is a progressive school.</p>
<p>I may be wrong about your meaning of progressive, but from what I’ve seen and heard (I’m class of 2017) of top 20 colleges, Duke is one of the more conservative. That doesn’t mean that it’s overwhelmingly conservative, just more so than others. In my opinion that just means that there’s a more even distribution of conservatives and liberals rather than other school that are very very liberal. I highly doubt that you’d feel uncomfortable regardless of your ideology though!</p>
<p>Hey guys! Thanks for your input on this.</p>
<p>alicejohnson- Hmmmmm very interesting! Considering that Duke is in the South, I would’ve thought more support would lean to the right… but guess not :)</p>
<p>LondonGentleman, yes–I think I should have defined it better above but “progressive” as in continually changing is more of the definition I was leaning towards. I recently went on a college tour at Duke this summer and it seemed like Duke was constantly putting out new programs and ideas, something I really look for in a college.</p>
<p>samz101- Sorry I had meant progressive as in teaching methods/programs, but great to know there’s about an even distribution-- I’m not really one for politics, but Duke seems like it’d be a place where regardless of your ideology all opinions are welcome.</p>