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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Duke at $11.6 billion in beginning of 2025 is at number 11. UTexas system, UMichigan, and UPenn are slightly higher but their enrollment is multiple times larger than Duke. Michigan has 33k undergrads, Penn 10k and Duke at 6,800. The change in the vibe on campus [b]has alienated lots of grads [/b]and development office privately acknowledges that trend. Same if not more noticeable at Princeton, Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale. Notre Dame is a powerhouse at $20 billion and benefits as other top Catholic schools Holy Cross from a more homogeneous, continual demographic (wealthy Catholic families).

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Why? Because of less white students?[/quote]

No. Because of Duke’s policies that pushed much of the social life off campus.

The school has been eager to facilitate more inclusive social events, which is a terrific goal. But the execution has been poor, including with the new Quad X residential life system (too restrictive for juniors and seniors.)

Duke’s biggest mistake was outright banning fraternities and sororities on campus. This did not actually diminish the popularity or influence of the Greek orgs - it just pushed them off campus, beyond the oversight or authority of the school. (Duke’s Greek life is now governed by the self-created Durham IFC and Durham Panhellenic, which are not affiliated with the school).

So fraternity and sorority parties and events now draw students off campus, including to parties in fields with sketchy cell service out in the middle of nowhere (and that require kids to know someone in order to procure a wristband to attend/take the bus there). No more open kegs on campus on Thursday or Saturday nights. (Used to be great ways to blow off steam after studying.)

Yes, basketball games draw lots of kids from across different social groups. But overall, campus is a quieter, less lively place at night and on weekends. Alums are not happy with the change. [/quote]

Totally agree. We used to wander around in our freshman herd from party to party and most doors were open. I believe the last Thursday kegs were 1993, but some on Friday and lots on Saturday. No one cared if you were "cool" or not - you could go to most parties. This gradually was getting phased out but now there is no fun on campus at all.

The field parties are weird - I don't get that. But apparently it is a big thing. And it creates more of a sense of haves and have nots, as you noted, and freezes out those who are happy being in the middle - don't necessarily want to be Greek but want to go to some parties and be social. Which is what made Duke so great. The "average" Duke student was still very social, without being your usual Type A Greek person. Now that is gone. You're either all in on these parties or studying all the time.[/quote]

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