PROJECTS
See what each committee is up to by clicking on the panels below.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
The proposal is to create a unified database about information about advanced course placement for undergraduates, if they have done extra studies during high school, but may or may not have transfer credit. This resource will enable advanced students to make the best out of their undergraduate years.
While the libraries on campus provide wonderful resources and are reliable areas for studying for students, other areas on campus are often overlooked as study spots because of lack of awareness about them. Many students prefer other environments or places that are better suited to their specific study habits. Creating a map with alternate locations for studying will allow students (especially first-years) to explore more of campus and find academic resources that are best suited to their needs.
A long standing goal of the DSG Academic Affairs Committee is to encourage and improve the broader process of academic discovery for the undergraduate student body. A vital part of this objective is paving the way, through administrative and institutional roadblocks, so students are able to take full advantage of the breadth and depth of Duke’s undergraduate liberal arts education. At present, when Duke’s ~7000 undergraduates are in search of classes to take the following semester (typically at
One of the DSG Academic Affairs Committee’s strategic visions is to improve the academic environment for the undergraduate student body, and—in turn—enhance the overall undergraduate experience as well as the student body’s wellbeing. A crucial aspect to this broad goal is reevaluating our students’ experiences while they are not at Duke during the school year – i.e. students who have chosen to take time off from Duke for whatever reason. Duke’s current leave policies and procedures, as delineat
The Duketernships program is designed to offer a one-day shadowing experience with an alum in the area. This would provide undergraduate students an opportunity to get to know the career path of their alum host, learn about possible fields, and gain tangible experience in their fields of interest. This would also foster a stronger connection between current Duke undergrads and the extensive alumni network and would allow Duke students to learn more about Duke and its culture as well.
Adequate mental health care entails not only the provision of quality services, but also increased accessibility and decreased stigma towards mental health. In accordance to those principles, this initiative proposes the mandatory inclusion of mental health resources on all course syllabi.
The goal of the project is to make engineering accessible to students from all majors. The current focus is to provide this opportunity for engagement with a house course. The course has been taught in Fall 2019 and will be taught in Spring 2020. The long-term vision is an official Duke course, or otherwise institutionalized course of study, in which Duke professors and different engineering experts teach modules for the class.
Graduate lunch (GRUNCH) aims to improve pre-graduate advising for undergraduates and create connections between undergraduate and graduate/professional students at Duke. In short, GRUNCH facilitates informal advisement over lunch and is modeled after the popular faculty lunch (FLUNCH) program. The goal of Academic Affairs is to make GRUNCH a permanent and accessible opportunity for all students this year.
As a top 10 university known for its academics, sports, and opportunities, Duke University has a lot to advertise and be proud of. From the countless summer and semester programs it offers, to its extensive and wide variety of extracurriculars, there is hardly a gap in things for students to do all year round- except for one. Over spring break, many schools of similar prestige (i.e. University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, etc.) offer what is referred to as “Altern
Students on East Campus have expressed difficulty accessing health resources such as the pharmacy, student health, physical therapy, and CAPS due to the fact that these facilities are all located on West Campus. It is important for East Campus students to have increased access to these resources, especially those for mental health, as the transition to college can be difficult. Students with physical injuries, such as sprained ankles, should also have easier access to health resources as to not
To give students the opportunity to explore new subjects and find fun or unique classes offered at Duke, this project aims to identify these courses from surveys in order to present them to students.
College expenses have skyrocketed in recent years, causing many students to navigate complicated financial and support structures to pay for course materials. Course costs, which are inherently unpredictable, are not always made transparent during the course registration. Professors often state on the course description that textbooks have yet to be determined. Given that the prices of books and related materials are highly variable, this poses several problems. Course costs pose barriers, both
The Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Expansion project seeks to alleviate stress and provide greater freedom to Duke undergraduates within the realm of course grading and selection. Duke’s current S/U policy allows students to, once per semester, take a 1.0 credit class (that is normally on a graded basis) as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. While this option sometimes encourages students to explore classes that they may not normally take, the policy comes with many restrictions that, in its current form
Duke University offers nearly 130 combined majors, minors, and certificates, each with its own unique course of study and progression. However, there exists no clear visualization tool to aide non-declared students in exploring major, minor, or certificate possibilities. This initiative will arm non-declared students with an intuitive road map of these course requirements to consult during their academic exploration.
Campus Life
Duke has a sizeable international student population, yet the experiences of its international students face many gaps that need to be addressed. This proposal addresses the creation of a Dean of International Students under the office of Student Affairs. This individual would be focused on advocating for the needs of international students at Duke and serving as a centralized office to tackle problems faced by the Duke’s undergraduate international student community.
We propose to offer students with alternative, more environmentally-conscious ways to store the drinks they purchase at Duke Dining locations across campus. This project seeks to open up two alternatives to the conventional paper/plastic cup that students currently receive when ordering a drink on campus. First, we plan to work with Duke Dining venues to encourage them to accept reusable containers that customer bring, pouring drinks directly into reusable tumblers/mugs that customers provide. I
Currently, Duke only offers two locations where students can go to borrow a charger for their devices: Lilly Library on East Campus and Perkins on West Campus. These locations are only useful if you're in close proximity to them and are not pressed for time. Since Duke students are always on the go, they may not have enough time to stop by one of these charger lending locations. In addition, after using the charger, students have to worry about remembering to return it. In an increasingly digit
Initiate ‘House Games’ where each freshman dorm is a ‘House’ with their own identities encapsulated in their mottos, logos, apparel, and more. The purpose of the ‘Games’ is for the Houses to both have general fun with each other and engage in friendly competition. Such activities could range from late night pranks to a comprehensive ‘Olympics’ of students’ favorite games where one House is declared the ‘victor.’
Reallocate the current resources of the Food Trucks initiative rolled out by Duke Dining to better reflect what fits students’ needs. By doing so, not only will the food trucks perform better, helping both the companies and Duke Dining, but also students will have more high quality food options available to them. Preliminary ideas include bringing food trucks to East Campus Brodie Lot, one of the most central areas where parking exists on East that could attract many students, at times late at n
Preventing sexual assault has been an important issue for Duke students for several years, but its prevalence across campus will not stop unless it is treated accordingly. Appropriate punishment, comprehensive education, and additional efforts must be made at all levels (from the administration to the students) to eradicate systemic rape culture. We plan to put forth (3) connected projects to address this complex issue in different ways: global outreach, campus activism, and institutional policy
One of the most exciting moments of the first-year experience for many students is the move-in process, where First-Year Advisory Counselors (FACs) assist with the process by bringing all luggage and boxes up from the students’ cars to their dorms. Although Duke has a considerable international student population, the FAC program’s move-in assistance does not extend to international students, who have an earlier move-in dates than their non-international peers. I propose an extension to the curr
Duke has centralized many of its student buildings into one main area, the Campus Center. The Campus Center along with Perkins Undergraduate Library hold the most student traffic during the school year. However, these buildings often become overcrowded since many students have common breaks within their schedule. In order to ease the overcrowdedness, this project aims to create a “tracking” system within DukeMobile for students to be able to see which areas are busier than others. The goal of th
Create a feedback form within the Duke Student Government website and newsletter to allow students to communicate directly with the Duke Student Government. This form will be monitored by Ramya Ginjupalli and ideas will be sent to the VPs of relevant committees. This form includes the respondents name, email, subject, message, and committee choice.
Participation in clubs is integral to the student experience here at Duke and a club guide would help facilitate the ease at which students can find clubs they are interested in. We believe accessibility to club information and resources will enable a more meaningful and stress-free extracurricular experience, and will especially help incoming first-years. We propose to help provide students with easy access to information on all SOFC recognized and chartered organizations on campus through a Du
equity and outreach
In collaboration with Duke LIFE (Low-Income/First-Generation Engagement) as well as DUU (Duke University Union) Freewater Productions, I plan to create videos highlighting the experiences of first-generation and/or low-income college students at Duke University. This is intended to 1) create accurate and compelling portrayals of the experience of first-generation and/or low-income Duke students as a resource for first-generation and/or low-income applicants to Duke; 2) highlight and document cha
This project is intended to collectively imagine what expanding Duke’s resources to justice-involved folks would look like. This process will be informed by the work and histories of other groups and institutions that have developed structures for connecting incarcerated and formerly-incarcerated individuals with educational opportunities. Such programs include youth scholarships, degree- or credit-granting prison education programs, college application workshops, prison divestment campaigns, po
In order to increase access and awareness to students on campus of the resources available to them in a time of crisis, the telephone numbers of crisis hotlines, both Duke-specific and general, should be more widely circulated. An essential means by which these numbers can be disseminated to all students in a manner which makes them easily accessible during a time of crisis is through their inclusion on the DukeCard. Permanent fixture on a physical object which students carry with them each day
Whether it’s legacy admissions or affirmative action, the issue of equity continues to dominate the college admissions debate in America. My project will focus on assessing the equity of the admissions process here at Duke, with the goal being to foster collaboration between DSG (as a vehicle of student feedback) and the Office of Admissions. We will achieve these objectives by first collecting data on students’ perspectives on Duke’s admissions process and meeting with Admissions to discuss pos
To increase access to equitable dining options; increase visibility of existing programs, namely by revitalizing the Daily Devil Deals Program, and more actively advertising cheaper and more nutritious meal options for students.
I hope to increase the opportunities available for using equivalency. Currently, Trinity Cafe is the only place that takes equivalency after 9pm, but there are not a lot of food options. On top of that, the meals are not very nutritious. There are salads and sushi, but those food options usually run out very quickly every night. Therefore, students have to resort to pizza, ice cream, and various sandwiches. I was hoping that equivalency could also be used at the East Campus Store and possibly Au
A former housekeeper has described the current working culture at Duke as being similar to a "plantation." 1 I propose we first research the specific problems facing the workforce before we decide how to best address the situation. This first step will include research and various conversations with past and present employees, representatives, and administrators to develop a comprehensive view of this complicated situation. The treatment of staff here at Duke hits at the heart of our c
The current housing system puts independent students as the last priority since they only get access to housing assignments after the rush process for students who are in selective living groups. This institutional lack of priority for independent students in the assignments process puts them in a position where they are systematically constructed as not having as much of a stake in creating community within their houses. Thus, we want to work on reforming the housing process so that independent
Work with SLGs to institute two different ‘due’ policies for individuals who consume alcohol and those who don’t. Some SLGs already have such policies in place but ensuring that all SLGs have similar policies will not only ensure greater inclusivity but also address the stereotype that those who do not consume alcohol have no place in Duke’s social life. Such a policy is a means of ensuring that SLGs recognize participatory interest from non-drinkers and that non-drinkers do not end up paying fo
I propose to make information about birth control options and access at Duke more accessible to students by creating a comprehensive flyer that lists the different options provided at Duke and how students can obtain these options on campus. This initiative will allow students to be more in charge of their health, as birth control is used for a variety of health conditions in addition to being an effective contraceptive. The end goal of this project is to hang up all these flyers in every reside
In order to foster a closer connection between Duke students and the city of Durham, we aim to create a program that students can sign up for, free of charge, where they will be brought into Durham on a periodic basis over the year for service work as well as local activities. Many Duke students don’t know much about the city of Durham and therefore don’t feel comfortable going into the city of their own accord. This, in turn, contributes to more strained relations between the university and the
Due to a lack of resources encouraging student engagement with Durham, we aim to create a resource that highlights popular restaurants, recreation/activities, cultural events, volunteer opportunities, and historic attractions. We hope to further student interaction with the Durham community to foster a better relationship with local residents and show more support for the city. Student involvement in Durham can also enhance the Duke experience through creating more wholesome memories and instill
The aim of this project is two fold: (1) to work to get as many Durham residents registered to vote in the upcoming elections as possible and (2) to increase Duke’s presence in the Durham community through local impact work and civic engagement. Especially with North Carolina’s gerrymandering laws, it is very important that all citizens are registered to vote in local, statewide, and national elections so that their voices can be heard. By working with student organizations like DukeVotes, the
At Duke University, 30% of the student body is involved in Greek life on campus. There is little to no connection between the Greek organizations on campus with the university itself or the greater Durham area. With this project, I hope to work with fraternity and sorority organizations, like Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Association (Panhel), to track and provide opportunities for Greek involvement with Duke and Durham. Both IFC and Panhel provide incentives to Greek organizatio
First-year student exposure to Durham, specifically during O-Week, is very limited. This project aims to find ways to get first-years involved in the Durham community from their first week on campus. This goal could be achieved through larger O-week events being held in Durham, informational material about Durham, and smaller group excursions to important community locations. By acquainting first-year students to Durham early in their Duke careers, they will feel more comfortable to enter the ci
Largely because of misleading representation and information in admissions materials and on Duke’s websites and social media pages, Duke students seem to know little to nothing about Durham beyond the bars and restaurants that lay in close proximity to campus. The goal of this project is to show Duke students just how lacking they are in knowledge about the city they supposedly call home. I hope to begin the project by releasing an incentivized survey-style quiz about basic Durham-related inform
Charter schools are publically-funded, privately managed schools at the elementary and secondary levels. These schools have often been criticized for mismanagement of those public funds, and North Carolina has not been left out. This project would take a look at how North Carolina funds Durham charter schools, as well as what outside sources of revenue Durham charter schools receive. The final product would be a presentation, audit, and recommendation to the North Carolina State Board of Educati
Durham regional affairs
Allow the greater student body to access staplers at all or a majority of printing stations so that it is more convenient to print and piece together class readings or assignments on the go. Ideally this would allow more student productivity and provide a more accommodating learning environment.
Involvement in student groups and organizations can be extremely costly and therefore cost-prohibitive for low income students on campus. However, involvement in groups is a crucial aspect of student life at Duke and is heavily emphasized by Duke Admissions. Few groups currently have a financial aid process for students who cannot pay dues, and do so internally if at all. Given the importance of inclusivity and student involvement on campus, the Duke Student Government and Student Organization F
Students undergo seasonal changes and sensitive allergies or the beginnings of sicknesses on campus, but the DukeHealth office is not open 24/7 and cannot cater to students in its off-hours. Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health released a new mobile and desktop application that allows patients to receive 24/7 virtual urgent care, according to The Chronicle. Telehealth can be a great resource to students facing illnesses and who cannot physically find sources of professional help due to their sickness.
A unified online portal for lost and found items should be created to create a streamlined process for reporting/locating lost items. This could be an online web portal, or a single office/point of contact where all lost and found items get reported to.
Duke has implemented policies and infrastructure to make our campus more sustainable and equitable. One way to contribute to this initiative is to greatly reduce the amount of waste coming out of sporting events and K-ville during tenting season, and designing a system for students to buy used tenting equipment at a reduced price. During tenting season, K-ville produces copious amounts of waste without a transparent policy about how this waste is dealt with. This may be a detriment to inhabitant
Green Devils, a sustainability-based undergraduate organization, is rolling out a reusable to-go container program that has been several months in the making. Due to concerns regarding accountability, Duke Green Devils have implemented an electronic-based check-out system to ensure that the boxes are returned back to the Brodhead Center when a student has finished using them. However, most students are unfamiliar with the check out process which can dissuade students from trying the reusable con
Duke University students study hard and often. While studying is not a bad thing, spending too much time cooped up in a library is. The Duke campus spans 8,600 acres, but students consistently gravitate towards libraries and reading rooms to study. Many students spend hours, days and even entire nights sitting in front of a desk and under artificial light. Perkins and Lilly are more evocative of stress than productivity, yet libraries are still considered the “right” place to study—more outdoor
“Open textbooks are textbooks that have been funded, published, and licensed to be freely used, adapted, and distributed. Students typically have to make do with a small budget while they are in college, and with other educational and living expenses, textbooks make a big dent in the remaining spending money we have. These open textbooks that students could use in certain classes are available for free online, or for a low cost in printing.
In recent years Duke has made many efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of our campus, many of these efforts have been in the form of increasing the awareness and participation in recycling. While in East Campus dorms there are ways to recycle, it is inconvenient and very restrictive. Only allowing plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and certain paper products, there is no way to recycle other forms of plastic that can easily be recycled on other parts of East Campus. The main goal of this propos
To increase the amount of lighting on West campus specifically in areas that are not well lit. These areas include places of construction, around dorms, Blue Zone, under arches, and more on campus that are dark and hard to navigate at night.
To create a healthier, happier Duke Community, Duke University should expand access to fresh, local produce around campus. We will explore the many different ways that fresh fruit and vegetable accessibility can be increased, such as new vendors on campus, fresher options at Duke stores, and access to local farmers markets either on or off campus. We have conducted a survey with over 500 responses demonstrating almost unanimous support for better, more accessible produce on campus. We would like