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
XXXDAY,APRIL FRIDAY, MONTH 5, 2013 XX, 2013
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Div School answers what science cannot by Carleigh Stiehm THE CHRONICLE
Although some might assume that theology is an antiquated field of study, Duke Divinity students and administrators are adamant that this kind of education is more than just blind faith. The Divinity School—where students learn to become both pastors and scholars of theology—plays an important role in a well-rounded liberal arts education, said Divinity School Dean Richard Hays. At
a university constantly praised for its scientific advancements, the Duke Divinity School enhances secular education with an alternate but compatible perspective. “Honestly, there aren’t a whole lot of other places in the academic world that teach us to ask, ‘Is this good?’” said Brandon Walsh, a master of divinity candidate. Students in the Divinity graduate programs come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but all of them come to seek
further study in the field of faith. Each come having accepted the fundamentals of their Christian faith—just as a mathematics graduate student accepts the concept of numbers, or a medical student accepts chemistry, Hays said. Some people might consider these assumptions illogical because they are accepted on blind faith, leading them to believe that a divinity school does not belong in a modern university, said Brian
Duke pockets bulk of royalties from faculty inventions by Tony Shan THE CHRONICLE
response to the changing needs of the state’s prisons, Walker said. In recent years, the inmate population has seen significant decline—in 2010, the average daily population of inmates was 40,203. As of April 4, the
Duke professors have raised concerns over a policy that entitles Duke to a large percentage of the profit faculty and students receive from their inventions. According to the Faculty Handbook, Duke is entitled to 50 to 75 percent of the net profit from faculty or student inventions created using University resources. These high royalties may pose a threat to entrepreneurship and innovation at Duke, and University policies for the distribution of collected earnings have left many faculty and administrators wanting. The policy that entitles Duke to such a large percentage has remained unchanged for over a decade and is something worth re-evaluating, said Gregory Wray, professor of biology and chair of the University Committee on Patent Policy, which oversees implementation and interpretation of the policy. “Rewards need to go to the people who deserve it, and in such a way that they incentivize people,” Wray said. “Right now, we think that things might be a little bit out of balance.” Under the current policy, Articles V and VI of the Policy on Inventions, Patents and Technology Transfer in Appendix P of the Faculty handbook require all inventions to be reported to the Office of Licensing and Ventures. Inventions are then divided into three general categories—those that are completely independent, those that use very little of Duke’s resources and those that rely heavily on Duke’s resources. For the first category, all property and income rights go to the inventor. In both the second and third category, Duke first collects enough to cover the cost of the used University resources and then collects royalties. For the second, Duke has the right to collect a royalty of 10 percent of the gross income. The third category, which most University inventors usually fall under, gives Duke ownership of the invention and 50 percent of net earnings for inventions that earn anything less than $500,000, 67 percent for income between $500,000 and $2 million and 75 percent for anything over $2 million.
SEE PRISON ON PAGE 4
SEE PATENT ON PAGE 3
SEE DIVINITY ON PAGE 2
McCrory cuts NC prison budget by Tiffany Lieu THE CHRONICLE
Governor Pat McCrory’s proposal to shut down five North Carolina prisons reflects a decrease in the inmate population. The proposed budget, announced March 20, recommends consolidating spending in the state prison system and shutting down five of the oldest facilities in the state. The advised closures would save taxpayers money while having minimal effects on the state’s prison operations, said Pamela Walker, deputy director of communications with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Recent trends of decreased prison bookings are corroborated by sentencing projections, which predict that the decrease will continue. “This was a very carefully measured response to a reduction in the inmate prison population,” Walker said. “We had to weigh [many] factors while also carrying out our mission of public safety and giving inmates tools to successful release.” The proposed state budget—a 2 percent increase from the current $20.2 billion budget—focuses on streamlining spending to
reallocate funding to necessary programs. This $20.6 billion budget projects savings of $20 million for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, which starts July 1. In addition to shutting down the five prisons, the plan proposes to boost the state’s pre-kindergarten programs, hire new teachers to meet enrollment growth and eliminate more than 3,000 teacher assistants. The new budget will also cut $150 million for the University of North Carolina system. “We have a strong foundation, but the foundation now has some cracks in it,” McCrory said in his presentation of the proposal to state legislators. “Our immediate goal... is to fix those cracks, so we can have a stronger foundation for future generations.” The state prison system is one “crack” that may see significant changes. The governor’s budget proposes shutting down five of the state’s 66 prisons to realign and consolidate spending—the cut could save taxpayers $54.4 million over two years, said Kim Genardo, communications director for the governor’s office. The governor’s proposal is a measured
Uni policy may stifle innovation
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20.6 billion dollars
Proposed budget for North Carolina prisons
5prisons Will be shut down in order to consolidate spending
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