INC NEWS - Back-to-school note from Duke's Director of Community Affairs --please distribute

[Susan Kauffman]

 Hello!

As fall semester is upon us, Duke students will be returning to campus and 
nearby neighborhoods in the next few weeks. Let me share with you what we 
are doing to try to help make the return of students to school a 
harmonious, safe experience for all. 

Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta and Dean of Students Sue 
Wasiolek  will visit student renters in neighborhoods near East Campus to 
introduce themselves and engage students in conversation about their 
opportunities to be good neighbors and citizens.  In addition, student and 
neighborhood representatives of Blue SPARC (Study to Prevent Alcohol 
Related Consequences --  a statewide research study) plan to hand out door 
hangers with safety tips, information about high-risk drinking and 
pertinent city ordinances to student renters in Trinity Park and Trinity 
Heights. Students have responded well to this in the past.


Durham Police have told us they intend to fully enforce local laws and 
ordinances, especially as they pertain to underage drinking. For the next 
several weekends we expect them to stress a no-tolerance approach to set 
the scene for the academic year. Durham Police have also been encouraged 
to call upon Duke Police to respond to situations involving students 
off-campus in neighborhoods near campus.  Captain Eddie Sarvis of District 
II has told us he plans to send home letters  to parents of students cited 
for criminal charges involving underage alcohol consumption and noise 
violations issued to hosts and/or guests. 

This is also a good time to mention a new program coordinator position 
created in the Dean of Students Office within Student Affairs. There has 
been some talk - and misinformation -- about what this position will 
entail.  This person, who will be hired this fall, will assist in the 
administration of the university's disciplinary process for 
undergraduates, especially off-campus students. This individual will also 
serve as a resource to off-campus students and Durham residents in 
promoting better town-gown relations. Vice President Larry Moneta stated 
this past spring that he would start to bring all students cited by Durham 
Police into the campus judicial process. He will also release a report 
each semester summarizing how those cases were resolved. To protect 
student privacy, no names will be used.  As this position is a new one, 
some details are still being worked out, but I hope you will agree that 
this is a positive step to help strengthen the relationship between our 
communities.

Finally, since Duke does not have legal jurisdiction over students who 
live off campus, our primary efforts have been focused on making the 
on-campus social scene a more inviting one. Numerous activities and events 
have been planned especially for the first few weeks of school and we hope 
that increasing numbers of students will be attracted to these on campus 
social and recreational opportunities.

We hope that these measures, in concert with student/resident 
get-togethers being coordinated by community leader and Duke alumnus Josh 
Parker, will result in a good start to the new year. 

If you have questions or concerns, I invite you to call or email me. If I 
can't answer your question, I will put you in touch with the person at 
Duke who can.

Sincerely,
Michael Palmer 
Director of Community Affairs
668-6274 or Michael.palmer at duke.edu

 

 
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