master's programs, pass-fail policy, and all that jazz

hey all,

happy winter break! i'm typing from my hotel room in cork, ireland right now. yep, in ireland thinking about duke academic policy-what a nerd. or maybe i'm just reasonably excited, because what the AA committee is rolling out next semester is pretty fantastic. many of you (over 1000 at this point) took this survey that was emailed out right at the end of the semester about one-year master's programs, but if you haven't yet please take a second and fill it out. on the docket for next semester:

1. one-year master's programs: the prospect of not getting a job after graduation is frighteningly close this year. and, let's face it, goldman is going to be less interested if your resume says that you graduated from duke and worked at nordstrom for two years. duke doesn't want to dilute the quality of its degrees, we want jobs: the perfect solution for many is a one-year master's program in the graduate and professional schools after completing a duke bachelor's. it will be difficult to roll out in a few months, so no promises for this year (especially with conventional academic subjects; accreditation is a nightmare), but it is an extremely popular program at many of our sister institutions, including yale and vanderbilt. would you be interested? let the aa committee know at cpg5@duke.edu or by leaving a comment here!

2. pass-fail policy: the aa committee is going to suggest a new pass-fail policy to the academic standards committee of the arts and sciences council at the beginning of next semester. it is still being edited, but will include:
-allowing premajor students to take classes pass-fail (post-major is already allowed)
-extending the pass-fail deadline to the current withdrawal deadline (3/4 into the semester)
any thoughts? let us know please. all student feedback is very appreciated!

3. remember as you get new classes to post your syllabi on the Syllabus Archive. also, as you drop and add classes, use the archive for information.

as classes start, feel free to email me, Chelsea (cpg5@duke.edu), with any policy questions. happy new years everyone!

cheers,

chelsea