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FREE MOVIES
Duke staff and facultycan check out moviesfor three days fromLilly Library’s videocollection, whichincludes 25,000 titles.
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SUSTAINABLE DUKE
Duke is reducing foodwaste throughcampaigns that includecomposting, trackinguneaten food andeliminating food trays.
This paper consists of 30% recycledpost-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.2008 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters
DUKE APPRECIATION
The annual celebrationand recognition offaculty and staffcomes with a few newtwists in May, as Dukefaces budget challenges.
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s North Carolina’s unemployment hovers at nearly 11 percent, thenumber of people looking for work at Duke has hit an all-time high:10,367 people applied this January – a 52 percent increase over thesame month last year.But applicants face increasingly long odds of landing a job at Duke.“We’re still conducting strategic hiring, but clearly not as much asbefore,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Duke Human Resources.“Realistically, since labor costs account for more than half of our budget, we are looking at having to become a smaller Duke in order to positionourselves for the future.”The drop in the value of Duke’s endowment, declines in philanthropicgiving and uncertainty over federal funding has left a $125 million shortfallin the operating budget. As a result, the University is cutting costs andslimming down by re-evaluating hiring new employees, restricting pay increases, offering an early retirement incentive and creating a team of faculty and staff to aggressively look for ways to become more efficient.The team, known as the Duke Administrative Reform Team, orDART, is identifying opportunities to redesign major processes and servicesthat span the institution in an effort to become more efficient, without weakening Duke’s academic mission. At the department and unit level,Duke is asking faculty and staff to be ever more frugal, find ways toconsolidate jobs, eliminate expenses and creatively work through thesetough times.“We believe taking these steps now will help close the deficit in theoperating budget, while protecting the jobs of as many people at Duke as ispossible,” Cavanaugh said.
Fewer Positions
Filling jobs at Duke is now tougher – and requires more oversight.University departments and units have been asked to cull through their vacant staff positions and determine which ones they can eliminate. Undera new vacancy management policy, Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III, Provost Peter Lange, or one of their designees, must sign off before any University unit or department can recruit for a new staff position. Faculty hiring will continue, although at a slower rate.The result is a dramatic drop in the number of jobs for which Duke ishiring. Open and posted positions across the University plummeted 44percent, from 1,394 in February 2008 to 786 this February.“As departments continue to re-evaluate their labor costs, this numbercould get smaller,” said Denise Motley Johnston, director of recruitment. While other universities such as Princeton, Stanford and JohnsHopkins are in hiring freezes, Duke is not. Positions that remain openinclude clinical care jobs, positions financed by research grants or otherexternal funding, including the federal economic stimulus package, and jobs considered critical to ongoing operations.Donna Crenshaw filled one of those positions in February. When herposition as a pharmacogenetics consultant at GlaxoSmithKline was cut inDecember 2008, she immediately applied for a research scientist positionat Duke’s recently established Deane Drug Discovery Institute.“I knew there was this exciting new venture at Duke and wanted tobe involved,” she said. She was excited about applying her skills andknowledge to help faculty move potential therapeutics along the drugdiscovery pipeline. “It is a small operation, so I was very happy to be hired.”
NEWS YOU CAN USE :: Volume 4, Issue 4 :: May 2009
A Smaller Duke
>> See
 A SMALLER DUKE
,
PAGE 5
DUKE IS CUTTING COSTS BY RE-EVALUATING HIRING NEW EMPLOYEES, AMONG OTHER MEASURES
1,6001,4001,2001,0008006004002000
Jan 08 Jan 09 Feb 08 Feb 09
JOB OPENINGS AT DUKE DECLINE
Source: Duke Human Resources
Job OpeningsPlummet by44 Percent
University departments are culling vacant staff positions and deciding which ones toeliminate. The result is a dramatic drop in the number of jobs for which Duke is hiring.Open and posted positions across the University dropped 44 percent, from 1,394 inFebruary 2008 to 786 this February.
 
A $10 sports physical
Duke Sports Medicine is offering $10 sports physicals to middle-schooland high-school athletes from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 12.Bring your budding athlete to the Finch Yeager Building nearWallace Wade Stadium with a completed medical history form,including a parent/guardian signature. The student-athlete will notbe seen without the signature and history. Forms are available forprinting at
www.dukesportsmedicine.org
.Bring $10 cash. No checks or credit cards are accepted. Foradditional information, call (919) 681-1656.
Get financially fit with free advice this month
Retirement seminars, credit workshops and investment webinars areamong highlights of this year’s Financial Fitness activities May 18-21.Staff and faculty can tap into a variety of seminars, includingworkshops about managing retirement portfolios during marketfluctuations and conducting annual investment reviews.“It’s important, especially during these challenging economictimes, for staff and faculty to have the opportunity to speak withexperts in various financial fields,” said Bill Phillips, Duke HumanResources benefits manager. “Financial Fitness is a valuable resourcebecause it allows access to essential advice on issues ranging frommaintaining good credit to planning for retirement.”As part of Financial Fitness, the Duke Federal Credit Union willoffer seminars on subjects such as retirement, homebuying andreducing credit card debt. For a complete schedule, including locationsand seat reservations, visit
hr.duke.edu/financialfitness
.
Is your child graduating from college this summer?
Graduation is a time for celebrating and updating Duke HumanResources about dependents.Children who are full-time students are only covered underhealth, dental or vision benefits until the end of the month in whichthey graduate from college (or until age 19 if they’re not full-timestudents).Notify Duke Human Resources within 30 days of a student’sgraduation to adjust benefits, which may result in a premiumreduction, and to receive information about continuing a child’scoverage under federal COBRA regulations.For children ages 19 to 26 heading to college in the fall, facultyand staff must provide Human Resources with proof of full-timestudent status, such as a letter of acceptance, for a dependent tobe eligible for Duke benefits.Notifications of changes in dependent status may be madeby e-mail at benefits@duke.edu or by calling (919) 684-5600.
Departments save with new furniture buying program
A new procurement program offers Duke University & Health Systemdepartments deep discounts on office furniture – everything fromchairs and desks to ergonomic keyboard trays and workstations.By using an online catalog available at
www.procurement.duke.edu
,Duke staff and faculty can order products from two manufacturers:Knoll, a designer of innovative modern furniture, and Haworth, knownfor organic designs. Customers can create shopping lists that serve asprice quotes to attach to paper requisitions or SAP e-requisitions forapproval by departments or schools.The new program ensures Duke receives the best price availableand helps establish standards to create a consistent look, while alsoenhancing sustainability. For more information, e-mailmaureen.selman@duke.edu.
DukeMobile extended to other wireless devices
Users of BlackBerrys and other wireless handhelddevices can take advantage of much of thefunctionality of the DukeMobile suite of appsintroduced for iPhones and iPod touch in March.The applications allow users to check campusevents calendars, check sports scores andschedules, browse the current semestercourse schedule and look up faculty, staffand students in the campus directory.These new applications are beingdeveloped specifically to meet the needs of anincreasingly mobile campus. Users of iPhones and iPodTouch devices install DukeMobile by visiting the iTunes App Store.Users of other wireless devices point their browsers to
m.duke.edu/new
to access other university mobile web functionality,including picking up emergency alerts and information technologyupdates.
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he downturn in the economy has everyone looking forcost-saving ideas. One area that could be overlooked isthe impact of safety in the workplace. While Duke has dramatically cut workers’compensation costs duringthe last several years, claimsdue to workplace injuriesstill average about $4million a year.“The continued focusby employees anddepartments on creating asafety culture at Duke notonly creates a better work environment, it also hasthe potential tocontribute to thebottom line as well,”said Joyce Williams,director of workers’ compensation. “Most job injuries can be avoided by creating asafe workplace through teamwork.”For example, the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, known asDLAR, is actively working to increasethe well-being of its faculty and staff by making improvements such as changing howemployees lift bags of food or clean animal cages. Thesechanges have led to fewer injuries and increasedproductivity.“Everyone is taking ownership in helping to keep our workplace safe because when employees make suggestions,they know our safety committee will act on it,” said PegHogan, senior operations manager for DLAR. “People are a whole lot more receptive to the idea of being safe now,especially because they’ve been asked to create a safeenvironment with their input.”Last year, DLAR employees made it their responsibility to create a safer work environment by forming a safety committee comprised of more than adozen employees from multiple units within the division. The result: DLAR slashed its rate of injuries that resulted in work restrictions or missed time by about 60 percent in one year.Through open discussion, thedepartment solved small problems suchas adding non-slip mats and replacingsteel-toed boots that irritated feet. Thedepartment also installed bulk food baglifters to avoid heavy lifting and boughtmachines that clean cages.“It was important to get an outlook from many different people,” said Robert Wicker, a safety committee member and DLAR maintenance specialist.“When everyone is thinking about problems from all thesedifferent directions, you get a 3-Dimensional solutioninstead of a flat, 2-Dimensional one.”These improvements in safety help reduce workers’compensation expenses, which are paid out through thesame funding source as other benefits such as health careand retirement.“By reducing injuries in the workplace,” Williams said,“we spend less on workers’ compensation and have morefunds available to support other needs.”
— By Bryan RothWriter, Office of Communication Services
News
briefs
 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.
 
Editor’sNote
Cost Saving Idea: Build a Culture of Safety 
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bring exciting news.For the second straight year,Working@Duke is a finalist for grandprize in a national competition forbest employee newsletter. The awardis hosted by Ragan Communications,a leading resource for corporate andemployee communications.Working@Duke won the grandprize in 2008 and will soon learnwhether it will have the honor again, joining other organizations such asSouthwest Airlines.This recognition echoes feedbackreceived in the latest Working@Dukereadership survey. In March, wedistributed the survey by e-mail to5,000 randomly selected faculty andstaff. Nearly 600 responded with 89percent telling us they enjoy reading it.Reader Edwina Newman wasamong the employees who provideda comment about the publication.“I find that it gives me often thefirst pointer on things going on atDuke that I have not yet heard about,”wrote Newman, senior programcoordinator in the Academic AdvisingCenter. “I like the fact that it iscomprehensive by being inclusive ofa very diverse cross section of theentire Duke community. It is asuccessful effort in bridging theentire Duke community.”Most survey respondents arepleased with the publication: 90percent said they learn about newDuke-wide policies and employmentrelated issues by reading Working@Duke;88 percent say the publication helpsthem better understand the benefitsavailable to them and their families;and 91 percent find it credible.Thanks for reading.
LEANORA MINAI
 Leanora.Minai@duke.edu
Learn more about safety in the workplace at
www.safety.duke.edu
By reducing injuriesin the workplace,we spend less on workers’compensation and have morefunds available to supportother needs.”
— Joyce WilliamsDirector, Workers’ Compensation
“
 
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uke Appreciation, the annual celebration and recognition of faculty and staff, comes with a fewnew twists this month: Music on the Quad; family celebrations at Sarah P. Duke Gardens andNasher Museum of Art; and a new blog, where employees can post a note about people they appreciate at Duke – and why.“The changes resulted from a need to think creatively about ways to show appreciation and provideopportunities to come together as a community, while balancing the University’s budgetary challenges,”said Monica Pallett, manager of Staff and Family Programs at Duke.Many traditional events such as the Duke Family Fun Run/Walk and Duke Family Night atDurham Bulls Athletic Park will continue this year. The Night Out at Local Restaurants, which includesspecial offers with four participating restaurants, has expanded to the entire month.Other changes reflect the need to be more cost efficient with limited resources. These changesinclude not distributing a small gift of appreciation to 31,000 faculty and staff, and replacing the Family Fun Day with an Employee Kick-Off Celebration during football season. Also this year, Lunch on theQuad will become Music on the Quad, where faculty and staff can enjoy ice cream, employee art andlive music from local bands Carnavalito and Bobby Hinton’s Shades of Blue band.“We want to celebrate the many accomplishments of our faculty and staff this year, but we aremindful that a lavish party is not the best way to do that in this economic environment,” said KyleCavanaugh, vice president for Human Resources.Cavanaugh said that one of the things people appreciate most is recognition from peers, so thisyear, Human Resources invites faculty and staff to post comments of appreciation about colleaguesthrough the Duke Appreciation website,
hr.duke.edu/appreciation
.“We have much to be proud of this year,”said Cavanaugh, “and Duke Appreciation offersus an opportunity to join with our colleaguesand families to celebrate being part of this wonderful community.”
For everything Duke Appreciation 2009, visit
hr.duke.edu/appreciation
Duke Appreciation2009
“I like the type ofwork that I’m doing,which is working withplants.”
— Jerome SmithDepartment of Biology40 years
“I’m from Brazil. Whenmy brother came tovisit, he knew Duke…and not necessarilybecause of thebasketball team.”
— Aby ConawayHealth Technology Solutions10 years
“Duke had always wona place in my heart asan area of success andfun and learning…Itwas the first and onlyplace I applied.”
— Greg StotsenbergDuke Police10 years
“The administrationrealizes that peoplehere do have hearts.”
— Pamela VarnadoeLaw School30 years
“My children are stillvery proud to say theirmom works at Duke.”
— Ann WardHospital Operating Room25 years
“Being at Duke hasreally enhanced myknowledge in medicineas well as my personalgrowth.”
— Wei JiangDepartment of Medicine20 years
EVENTS
Saturday, May 16
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.Duke Family Fun Run/Walk
Events held at the field south of WashingtonDuke Inn entrance
Sunday, May 17
Noon to 4 p.m.Family Day at the Nasher Museum of Art
Celebrate the latest exhibit with free liveentertainment, hands-on projects andgallery hunts
Monday, May 18
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Music on the Quad, West Campus Quad
Bring lunch and join colleagues for ice cream, artby employees and live music (Rain date: May 20)
Sunday, May 31
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Duke Gardens Anniversary
Bring family to Sarah P. Duke Gardens for music,magic and a celebration of its 75 years of beauty
For other Duke Appreciation events, suchas discounts for restaurants and Dukebaseball and Durham Bulls tickets, visit
hr.duke.edu/appreciation
.
Give a Shout Out ForColleagues at Duke
Duke faculty and staff are invitedto give a shout out for colleagueson a new blog. Tell the Dukecommunity whom you appreciate –and why – at
hr.duke.edu/appreciation
.
Duke Stars 
Each year, Duke paysspecial tribute to faculty and staff celebrating career service milestonesat the Night of Duke Stars, aninvitation-only event. More than2,000 employees are celebratingmilestones this year. Here’s a look at what some of Duke’s stars say about their years here.
VOICES:
Hear more from theseDuke Stars at
hr.duke.edu/ appreciation
Professor of BiologyMohamed Noor andhis daughter,Megan, 9, havecompeted inthe Family FunRun for thepast threeyears. “Itis greatfather-daughtertime,” Noorsaid.Tim Smith performs duringDuke Appreciation last year.A child enjoys face paintingduring a Duke Appreciationevent.
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