Dear Colleagues,

Over the past 100 years, the people of Duke University have made extraordinary contributions to society through transformative teaching, pathbreaking research and scholarship, and lifesaving health care. As President, I am incredibly proud to be part of this community that is grounded in academic freedom and strengthened by the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of its faculty, staff, students and alumni.

I also recognize that recent reductions in funding for various aspects of our mission, along with the prospect of additional changes in the future, are causing uncertainty and concern within our community. I share those concerns and, as we have communicated previously, the university’s academic and administrative leaders are fully engaged in responding on a number of levels. These include providing guidance for colleagues across campus whose work has been affected by recent changes; educating policymakers about the value of Duke’s work and our impact on the communities we serve; and advocating for policies and practices that maintain support for Duke’s priorities and mission.

In addition, we are working to prepare for the possibility that the university will have to adopt new ways of operating in order to fulfill our teaching, research, and clinical care missions with reduced federal funding in the future.

To that end, I have asked Executive Vice President Daniel Ennis, working in close coordination with Provost Alec Gallimore, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine Mary Klotman, and Duke University Health System Chief Executive Officer Craig Albanese, to lead a university-wide strategic realignment and cost-reduction planning process to identify measures that may be needed to ensure Duke’s operational and financial health for the long term. You will soon receive a message with additional information regarding this planning process.

I understand that you likely will have questions about what this may mean for the university and for you individually, and that the uncertainty involved with the changes affecting colleges and universities nationwide, including Duke, may be stressful. We are committed to moving this planning response forward in a thoughtful, holistic, and expeditious manner and will provide opportunities for you to ask questions and offer input and feedback.

This is a critically important moment for Duke and one in which our responses will be grounded in and guided by our mission and our values. I am confident that by working together, we will ensure that Duke’s second century will be one of even greater impact and value both here in our own community, and around the world.

Sincerely,

Vincent E. Price
President