2
Directory ofsummer youthcamps andprograms available
Staff & Family Programsin Human Resources hascompiled a list of 2007summer camps andprograms in Durham,Wake and Orangecounties. The list includes athletic, academic and nature campssponsored by Duke, as well as other arts and recreation camps in thearea. Copies of the directory are available at the Staff & FamilyPrograms office, 154 Trent Dr. The directory is also online at
www.hr.duke.edu/child-family/camps.html
.
Duke named campus sustainability leader
Duke was recognized in January as a “campus sustainability leader”among higher education institutions in the United States and Canada.The university received an overall B rating, placing it among 26 schoolsrecognized in the “College Sustainability Report Card” for such areasas construction, energy and food and recycling. Duke also receivedhigh marks for its investment priorities, notably its $5 millioninvestment in the Latino Community Credit Union in Durham.“Sustainability is part of how we do business today, and we arecommitted to seeking new ways to protect our campus, our neighborsand our environment for years to come,” said Tavey McDaniel Capps,Duke’s environmental sustainability coordinator.Duke received A’s in sustainable indicators such as administration,climate change and energy, food and recycling, green building andinvestment priorities. Duke received an F and D for endowmenttransparency and shareholder engagement, respectively.“The ratings regarding the endowment reflect the transparencyof investment – not the quality of those investments from asustainability perspective,” said Anne Light, assistant director ofDuke’s Office of the Executive Vice President. It is the policy of theDuke Management Company (DUMAC) to not publicly disclose how itinvests Duke’s endowment or other investment assets. Read thereport card at
www.endowmentinstitute.org
.
Submit receipts for health and dependent carereimbursement
Faculty and staff enrolled in health or dependent care reimbursementaccounts for 2006 (January 1 through December 31, 2006) shouldsubmit all claims by April 15 for reimbursement. To be considered forreimbursement, completed claim forms and supporting documentationmust be post marked or faxed to WageWorks by April 15. Claims for2006 submitted after this date will not be reimbursed. Claim forms areavailable online at
www.hr.duke.edu/forms
or at the Human Resourcesoffice at 705 Broad St.
Nominations for Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awardbeing accepted
This May, Duke will award a graduating senior and faculty, staff orgraduate student with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan award, whichrecognizes excellence of character and humanitarian service. The NewYork Southern Society established the award in 1925 for universities inthe South in memory of Sullivan, a prominent lawyer, businessman andphilanthropist in the 19th century. Nominations are due by March 9.Winners receive an engraved medallion and framed certificate signedby President Richard Brodhead. Visit
www.provost.duke.edu
for formsand more information.
$1 million arrives a month early
Donations for the 2006 United Way Duke Partnership Campaignreached the goal of raising $1 million at the end of January, saidMonica Pallett, manager of Staff& Family Programs and campaignambassador for Duke. The majorityof funds raised support more than30 Durham County non-profits,including the Coordinating Council for Senior Citizens, American RedCross of Central North Carolina and Big Brothers Big Sisters of theTriangle. The million dollar mark was reached with 12 percent of facultyand staff making pledges, a 2 percent decrease from the 2005campaign. Pallett said she hopes more employees will decide tocontribute to the campaign next year. For more information about theUnited Way campaign, visit
www.hr.duke.edu/unitedway/index.html
orcall Staff & Family Programs at (919) 684-9040.
LOOKING
AHEAD
@
DUKE
MARCH26
: :
Documentaryfilm and privacy: An analysis ofthe legal and ethical issues indocumentary film, FrederickWiseman, independent filmmakerand general manager, ZipporahFilms, Inc., 5 p.m., LoveAuditorium, Levine ScienceResearch Center.
MARCH27
: :
Labyrinth atDuke Chapel, the 40-foot windingpath is an ancient spiritualtradition. Walk the self-guidedpath to follow twists and turns inthe spirit of prayer andmeditation. Allow 30 minutes toan hour to complete, 10 a.m., DukeChapel.
APRIL10
: :
New Perspectiveson Civil Rights, politicalengagement and the Voting RightsAct, 5 p.m., Rhodes conferenceroom, Sanford Institute.For more events, check theuniversity’s online calendarat http://calendar.duke.edu
News
briefs
Employee reading group examines white privilege,how to stand against it
W
hen Bernie Stewart heard abouta study circle that met at Duke todiscuss racism, he wanted to learnmore. He joined one session, then another.Before long, he attended nearly 24 meetings.“What hooked me was the fact that Ifound other white people who shared thesame passion as me,” said Stewart, aregistered nurse and patient safety associatefor Duke Private Diagnostic Clinic. “As a60-year-old white man born and bred in theSouth, I have lived through and observedfirst-hand the evil and cruelty of racism. Sadly, as a productof my environment, I have often contributed to racism by refusing to stand up to it. Through reading, dialogue andintrospection, I’ve become more enlightened to an evil thatremains quite prevalent and destructive in our society.”Stewart was one of 23 Duke University and HealthSystem employees who met over lunch for six weeks in January and February to discuss how racism and whiteprivilege have affected whites and people of color, andhow to confront racism. The study circle, whose participants meet on campusduring the lunch hour, was introduced by Polly Weiss,director of diversity and equity programs for Duke’sOffice for Institutional Equity. Since 2003, she hasfacilitated 14 circles, each meeting weekly. Weiss uses books and invites circle participants to telltheir personal experiences as a backdrop for dialogue aboutsubtle privileges white people enjoy and how people can“interrupt racism” at work and in their communities.“White privilege is a system of unearned privilegesthat most whites are unaware of,” Weiss said. “Forexample, not being followed by security guards in retailplaces; being given the benefit of the doubt when stoppedby a police officer; or it can be institutional oppression – not having systems of accountability for recruiting orpromoting under represented minorities.” Aziza Jones, a circle participant and social work intern at Duke, learned about the study circle from hersupervisor. “As a person of color, I am constantly forcedto think about race and racism,” she said. “For example,I frequently find myself asking, ‘Did I get poor servicebecause that salesperson is having a bad day, or is itbecause I am African American?’ ” Jones said she was pleasantly surprised Duke offersemployees an opportunity to challenge themselves.“Few institutions are willing to provide such a spacefor dialogues about race and the effects of racism withinthe workplace,” Aziza said. “Learning about the existenceof this group made me hopeful and excited that in thispost-civil rights era, there are still individuals andinstitutions working toward racial equality.”
—ByLeanoraMinai Working@DukeEditor
Aziza Jones, a social work intern, left,and Bernie Stewart, middle, discusswhite privilege with Polly Weiss, right,from the Office for Institutional Equity.
WANT MORE INFO?
Visit
www.duke.edu/web/equity
or contact Polly Weiss at (919) 684-8222.
Few institutionsare willing toprovide such a space fordialogues about race andthe effects of racismwithin the workplace.”
– Aziza JonesSocial Work Intern
“
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