T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y
The Chronicle
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 30
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
DukeEngage Duke reaffirms commitment adds 8 new to need-blind admissions programs by Anna Koelsch THE CHRONICLE
by Matt Barnett THE CHRONICLE
DukeEngage is expanding its international reach next summer. The DukeEngage program, which funds domestic and international service trips for undergraduate students, announced Tuesday the addition of eight new programs for summer 2012—increasing the total programs offered to 42. Seven of the eight new programs are based outside of the United States. Nine new programs were introduced for summer 2011—three of which were based in North Carolina—and DukeEngage accepted 50 additional students. Programs this summer will have a total number of 435 students, up from approximately 400 students last summer, Executive Director of DukeEngage Eric Mlyn said. One program in North Carolina and one in Uganda will not be continued. “We’re only expanding very little this year,” Mlyn said. “We would like to expand over the long term just because there is so much demand for the program—we have twice as many applicants as spots.” The Duke Endowment, an independent Charlotte-based foundation started in 1924 by James B. Duke, has committed to fully funding one of the new programs next summer in Bennettsville, S.C. SEE DUKEENGAGE ON PAGE 5
GRAPHIC BY JAMES LEE AND TYLER SEUC
While other institutions cut back, Duke maintains its commitment to need-blind admissions, as reported by the Board of Trustees in September.
Duke is part of a fortunate list of institutions able to maintain a need-blind college admissions process. According to a September survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed, 31.7 percent of admissions counselors at four-year colleges consider recruiting students who are able to pay full tuition a high priority for the next two to three admission cycles. This is indicative of a trend among many institutions to eliminate need-blind admissions. Similarly, 34.3 percent of counselors at four-year universities said their institution has focused more attention on recruiting students who can pay full tuition in the last year. Despite this trend, Duke will continue its need-blind policy, as it reaffirmed its commitment to need-blind admissions at the Board of Trustees meeting last week. Director of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag said the need-blind admissions policy is part of the bedrock of the University. The policy states that an applicant’s ability to pay tuition will not be a factor in the admission decision. Guttentag added that it makes sense to reaffirm Duke’s commitment to the policy given the trend among four-year colleges to eliminate need-blind admissions. “Given the financial pressure universities are under and given the economic climate, people are wondering about the commitment of colleges to access and affordability,” Guttentag said. “A time when the public might be wondering about a commitment is the time to remind them that yes, we have had this policy, we continue to have this policy and we expect to have this policy in the future.” Guttentag, who could not comment on whether he participated in the Inside Higher Ed survey, said the University has never wavered in its commitment to need-blind admissions. More institutions—such as Carleton College, Gettysburg SEE ADMISSIONS ON PAGE 12
NC to waive No Feminism extends reach from Child Left Behind Vietnam to US, expert says by Chinmayi Sharma
by Tiffany Lieu
THE CHRONICLE
THE CHRONICLE
By November, North Carolina will apply to opt out of No Child Left Behind. President Barack Obama delivered a speech from the White House Sept. 23 announcing a new opportunity for states to waive certain requirements of the largest education reform act in the past decade. North Carolina’s State Department of Education will apply for the waiver Nov. 14 because officials do not feel the existing NCLB scoring system accurately portrays the performance of N.C. schools. “The accountability system does not work,” N.C. State Superintendent June Atkinson said. “The system doesn’t make sense or follow common sense. It does not adequately portray our states’ schools and how successful they are.” Under the current system, only 27.7 percent of N.C. public schools met the passing “adequate yearly progress”
Reanalyzing the movements of the 1970s provides a new perspective on feminism today. Judy Wu, associate professor of women’s studies and history at Ohio State University, explored the ’70s feminist movements in Vietnam protesting the war. In a lecture Tuesday, Wu noted that the movements, which originated in Vietnam and then spread to the United States, gave rise not only to feminist movements in Southeast Asia but also collaboration between feminists from Asia and the Western world. “These feminist movements changed everything,” Wu said. “It used to be that women and men couldn’t apply for the same jobs or even attend the same universities.” The central principle of the ’70s movement was that women were as capable of achievement and influence as
men, Wu noted. The idea remains relevant 40 years later in modern society. “Duke women truly are reaping the benefits of the feminist movement,” Wu said. Several audience members expressed gratitude and support for Wu’s research. Victoria Hesford, a postdoctoral associate in women’s studies, said Wu’s message resonated with her own perceptions of the importance of the feminist movement. “Professor Wu is doing very important work,” Hesford said. “She truly is making us rethink the movements of the ’70s and how they influenced modern feminist movements.” Miles Grier, a provost’s postdoctoral associate at the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute, said he was interested in the dynamics and collaboration SEE FEMINISM ON PAGE 12
SEE EDUCATION ON PAGE 12
AT&T raises the bar, Page 4
GPSC discusses new medical insurance plans, Page 4