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Families can play a critical role in the health and well-being of their college students. Your wisdom, guidance, and relationships help inform students’ decisions throughout college. We believe that parental conversations about alcohol, in particular, contribute to increased student safety, student ownership of their actions, and healthier and more positive experiences in college. 

Parent and Family Programs and DuWell (Duke’s health promotion and wellness unit) developed the following video to spark conversations about alcohol use and social decision-making before your student arrives to Duke: https://youtu.be/kPd3vfKpzjM. 

We suggest addressing the following in your conversations with your student:

Dear Duke Class of 2023 Parent,

We are excited to welcome you and your student to Duke. While you may feel both excited and anxious, we want to share some information that may help put your mind at ease. 

• The safety of students involves many people working together: parents, students, the campus police, Student Affairs, Office of Institutional Equity, Transportation, faculty and staff, etc.  We all have a role.
• Duke has a low level of crime and serious crime is rare.  Theft of unattended items is the most common crime on campus.         

Messages to share with your student:

Duke Families,

Welcome to the Duke community! We are incredibly excited for the incoming Class of 2023 and having you as part of our community! Each year we are thrilled to welcome your sons and daughters to Duke University; their energy and passion inspires our community. Much of our newsletter information will be shared on our social media platforms; however, we do encourage you to read each edition for additional insights, context, and official University response.

During the final weekend of March, the Division of Student Affairs hosted their spring semester Duke Parents Advisory Council (DPAC) meeting.  Friday evening approximately 25 families and their students joined us at the Washington-Duke Inn for an opening reception, highlighted by welcoming remarks by the Pratt School of Engineering's, Dean Bellamkonda. He shared his appreciation for the volunteer role our parents and families play in providing feedback on critical student issues.

Narrator: You are listening to the Duke University Parent and Family Programs podcast.

Maggie: Hello, this is Maggie Peterson from the Office of Parent and Family Programs at Duke University. We are here today with Tatum Riley. Thank you for being here to chat with us today, Tatum! Could you please start by telling us your hometown, major, and class year at Duke? 

Tatum: Hi! I’m from Phoenix, Arizona. Currently I’m decided that I am probably going to major in public policy and psychology. I’m going to do an interdepartmental major, and I am a freshman at Duke—class of 2022.

Maggie: Great, thanks! So today I’d love to chat about your reflections on your first year at Duke. Let’s start by talking about move-in day. So when you moved into your dorm in August, what emotions did you experience?

2018 Student Experiences Survey: Q&A for parents

During Family Weekend, the Division of Student Affairs hosted its fall semester Duke Parents Advisory Council (DPAC) meeting. This group of dedicated and diverse parents gathers twice a year to provide Student Affairs leadership with feedback and counsel on a variety of topics. This semester’s topic was Faith, Spirituality, and the Academy.

The First-Year Advisory Counselor (FAC) Program is dedicated to helping incoming first-year students transition to college life in order to maximize their experience as a member of the Duke community. Here, co-chairs Maggie Haas and Steve Boland – the fearless leaders of the FAC Program – describe what makes Duke feel like to home to them personally. 

Steve Boland is a Charlotte, North Carolina native majoring in Public Policy with a minor in Sociology and Cultural Anthropology.   

**For the latest updates on Hurricane Florence, please monitor Duke Alert and Working@Duke on Twitter for the latest and most accurate information.**

The following message was sent to parents/families of Duke students on Tuesday, September 11, around 8:40 p.m., regarding preparations for Hurricane Florence: 

**For the latest updates on Hurricane Florence, please monitor Duke Alert and Working@Duke on Twitter for the latest and most accurate information.**

The following message was sent to parents/families of Duke students on Tuesday, September 11, around 11:20 a.m., regarding preparations for Hurricane Florence: