Strategic Vision
As we look ahead to our second century, our strategic vision is an invitation for all of us—faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends of the university—to think together about our turn to the future, about how we can remain true to the Duke we have always been while charting our course toward the Duke we are destined to become.
Together, we will marshal our collective talents toward addressing the great challenges of our day, define a new twenty-first-century model of the research university, foster a more inclusive and equitable campus and world, partner with purpose in service to our community, and advance humankind.
Empower the Boldest Thinkers
Duke is the place where the world’s brightest minds go to meet the most important challenges. We recognize that their accomplishments comprise the true measure of our institutional excellence.
This means Duke will…
- Recruit and support extraordinary faculty, staff, and students by building endowments to support faculty chairs and expanding financial aid for students
- Provide them the resources to conduct cutting-edge research
- Identify the world’s most pressing problems to address
- Create opportunity for diverse experience to bring novel approaches to problem-solving
$1.2 billion
in research expenditures
11,134
Research Publications in 2022
26
extraordinary faculty hired under the Duke Science and Technology initiative
Transform Teaching and Learning
Duke will rethink our undergraduate, graduate, and professional education strategies to create innovative, team- based pedagogies and curricula, to take advantage of new technological opportunities, and to build a robust and responsive learning community that includes everyone.
This means Duke will…
- Invest in interdisciplinary, team-based and problem-focused teaching
- Leverage faculty research in the curriculum
- Center the liberal arts in a new, innovative learning ecosystem
- Facilitate risk-taking and lower the barriers to collaboration
- Offer students integrated intellectual pathways and deepen their engagement with research
100%
Amount of a student’s demonstrated financial need met by Duke
2,500+
students participating in interdisciplinary research
20%
of Duke undergrads 1st Gen or Lower Income
Strengthen our Campus Community
Working to ensure that all who call Duke home share a lived experience that is increasingly inclusive, equitable, engaging, healthy and vibrant. Duke seeks to be a diverse and stimulating campus that promotes personal growth among all of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
This means Duke will…
- Cultivate a strong, healthy, inclusive, and respectful community of learners and doers
- Make racial and social equity the foundation of the Duke community
- Give students the opportunity to explore a wide range of ideas and develop healthy lifestyles throughout their time on campus
- Offer students the resources and support they need to truly thrive at Duke, including a comprehensive wellness and student-health program
- Seek to make Duke a more environmentally sustainable university
94%
of members of the Class of 2026 feel they belong at Duke
43%
greenhouse gas emissions reductions since 2009
13,000
respondents to racial and social equity survey
Partner with Purpose
Strengthening relationships in Durham and serve as a collaborative catalyst in our region to our research ecosystem while improving community health, housing, and education.
This means Duke will…
- Demonstrate our commitment to Durham and our role in improving the quality of life for our region
- Prioritize the needs of our neighbors, particularly those from marginalized and low-income communities
- Improve public well-being through creative and cooperative problem-solving
- Invest in public education, nutrition and food security, economic empowerment, nonprofit capacity, and affordable housing
- Lead a renewed research ecosystem in the Triangle
$825 million
total annual community benefit to Durham
94
Community groups funded in Durham
14
New Startups Founded in 2022
Engage a Global Network of Alumni
Activating our alumni and engaging our friends to create new opportunities for growth and discovery to advance our educational, research, and service missions.
This means Duke will…
- Offer alumni continual educational and professional development throughout their lives
- Create new and powerful pathways for continuing engagement within and across our global network long after students complete their degree programs
- Foster a Duke without walls, investing continuously in developing ourselves and each other to reach our full potential
189,809
Active Alumni
77
Faculty teaching courses to alumni
5,000+
alumni participants in the Forever Learning Institute