Layoff @Duke University

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The appeal of Duke was that it wasn’t a liberal Ivy like Brown or Penn.

It’s pretty sad if you think that is the appeal of Duke.

[Anonymous]

Other than Grant Hill and perhaps Adam Silver, the people "representing" Duke on the cover of the latest alumni magazine were a very odd mix that did not reflect well on the University. A lot of fake enthusiasm and smiles.

Then the mix of people profiled was odd - a good chunk of impressive, interesting people but also some who have done nothing of interest.

Duke is trying too hard to be the cool kid hosting the cool party. There used to be a more subtle "act like you've been there before/IYKYK" vibe about Duke that made it great. There is too much of the nerd/super cool guy wanna be dichotomy, and they have frozen out all of those in between who made Duke great in the past.

[Anonymous]

Duke has always been more like Dartmouth or Princeton fortunately. Hopefully never like Brown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an alum who donated and volunteered for decades, agree way too much faculty and staff. News mentions Duke at 48,000 employees is second largest private employer and sure a large part of that base is medical and hospital employees. The growth in development staff, DEI, non-teaching faculty is staggering and has to be cut back and this is not unique to Duke as other elite universities are facing similar fiscal problems. Also when a school like Duke and the Ivies rejects active donating grads’ kids don’t expect checks to continue. Time for these schools to operate more like a business.

Agree with much of this. Staff is definitely bloated. And the development people I have met have often been very underwhelming. Perhaps they trot out the better people for the bigger hitters but I feel like I have met some of them as well and they have not been great. And several have been flat out rude to friends who wanted to be actively involved but couldn't right big checks.

Duke is better about admitting legacies than many peer schools but could still do more. Price over-reacted to the NYT hit job article about Duke not having enough financial aid kids - Duke was marginally worse based on very statistically suspect metrics then made to look evil. Price should have ignored it. Instead he rolled out a bunch of programs to recruit more FA kids. It is largely a zero sum game so this means fewer legacies and/or full pay kids. I am all for diversity, but Duke is going a bit too far.

Meanwhile, there are a bunch of underqualified rich non-legacies who get in because Duke wants to be seen as "cool." Great to have Seinfeld at Duke in People Magazine. And Springsteen's kid. And so on. I get that they probably donated a lot and this helps pay the bills. But again, there are limited seats.

It's rare to see someone complain that a university doesn't admit enough legacies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with other posters, Duke has alienated a sizable chunk of moderate and conservative grads. The appeal of Duke was that it wasn’t a liberal Ivy like Brown or Penn. Haven’t written a check in a long time.

Piece specifically mentions Federal research funding cuts and increased taxes as the reasons for the layoff. Those have everything to do with the current conservative administration.

[Anonymous]

Maybe with NIL it’s paying its athletes and coaches too much $$$$$

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The alumni giving rate has declined sharply over the last 20 years and in my group of friends very few if any donate lacrosse fiasco, liberal turn to woke look at the alumni magazine and feature articles conservatives and Trump voting grads are not sending checks. Former Duke President Terry Sanford a moderate Democrat wouldn’t recognize the place.

You travel in very different circles than I do, and are seeing inaccurate data.

And even if you are correct, I think it is fine for Duke to distance itself from MAGA. Everything Trump stands for stands opposed to everything an elite university should stand for. And the way the typical Trump voter regurgitates Fox News talking points and completely falls in line with everything Trump does rather than thinking critically and defending their arguments intelligently is also opposite to everything Duke stands for.

And before you jump into your whataboutisms, most Democrats frequently criticize the party's policy. Yes, plenty of people defended Biden, but many questioned him, and many of those who defended him did it solely because they saw him as the best chance to beat Trump, which was the primary goal, and knew he would surround himself with morally decent people (don't give me Hunter crap), unlike Trump whose cabinet is 75% total morally bankrupt losers. Trumpers refuse to say one negative word about him. At least admit he is fat!

6'3, 215 is a BMI of 26.9. Slightly overweight (assuming average body composition) but nowhere near obese.

[Anonymous]

Academia is bloated across the board. College age demographic will continue to decline. Better to get ahead of the curve.

[Anonymous]

Lost my donation and alumni volunteer work 20 years ago. Duke turned too far left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The alumni giving rate has declined sharply over the last 20 years and in my group of friends very few if any donate lacrosse fiasco, liberal turn to woke look at the alumni magazine and feature articles conservatives and Trump voting grads are not sending checks. Former Duke President Terry Sanford a moderate Democrat wouldn’t recognize the place.

You travel in very different circles than I do, and are seeing inaccurate data.

And even if you are correct, I think it is fine for Duke to distance itself from MAGA. Everything Trump stands for stands opposed to everything an elite university should stand for. And the way the typical Trump voter regurgitates Fox News talking points and completely falls in line with everything Trump does rather than thinking critically and defending their arguments intelligently is also opposite to everything Duke stands for.

And before you jump into your whataboutisms, most Democrats frequently criticize the party's policy. Yes, plenty of people defended Biden, but many questioned him, and many of those who defended him did it solely because they saw him as the best chance to beat Trump, which was the primary goal, and knew he would surround himself with morally decent people (don't give me Hunter crap), unlike Trump whose cabinet is 75% total morally bankrupt losers. Trumpers refuse to say one negative word about him. At least admit he is fat!

6'3, 215 is a BMI of 26.9. Slightly overweight (assuming average body composition) but nowhere near obese.

You believe he weighs 215? Further proof that MAGA morons believe every word out of the propaganda machine. Amazing how you all twist yourselves in knots to defend this madman. Please say one truly negative thing about him. I do not think you are capable of doing so.

[Anonymous]

Weighs less than Pritzker

[Anonymous]

so much excessive spending. it almost gauche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duke has become very woke and alienated a good percentage of its alumni base

Doubtful….but that is your response to everything. Are you enjoying living in your parents basement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so much excessive spending. it almost gauche.

Not sure if you have seen the new food court (I think they call it the WEL). Duke celebrates it. I was horrified. I know a lot of the less rich kids also hate it as they can't get a simple, reasonably priced meal anymore. I miss the Rat, CI, etc. Kids do not need 15 different types of overpriced ethnic food.

Though at least they don't have a lazy river...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The alumni giving rate has declined sharply over the last 20 years and in my group of friends very few if any donate lacrosse fiasco, liberal turn to woke look at the alumni magazine and feature articles conservatives and Trump voting grads are not sending checks. Former Duke President Terry Sanford a moderate Democrat wouldn’t recognize the place.

Any human being who voted for Trump this time around isn’t worth associating with. I say that as a almost 40 year registered republican.