November, 2010 Working@Duke

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BUDGET Q&A Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III and Provost Peter Lange discuss the issues and challenges of budget planning while trying to cut $100 million.

N E WS YO U CA N U S E

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FIGHT THE FLU TOGETHER Get your seasonal flu vaccine at Duke at no charge before activity peaks in the U.S. in January or February.

Vo l u m e 5 , I s s u e 9

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SUSTAINABLE DUKE Departments across Duke are eliminating single-use plastic water bottles and replacing them with more ecofriendly water coolers.

November 2010

Think Global, Work Local DUKE’S ENGAGEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS, RELATIONSHIPS CHANGING JOBS ON CAMPUS aren Gray routinely processes reimbursement requests from faculty and staff in foreign currencies.

But a recent 18-page expense report from a researcher in Kenya gave her pause.

“There were six or seven tiny handwritten receipts taped to each page,” said Gray, a financial analyst for the Duke Global Health Institute.

The researcher was studying HIV in rural Kenya, where receipts are seldom used. It took Gray days to decipher the receipts and organize them according to reimbursement regulations. That experience prompted Gray to suggest changes to support projects abroad.

“Now, we give researchers traveling to underdeveloped countries receipt books or expense sheets where they can write the details and have the vendor sign,” she said.

From finance to facilities, technology to teaching, hundreds of Duke faculty and staff like Gray are thinking globally, while working locally in Durham. They’re creating an infrastructure to support Duke’s ambition to become what President Richard H. Brodhead calls, “a truly global university.”

With a research or educational presence in more than 200 international locations, Duke has a long history abroad. But the past decade has seen a surge in Duke’s institutional engagement in international relationships and programs. From creating a graduate medical school in partnership with the National University of Singapore to plans by the Fuqua School of Business to open campuses in five areas of the world, Duke is enhancing its global identity through research, education and outreach that goes far beyond the Durham campus. Just this year, Brodhead attended the groundbreaking for a Duke campus in Kunshan, China, where Duke plans to offer programs in the future in business, environment, public policy and global health, among others.

But Duke can’t rely on campuses abroad to create a global Duke, said Greg Jones, vice president and vice provost for global strategy and programs. “If we are serious about training leaders of the 21st century,” he said, “we have to have students, faculty and staff who have a global imagination, no matter where they work.”

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Institutional Support As Duke ramps up efforts overseas, the university is examining issues that affect employees abroad and making it easier for faculty and staff in 2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing 2009, 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters

Duke President Richard H. Brodhead, center, attends the groundbreaking ceremony for the Duke campus in Kunshan, China, with Provost Peter Lange, far left, and U.S. Consul General Beatrice Camp, who is standing beside Brodhead.

Durham to support people and projects overseas – everything from policies to business operations.

Over the past year, for example, an International Human Resources Committee has been studying employment issues ranging from health benefits to compensation, said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Human Resources.

In August, the committee formalized the first international employment policy, allowing faculty or staff stationed abroad for a year or more to request an education allowance for their child’s K–12 schooling.

Having employees in multiple countries poses interesting challenges because each country is so different, Cavanaugh said. “It is hard to write one-size-fits-all policies or procedures,” he added. “We have to look at country-specific issues as well as Duke-wide policy development.”

To help plan and coordinate its increased global activities, Duke launched the Office of Global Strategy and Programs, which is led by Jones, the vice president and vice provost for global strategy and programs. >> See THINK GLOBAL, WORK LOCAL, PAGE 5

This paper consists of 30% recycled post-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.

Editor’s Note LEANORA MINAI Leanora.Minai@duke.edu

Newsbriefs Beat holiday weight gain

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arlier this year, I wore a pedometer that measured my steps, and I quickly realized I wasn’t meeting a goal of 10,000 daily steps. Concerned, I scheduled walks, hikes and runs – and soon enough, I was logging more than 10,000 daily steps.

I’m now thrilled to report that I will run my first half-marathon on Nov. 7 in Raleigh. The 13.1-mile race is the Rex Healthcare Half Marathon and is part of Raleigh's fourth annual City of Oaks Marathon. My goal is to complete the course in two hours without stopping.

I give thanks to LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, for helping me get started and grow more accountable for achieving my fitness goals. Earlier this year, I participated in the program’s fitness challenge and carried that momentum forward on my own.

I registered for the half-marathon to challenge my body and mind and maintain my health and fitness. I’m running in honor of my father, who passed away last November after fighting cancer. He would be proud.

Over the months, I experienced blisters on my big toe, a sore right knee, extreme summer heat and boredom on the treadmill. But I stuck with the pace, increasing my distance from two to eight miles, as of this writing.

Most importantly, I've learned that all we need is a little spark and inspiration to make meaningful changes in our lives. Whether it’s a team challenge at Duke, or an inspiring friend or family member, here’s hoping you find your positive spark, too.

Get help over the holidays with maintaining weight during the annual “Maintain Don’t Gain” program, sponsored by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program.

The eight-week program, which is Nov. 15 to Jan. 9, provides weekly e-mails with healthy recipes and tips and strategies for stress management, physical activity and adopting or maintaining healthy behaviors. “Research shows that weight gained during the holidays isn’t always lost in the New Year,” said Liz Grabosky, LIVE FOR LIFE fitness program manager. “Maintaining your weight throughout the holidays is a lot easier than losing pounds later.”

Register at hr.duke.edu/maintain.

If you’re missing the conversation on Facebook, we’ll post a few snippets here each month – but please join and jump in at facebook.com/workingatduke.

Free fun at the Nasher Museum of Art Admission to the Nasher Museum of Art is free Sunday, Nov. 21 for the exhibitions, “The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl” and “The Vorticists: Rebel Artists in London and New York, 1913-1914.”

During the event from noon to 4 p.m., Nigerian-born artist Fatimah Tuggar, whose work is included in “The Record” exhibition, will be present to share her passion for art.

“The day caters especially to children ages 3 to 12 and their accompanying adults, but with live performances, gallery hunts and other activities, there will be something for people of all ages,” said Juline Chevalier, the museum’s curator of education.

The Nasher Museum of Art hosts five free family days each year; general admission is always free for Duke faculty, staff and students.

The November Free Family Day is sponsored in part by Duke Medicine.

For more information and a schedule of events, visit nasher.duke.edu.

What role do disasters play in society?

Do disasters bring opportunities for resilience and renewal, or simply highlight the shortcomings of society’s responses? Kevin Rozario, associate professor of American Studies at Smith College, will tackle this question Nov. 18 as part of the Provost’s Lecture Series on Natural Disasters/Human Responses.

Rozario will present his thoughts on the central, yet changing role of disasters in modern life. He will look at the influence of Katrina, Haiti and the BP oil spill on public policy and our understanding of calamity in a lecture, “Catastrophes of Progress: Disaster and Innovation in America.” The lecture is at 5 p.m. in the Sociology-Psychology Building, Room 130.

For more information, visit provost.duke.edu/speaker_series.

Letters to the Editor must include name and contact information.

E-mail letters to working@duke.edu or mail them to Working@Duke Editor, Box 90496, Durham, NC 27708. Fax letters to (919) 681-7926. Please keep length to no more than 200 words.

Duke releases annual campus security report he annual crime report for Duke shows increases in some reported offenses from 2008 to 2009, but university officials say this is due in part to increased awareness and new reporting procedures.

The Annual Campus Security Report, released in October by the university, shows increases in reports of forcible sex offenses, robbery and aggravated assault. There was also an uptick in liquor law violations referred for disciplinary action.

“It’s important for students, faculty and staff to be informed about the number of reported incidents,” said John Dailey, chief of police at Duke. “We certainly compare favorably to our peer institutions. Although we would like all our numbers to be zero, that’s not a realistic expectation. This is an opportunity to come together and take this information and see what we can learn from it and work to reduce the numbers in the future.”

The report is mandated by the federal Clery Act, which requires universities to publish an annual report disclosing campus security policies and three years worth of selected crime statistics.

As directed by last year’s Higher Education Opportunity Act, the report also includes information about Duke’s emergency notification and response and evacuation procedures.

An area that saw an increase is forcible sex offenses, which went from five reported incidents in 2008 to 13 in 2009, according to the report.

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In a university community, one incident is considered too many. We all need to work together to minimize crime.”

— John Dailey Duke Police Chief

University officials said the increase in the number of sex offenses may be the result of adjustments in reporting. Last year, a new policy for reporting sex offenses was enacted, and it says that any university official informed of an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a student is expected to file a report with the Office of Student Conduct.

Dailey said the sex offense category represents a range of illegal behavior, from inappropriate touching to rape. Of the 13 sex offense cases at Duke, eight were classified as forcible fondling and seven of the 13 cases involved acquaintances, Dailey said. “We want the community to know that this behavior is not acceptable and that Duke has many helpful resources,” he said.

Dailey said a factor in the jump in robberies from two in 2008 to seven in 2009 may be due to the economic downturn. Also, he said, three of the seven robberies occurred on public property but because of their proximity to campus, they are counted in Duke’s annual statistics.

Another area that saw an increase is aggravated assault, according to the report. There were six in 2008 and 12 in 2009. Dailey said that Duke has started capturing incidents of assault by patients on medical personnel in this category.

“All but one of the cases involved assault on staff members by disruptive patients in our hospitals and clinics,” Dailey said.

Referrals of liquor law violations for disciplinary action also increased – from 320 in 2008 to 363 in 2009. “We believe the alcohol numbers are a result of a combination of factors, including enhanced education and training and improved communication and reporting,” Dailey said.

Dailey said that overall reported crime at Duke is low, and the number of robberies and sexual assaults are lower so far in 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. Still, he said, “in a university community, one incident is considered too many.

We all need to work together to minimize crime.”

2 Read the security report at duke.edu/police

— By Leanora Minai Working@Duke Editor

Planning to reduce budget by $100 million

Q&A

with Tallman Trask, executive vice president, and Provost Peter Lange

In September, President Richard Brodhead reported that much progress had been made to return the university to financial health, but he added that “shared sacrifice will likely still be needed to bring us to a sustainable budget.”

Discussions about such sacrifices are taking place as schools and departments begin developing budgets for the next fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2012, and marks the conclusion of a threeyear period for the university to reduce its budget by $100 million. The university still needs to cut $40 million to reach that target.

Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III and Provost Peter Lange talked with Working@Duke about some issues and challenges in preparing budgets for the coming year.

What are some tough decisions next year?

Trask: A substantial number of people who leave probably won’t be replaced. We probably need to pull out about 100 more positions by the end of the 2012 fiscal year. It’s unlikely that every person who does leave will be in positions that we will be able to do without. So there will need to be some rearrangement of people and responsibilities to help deal with that.

We are not seeing the normal level of attrition we typically see. The opportunity is limited somewhat because the job market is tied up. But if a department has the opportunity to take advantage of a vacancy by not filling it, it can help balance that department’s budget.

Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III

Trask: Our increasing benefit costs and a potential pay increase next year will increase our expenses by about $25 to $30 million, so we need to save more than the $40 million target to address the budget. We are going to have to have some conversations about benefits. Our benefits package is valued at the high-end among other universities and is well above the rest of the market. I’m not sure we can sustain that in the future.

Lange: There isn’t a common answer because the budget for each school is very different. Some schools are funded primarily by tuition while others receive more external support through grants, investments and philanthropy. The schools still face tight budgets, but it makes more sense for the decisions to be made by the deans and faculty within their schools and departments rather than an across the board approach. But there are going to be some difficult choices that the deans are going to have to make in terms of programs and hiring.

What are some potential sacrifices in the coming year?

Lange: The increasing expense for total compensation – pay and benefits – is going to run up against some of our programmatic goals.

We started budget discussions with the deans and their financial officers early this year because we wanted them to start thinking about how they are going to keep the budget balanced with the increasing cost of total compensation.

It’s an iterative process. There will be a lot of conversation about how and where these choices will be hammered out school by school.

There are a lot of variables, and there is uncertainty about things like investment income and philanthropy that make budget planning difficult. The process is definitely an art. The one thing it is not is science.

Provost Peter Lange

What other changes are in the works to reach the $100 million budget reduction target?

Trask: The big push will be on the procurement side. We know we have too many transactions where we don’t get the best pricing we could get. About 60 percent of the budget is salary and benefits, and the rest is stuff. We spent $650 million on stuff last year. If we can save

5 percent, that’s about $30 million in savings.

It is the biggest single thing we have left.

Lange: Hopefully, we can generate a good piece of savings through procurement and the computer purchasing program. But I think we’re facing what’s called a collective action problem, which is based on a great book by Mancur Olson.

Basically, individuals making decisions don’t feel accountable for the common good. So one person says, ‘Who’s going to know if I spend a few extra hundred dollars for my computer?’ But when you add up all the purchases, it’s a lot of money. The alternative is a command system, where choice is mandated. How far are we going to go with a command system? I don’t quite know the answer to that.

The bigger problem I think is that we have people who still believe that someday in the not too distant future, things will just go back to the way they were. I don’t think that’s going to happen. We’re now in the new normal. We will need to continue to operate in much the same way as we have the last couple years. There are lots of places where we’ve made changes, and that will be the new normal.

You both have worked together in your roles for about 11 years. What impact has that had in managing through the financial crisis?

Trask: We respect each other’s judgment, so we don’t have some of the turf wars that can become unfriendly at other institutions. When I got here, I didn’t think the provost had enough of a voice in budgetary issues, so I worked to have the provost more involved. At most places, the executive vice president doesn’t want the provost involved at all. We agree about 80 percent of the time, and the other 20 percent, we work through together.

Lange: We’ve worked together for 11 years, and I think it’s a huge advantage. You have to have confidence and trust in the other person.

It is easier to do that when you are growing and expanding, but it is much more critical when things are tight. I think that is the most important thing, especially with the strategy we pursued. If we used a meat cleaver approach, you’d probably just fight it out and be done.

But if you’re going to cut the budget with a scalpel like we’re doing it, you are going to have maybe a hundred conversations about where and how to make cuts. And that’s where your experience with each other and mutual respect and knowledge of how each other works is incredibly important. You might say that the strategy we’ve taken was only possible because of the leadership team we have in place and the length of time we’ve been working together with the president and each other.

— By Paul Grantham Assistant Vice President

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Smoking cessation programs offer lifeline to quitting ami Tuck traded in her Marlboro cigarettes for kayaks.

She was spending more than $2,000 each year on cigarettes, and when she kicked the habit with help from Duke’s employee wellness program, she used the savings to buy her family three kayaks.

“Going out on the water gives me such a sense of serenity,” said Tuck, an associate in research at the Children’s Environmental Health Initiative at the Nicholas School.

“There’s so much good in that compared to smoking.”

But quitting wasn’t easy.

Tuck started smoking when she was in high school. She quit briefly while pregnant with her son, Cody, but returned to smoking a pack a day, as did her husband. As Cody got older, he started reminding them that smoking was bad.

“Looking down into the eyes of your little boy asking you to quit – that’s a strong incentive,” Tuck said.

Tuck’s husband, Tim, quit in 2006. A few weeks later, Tuck decided to follow suit. To prepare, she attended a free smoking cessation class, offered by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. The class helped her realize that she smoked out of habit and to reduce stress.

Prompted in part by Duke Medicine becoming a smoke-free workplace in 2007, Tuck smoked a bit less each day and set a quit date of Nov. 7, 2006. She called LIVE FOR LIFE and asked for a phone buddy to check in with every few days. She made her sister promise to call her on weekends. When the day came, she threw her cigarettes in the trash.

“On that first day, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, it’s been one hour, two hours, lunchtime, and I haven’t smoked yet,’” Tuck said. “I was so proud of myself.”

T “Cold Turkey” Raffle The annual Great American Smokeout is Nov. 18. If you want to quit or help others kick the habit, stop by the LIVE FOR LIFE information tables from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Nov. 16-18 at Duke Hospital Cafeteria and Duke South Food Court. Employees are eligible to enter a drawing to win a gift certificate for a frozen turkey.

Tim and Tami Tuck enjoy a day on the water. They gave up cigarettes and bought kayaks with the savings.

By day three, she craved a cigarette. “Knowing LIVE FOR LIFE and my sister were going to be calling made it easier to resist lighting up,” she said.

A few weeks after quitting, she and her husband added up the savings and bought three kayaks; one for him, one for her and one for Cody. The family now paddles together several times a month.

Tuck will celebrate four years of being smoke-free on Nov. 7, her father’s birthday. “He died of cancer, so I chose his birthday as my day to stop smoking,” she said. “It’s the best gift I can give in his memory – living my life to the fullest.”

— By Marsha A. Green Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services

For a full list of Duke’s smoking cessation resources, visit hr.duke.edu/tobaccofree

Talk it over, get help with Duke Personal Assistance Service ince Duke Personal Assistance Service began offering confidential counseling to employees and their families in 1984, more than 20,000 people have walked through the doors.

And they keep coming: counseling sessions rose from 2,993 in fiscal year 2008-09 to 3,680 in 2009-10 – a 23 percent jump.

Andy Silberman, director of the service, also known as PAS, said the economic downturn and word-of-mouth awareness are factors in the surge. Duke increased the number of visits allowed to address an issue from six to eight in January of this year.

“Everybody is going to experience difficulties in life, and sometimes a person can benefit from talking to a professional about it,” Silberman said. “We are here to help because we know that any problem can potentially interfere with health and productivity.”

Through PAS, Duke provides confidential voluntary assessments, short-term counseling and referrals for a range of personal, family and work problems at no charge to clients. Consultation is also available to managers and departments, and PAS responds to critical incidents that disrupt the emotional wellbeing of a group, such as an unexpected death of a colleague.

Most people arrive for counseling with family or personal issues, while only one in five

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come with work-related concerns, Silberman said. Counselors help employees or their family members cope or resolve an issue and will refer people to community providers if they need something the service cannot provide.

Silberman said that in recent confidential surveys of clients, 62 percent of respondents indicate their work performance improved after using the service.

Richard Lee, a manager in Duke Human Resources, has called on PAS over his 28 years at Duke for advice on how to tactfully approach an employee whose behavior has changed suddenly. “I’ve had PAS coach me through an imaginary dialogue encouraging an employee to consider counseling,” he said.

Because services are voluntary and confidential, managers don’t know if an employee has taken advantage of the counseling, unless the employee chooses to speak about it or provides authorization to PAS to contact the supervisor.

Surveys show 94 percent of respondents are satisfied with PAS, and 97 percent say that if needed, they will contact the service again. “That’s wonderful affirmation that what we are doing is making a difference,” Silberman said.

— By Marsha A. Green, Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services

Did your problem improve after using PAS? TToo Some Some Degree Degree 3 36% 6% VVery ery Much

34% 34 %

Slightly

18 % 18%

No

7% 7 %

Certain No Nott Certain

5 % 5%

Duke Personal Assistance Service distributes confidential questionnaires to clients to measure problem resolution, coping enhancement and productivity improvement, among other metrics. The questionnaires are sent four months after beginning services with PAS and are returned anonymously. “My problem improved after use of PAS” is among the questions. A majority of clients also report their productivity improved since using PAS. Source: Duke Personal Assistance Service, 2009-10

To make an appointment, call (919) 416-1727 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The PAS office is at 2200 West Main St., Erwin Square Tower, on the 4th floor.

4 For more information, visit hr.duke.edu/pas

THINK GLOBAL, WORK LOCAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The office, launched in July, hosts a website [global.duke.edu/ogsp] brimming with tips to help Duke employees handle tasks like taking computers abroad, opening a bank account in another country or signing subcontracts with foreign companies. The website also offers an interactive map to illustrate Duke’s network of more than 300 programs, projects and connections around the world.

“Our reason for being is to support and coordinate initiatives from various places on campus,” said Nora Bynum, the office’s director of global strategy. “That’s the ‘program’ part of our title. The ‘strategy’ part is supporting institutional collaborations.”

Virtual Connections As Duke expands its physical presence abroad, it’s bringing more of the world back to the Durham campus.

Before joining Duke as an IT analyst three years ago, Tom Freeland set up secure networks for the U.S. government in 43 countries. Now, with his feet firmly planted in Durham, he helps IT staff in various Duke departments set up video networks that allow collaborations with other institutions in the U.S. and internationally. This summer, he set up a videoconferencing system that enables participants to share motion graphics and virtual worlds. The Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies will use this network for new collaborative programs with universities in Lille, France, and Bremen, Germany.

Artist rendering of the planned Duke Fuqua School of Business academic building in Kunshan, China. The 200-acre campus includes residential buildings and a conference center.

During these calls, Manning joins team members from Duke, architects and planners from China and interpreters. As each person comments on the design, there is a pause in the conversation as interpreters translate from English to Mandarin and Mandarin to English.

“We’ve had to adjust to working in cross-cultural, cross-lingual situations,” Manning said.

In the process, Manning and others have learned a bit about cultural assumptions.

“For example, our total university buildings in Durham average about 300-square meters per student,” Manning said. “The Kunshan construction firm originally planned less than 100-square meters per student.”

The team eventually agreed to about 200-square meters per student, about half the size of a basketball court.

This sort of give and take is an important part of the cultural exchange employees can expect as Duke extends its ties abroad, according to Provost Peter Lange.

“The interaction and the potential for clashes and mutual learning is an important part of the process,” he said. “They learn from us, and we learn from them.”

A Global Network in Durham

Tom Freeland helps Duke departments create videoconferencing systems for national and international collaboration.

Freeland has set up six such networks in the past year, with several installations taking weeks of preparation and four to five days of testing with an overseas partner.

But the hardest part isn’t building the bandwidth, Freeland said. “It’s fear of the unknown. It’s a leap of faith, trusting that other people you haven’t met are going to understand what you need them to do.”

According to Jones, learning to work with and trust people from around the world is a vital skill that everyone at Duke will need to learn. “The relationships we want to forge need to grow from deep and lasting understandings that involve listening deeply to our Greg Jones, right, with Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala of Kampala, Uganda, during a 2005 Duke Divinity School partners,” he said. “That Pilgrimage of Pain & Hope to Uganda and Rwanda. takes time: everyone tends to stay very polite at first.”

Cultural Give and Take Paul Manning, director of project management for Duke’s Facilities Management, is learning the art of cross-cultural listening as his team helps shape the 200-acre campus being built by Kunshan’s government as part of the Duke-Kunshan campus partnership.

Seated in his living room, with blueprints for the new campus spread on the couch beside him, Manning periodically participates in weekly conference calls that begin at 9 p.m. Durham time – but 9 a.m. in China.

Gray, the financial analyst for the Duke Global Health Institute, has a network of people at Duke whom she relies on to answer international questions, whether about shipping GPS equipment to Uganda or providing honoraria to visiting dignitaries. “The experts are spread out all over Duke,” she said.

In September, she was asked to help create a professional development curriculum for grant managers and business managers on international contracting and payments for research grants.

“It’s exciting to see what all Duke is planning globally,” Gray said. “But when it comes down to getting things done, it is the folks who handle the nuts and bolts who have to learn how to make things happen.

There’s a lot of learning to be done, but now Karen Gray we are doing it as a university instead of just on our own.”

— By Marsha A. Green, Bryan Roth and Cara Bonnett Office of Communications Services

Join the conversation Nov. 16 during Primetime What:

Global Duke

Who:

President Richard H. Brodhead and Greg Jones, vice president and vice provost for global strategy and programs

When: Nov. 16, noon to 1 p.m.

Where: Bryan Center, Griffith Theater or watch the live webcast and submit questions at hr.duke.edu/primetime

5 Watch the live webcast of Primetime at hr.duke.edu/primetime

How do you add up? DUKE Track your eco-footprint with Duke’s carbon calculator ike many Duke employees, Bill McCraw often brings his lunch to work or drives home for a quick bite to eat. Living just over a mile from his office in Smith Warehouse also means a short work commute.

His meals and travel help him keep a low carbon footprint at Duke – his total collection of carbon emissions based on his daily behaviors at work.

“On some occasions, I’ll eat on campus, but my wife shops for organic food from farmers markets or grocery stores, and we have a small vegetable garden,” said McCraw, an architect with Facilities Management. “On occasion, when the weather and meeting schedules allow, I have ridden my bike to work too.”

Along with more than 600 faculty and staff, McCraw has used Duke’s carbon calculator to determine his at-work carbon footprint. By answering questions about buying and eating food from campus eateries, travel and energy

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By The

Numbers

W O R K P L A C E FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

use, McCraw’s results show he creates 1.2 metric tons of carbon emissions annually while working at Duke. That’s equivalent to the carbon output of burning 135 gallons of gas in his Honda CR-V, a small SUV. The calculator was launched in January as part of Duke’s Green Devil Challenge, a series of monthly pledges students and employees can support by making sustainable decisions like reducing water or energy consumption.

The average Duke faculty or staff member creates 3.04 metric tons of carbon annually from their normal workday activities at Duke.

The emissions are a result of commuting to work, energy use and waste produced on campus. The Duke calculator doesn’t account for employees’ emissions produced outside of their work-related behaviors. The employee carbon footprint is equal to burning about 350 gallons of fuel, about the amount an average driver uses during a year.

By comparison, the average American compiles about 20 metric tons of carbon annually for all daily activities at and outside work, according to research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Tavey McDaniel Capps, Duke’s environmental sustainability director, said the carbon calculator is an important tool. By knowing more about individual contributions to Duke’s emissions, employees can reduce their environmental impact and help Duke reach its target of carbon neutrality by 2024.

“Duke can make many changes to achieve climate neutrality, but to reach our goal, we need the participation of our campus community,” she said. “We want the calculator to allow employees and students to learn how they can make small changes that add up to a big impact.”

— By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services

Average carbon footprint of Duke faculty and staff (in metric tons of carbon dioxide) Diet

Air Travel

Commuting

.07

1.62

Computer Use and Waste

.38

.97

The average Duke employee has a carbon footprint of 3.04 metric tons per year. To find their footprint with the carbon calculator, employees answered questions in four topics. All results are specific to behaviors at work and show a carbon footprint for each topic over one year.

Access the calculator at sustainability.duke.edu/action/calculator. Be ready to enter NetID and password.

Duke alum hopes ‘nightmare’ convinces others to get flu shot arl Foster remembers the first few days of feeling ill, but chunks of the following four months remain a blank.

Foster received treatment at Duke and Durham Regional hospitals last year after contracting the 2009 H1N1 virus. He nearly died after many of his organs shut down, and he was put on life support. Unfortunately for Foster, he became ill before a vaccine for H1N1 was released.

“I was in great health prior to my episode,” said Foster, a Duke alumnus and analyst at the Research Triangle’s RTI International. “What I remember is fighting hard for my life, and I’m grateful I had the strength to win that fight.”

Foster said he hopes his “nightmare” tale convinces others to get a seasonal flu shot.

Duke faculty and staff can get a seasonal influenza vaccine through the winter months at no charge with a valid DukeCard. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises that anyone over 6 months old should receive a seasonal flu shot. This year’s vaccine is one shot and protects against three different flu viruses, including the H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season.

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Want a flu shot?

For more information and locations to get a free flu vaccine, visit duke.edu/flu.

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Vaccines are given in the Employee Occupational Health and Wellness (EOHW) offices on the basement level of the Red Zone in Duke South between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, except noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays. Flu activity commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February.

“

What I remember is fighting hard for my life, and I’m grateful I had the strength to win that fight.”

— Carl Foster Duke alumnus

Last year, more than 16,000 Duke employees received a free seasonal flu shot, and about 10,000 employees got a separate vaccine to protect against 2009 H1N1 virus.

Karen Herndon, staff assistant in the Department of Statistical Science, was among the first employees to get both vaccines. “I was around people who had the flu last year, and I didn’t get it, so it definitely benefited me,” said Herndon, who’s received a free flu shot from Duke for 10 years.

Like Herndon, Duke faculty and staff are encouraged to get the influenza vaccination to protect against the serious virus and help limit the spread of infection.

Dr. Cameron Wolfe, clinical associate with the Duke Preparedness and Response Center, said it’s especially important for faculty and staff to get a shot if they’re pregnant, have chronic illnesses or are over age 65. Wolfe added that a vaccine is also recommended for Health System employees who interact with patients.

“Health care staff with patient contact are responsible for the care of very high-risk patients and because of that, are especially encouraged to get a vaccine for their patient’s safety,” Wolfe said. “The best way to prevent influenza is by getting the flu vaccine every year.”

— By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services

VIDEO: Learn more about Carl Foster’s story at duke.edu/flu

Sustainable uke YO U R

S O U R C E

F O R

G R E E N

N E W S

AT

D U K E

Post-Plastic Workplace From West Campus to the Marine Lab in Beaufort, eliminating the use of single-use plastic bottles is picking up steam.

Duke employees eliminate plastic bottle use ather than plastic bottles, faculty, staff and students at the Duke Marine Lab are pouring drinking water from three-gallon coolers and sipping from biodegradable cups.

It’s part of a growing movement across Duke to do away with bottled water for a more sustainable option.

“When people use a plastic bottle, they may not consider the huge amount of resources that go into manufacturing, transporting and ultimately disposing of that little bottle,” said Tavey McDaniel Capps, Duke’s environmental sustainability director. “It’s exciting to see departments across campus make an effort to reduce their carbon footprint and help the environment.”

From West Campus to the Marine Lab in Beaufort, eliminating the use of single-use plastic bottles is picking up steam. Only about 20 percent of water bottles are recycled annually in the United States, according to the National Resources Defense Council, and Duke is doing its part to cut back on the non-compostable bottles that often end up in a landfill. The effort to decrease plastic bottles at Duke took off in April when Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jackson Browne and his wife, Dianna Cohen, left a lasting impression on Provost Peter Lange while Browne was on campus to accept the 2010 Duke LEAF Award for Lifetime Environmental Achievement in the Fine Arts.

After hearing Browne and Cohen speak about the importance of living sustainably, Lange said he was inspired

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to banish plastic water bottles from his administrative offices. Lange was particularly influenced by Cohen, whose artwork of thrown away plastics – like plastic shopping bags – was on display in the Perkins Gallery in April.

“

There’s such a tremendous amount of waste we can avoid or recycle.

It’s not very hard to do once you stop and think about it.”

— Provost Peter Lange

“We had a staff meeting the Monday after their visit, and I told everyone we’re going to get rid of plastic bottles and exclusively use a cooler and paper cups,” Lange said.

“There are a lot of things you know you should do but never get around to it, so I figured why not start now?”

By switching to a standing cooler and paper cups, the provost’s office annual drinking water costs have been cut by $1,700 – nearly 80 percent.

Many employees have purchased reuseable water bottles and mugs to use instead of paper cups, cutting more waste. It was easy to make the change – the office stopped ordering

bottled water and worked with a vendor to install a water cooler.

“There’s such a tremendous amount of waste we can avoid or recycle,” Lange said. “It’s not very hard to do once you stop and think about it.”

As Lange’s office made changes, the Marine Lab announced that all single-use plastic bottles would be removed from its Beaufort campus – including all bottles from dining areas, vending machines and catering. The Marine Lab provides three-gallon coolers of water for catering and uses corn-based, biodegradable cups.

“Everyone really embraced it,” said Dominick Brugnolotti, assistant director of auxiliary services at the Marine Lab. “You just don’t see plastic bottles around the Marine Lab anymore.”

In honor of Earth Day in April, Tanya Jisa and members of the Office of Continuing Medical Education also discontinued buying two cases of water every month. Instead, they bring in reusable bottles, drink from a water fountain or pour water from a fivegallon container. Jisa said that the move has helped to save money because the office isn’t buying at least two cases of water for drinking every month.

“We just wanted to increase our overall sustainability, and this seemed like an easy thing to do that wouldn’t be difficult for people to implement into their daily lives,” Jisa said. “It’s been a good move for the environment, and people don’t feel impacted by it.”

Visit duke.edu/sustainability

— By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services

Give Up Plastic Want to work toward eliminating plastic bottles in your office?

Get tips and information by e-mailing

sustainability @duke.edu

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WORKING@ DUKE

dialogue@Duke

HOW TO REACH US Editor: Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu

“What are you thankful for at Duke?”

Assistant Vice President: Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534

“

I’m thankful for the rich friendships I’ve made with staff and faculty, which have been a blessing to me. They’ve changed my life. The self-discipline and dedication I see in the faculty inspire me to be the best I can be. They set a high bar. I just love this place. It’s astounding.”

paul.grantham@duke.edu Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado

Mary Ann Andrus Administrative assistant to the dean, Duke Divinity School 10 years at Duke

Photography: Bryan Roth and Marsha Green of the Office of Communication Services and Duke University Photography.

“

I’m thankful for the lovely environment I work in and the people. Being at Duke, you’re able to move from one department to another, and for me, coming to my new job was a big step to be able to grow my career. The leadership and people I’ve met here have been wonderful.”

Working@Duke is published monthly

by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We invite your feedback and suggestions for future story topics.

Peter Kariuki Specialist, Human Resources Information Center 1 year at Duke

Please write us at

Got a story idea?

Write

working@duke.edu or

working@duke.edu

Working@Duke, Box 90496,

“

705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708

I’m thankful for a job, but also the faculty I work for.

They’re the most compassionate people I’ve worked for.

They take great care of me and are very attentive to workloads and personal requests.”

Call us at (919) 684-4345.

Send faxes to (919) 681-7926.

or Call

681-4533

Tracy Sneed Staff assistant, Slavic and Eurasian Studies 21 years at Duke

— By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services

Join the Facebook fan page for Working@Duke at facebook.com/workingatduke

PERQS E M P LOY E E D I S CO U N TS

Discount for Disney On Ice/ Pixar Toy Story 3 production

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heryl Barr’s daughter is so excited to see the Disney On Ice production of Toy Story 3 that she feels like she could make it to infinity and beyond before the show.

“She keeps asking, ‘are we going today?’ ” said Barr, an administrative coordinator with the Duke Clinical Research Institute. “She doesn’t like that we have to wait until December.”

Barr has been taking her children, Hailey, 4, and Garrett, 6, to the holiday Disney on Ice extravaganza at the RBC Center in Raleigh since they were toddlers. Every year, she and her husband, Billy, save on admission by purchasing the tickets through PERQS, Duke’s employee discount program.

For a full list of PERQS discounts, visit

hr.duke.edu/ discounts

This season, Barr bought the family tickets for the Dec. 9 evening performance for $11 each, a savings of 50 percent off regular ticket prices.

“With four of us, that’s big,” she said.

“That’s your popcorn money and your drink money, plus banking some.”

D U K E T O D AY

Opening night for the production is Dec. 8 when all tickets are $12. Duke faculty and staff can also save up to $11 off the Dec. 9 general ticket price and $4 off regularly priced tickets for performances on Dec. 10, 11 and 12, the day the show ends. To order, visit the PERQS website at hr.duke.edu/discounts, select “entertainment” and the production.

Barr enjoys purchasing through the PERQS discount because she is never disappointed with the seats. “Every ticket we’ve ever gotten through Duke, they’ve all been good seats,” she said.

For Toy Story 3, Barr’s tickets are in the lower section of the arena, so Garrett and Hailey will have an excellent view of Buzz Lightyear and the Toy Story gang

as they fight galactic battles with Emperor Zurg or dance the hoe-down at Woody’s Roundup.

“Garrett’s super excited because he’s a big fan of Toy Story,” Barr said. “He’s already seen the movie three times.”

— By Marsha A. Green Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services

Want to go?

To order, visit the PERQS website at hr.duke.edu/discounts, select “entertainment” and the Disney On Ice promotion and enter your NetID and password.

For daily news and information, visit duke.edu/today