Duke University

September 30 , 2005
by David Werry

One of the most impressive efforts of collaboration between the two schools is the Robertson Scholarship Program . Dr. Eric Mlyn, Director of the Robertson Scholars Program, addressed the class on the terrace of Graham Memorial about the program and his role as an employee of both schools. It is in the parking area to the side of this terrace where UNC students catch the Robertson Scholars bus, which provides free transportation between the two institutions. This effort to provide transportation is a vital component in encouraging and enabling much of the collaboration that goes on.

The Robertson Scholars program was created by the vision and capital gift of Julian Robertson, a finance legend in the hedge fund world. Mr. Robertson was a 1958 graduate of UNC. He also had two sons, one that went to UNC and one that went to Duke. During his visits to both schools he was intrigued by the lack of collaboration and interaction between students at the two institutions. With initial funding of $24 million ($12 million for UNC and $12 million for Duke), the program was started in June of 2000. Also, $50,000 is granted each year from the program’s collaboration fund, which encourages projects and proposals that further increase and promote connections between UNC and Duke.

As Dr. Richard Brodhead, President of Duke University, said in reference to the Robertson program: "For all our differences in history and campus personality, we as institutions of higher education -- and we as a society -- benefit increasingly from the kind of collaborative thinking modeled by these young scholars."

Once at Duke University, the Robertson Scholars bus stops at their main quad. It was here that we began our tour of Duke. Dr. Larry Moneta, Vice President for Student Affairs, spoke about Duke, particularly the institution's future plans and the relationship he sees between Duke and UNC. His message was directly in line with the theme of the day: “The collaboration between Duke and UNC is far more magnificent than the competition.”

Dr. Moneta’s focused on Duke's efforts to create a more diverse and accessible institution. With the average cost per year to attend Duke near $41,000, it is obvious that efforts must be made to ensure accessibility for low income families. Whereas UNC is taking an approach of raising more funds for merit-based scholarships, Duke is largely focusing on creating better financial aid packages. Duke already has a need blind admissions process, but Dr. Moneta explained that financial aid packages vary greatly in their quality and make-up. Duke hopes to offer more favorable packages to compete with peer private institutions, namely Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Brown.

One of the major construction projects being undertaken right now is the West Campus Plaza. This $10 million plaza is being built as an "enriched, outdoor gathering space where students can congregate, meet their peers and professors, and enjoy the beauty of Duke’s campus.” When complete, it will resemble UNC’s Pit in its function. This is yet another example of the two institutions feeding off of each other. Mr. Moneta recognized his ambition of creating an atmosphere like UNC's Pit and has been the main administrator behind the project and the funding development.

The final stop on our Duke tour was at the Center for Documentary Studies. Interestingly enough, the founders of the Center proposed to have it located at UNC, however, they were not able to find a home there. They then proposed having the center in between Duke and UNC, but when complications arose with that idea, the Duke campus location was solidified. The Center is currently located in the Lyndhurst House and has been operating for 15 years.

Dr. Tom Rankin, Director of the Center, provided a tour of the gallery. Dr. Rankin stressed the Center's work on both campuses and welcomed UNC students to enroll in Center courses. Furthermore, he defined the gallery as a vital space for bringing together the curriculum, the community, and the people associated with both UNC and Duke.

Tom Rankin defines documentary work as engaging people in communities. He also envisions documentary work going hand in hand with public service. In conclusion, he believes that this work helps people understand “where they are.” It is clear that the mission and work of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke is firmly based in the belief of collaboration and engagement – two of the themes that were apparent throughout our Duke field lab.