The Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) actively promotes Duke’s commitment to the educational value of diversity across schools and units. Duke recruits a richly diverse student body reflecting a broad spectrum of national origins, races, ethnicities, religions, socio-economic backgrounds, physical abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. We believe that diversity fosters innovation, creativity, and excellence, and that it prepares our students to become leaders. 

OUE works with our partners across campus to cultivate an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful learning and living environment so that students can explore and examine their identities and values inside the classroom and beyond. We also encourage students to interact with those whose identities and world views are not their own, as it is through respectful and open dialogue that our students will grow in their understanding of themselves as citizens of our nation and the world.

OUE also believes that promoting diversity and inclusion alone is not enough. We recognize the dignity and humanity of all people and the injustice of systems that oppress BIPOC communities. We must therefore also commit to being actively anti-racist in our work.   

As such, the Office of Undergraduate Education: 

  1. Acknowledges that racism is a system of social and institutional power combined with prejudice that allows one group to carry out systematic discrimination through the major institutions of society.  We also acknowledge that structural racism is different from racial prejudice, interpersonal hatred, or discrimination.
     
  2. Condemns the systematic and individual racism and continued injustices against people of color.
     
  3. Affirms our identity as an anti-racist unit at Duke University.  As we continue to learn about racism and ethnic oppression, as individuals and as an organization, we will explore and examine systemic advantage and implicit bias in ways that will be reflected in the work and culture of OUE.
     
  4. Pledges tangible actions to:
    • Recognize and address bias and hate in proactive and continuous ways;
    • Adopt anti-racist policies and practices that will positively impact our staff and our students.

As we carry out our mission of providing a transformative education for all undergraduates, we also commit to the ongoing work of dismantling systems of injustice and inequity at Duke.  OUE’s departments are united towards this goal, and you can learn more about our efforts below.

OUE Internal Commitments & Actions

Read more about OUE's commitment to upholding Duke’s values of racial justice, equity, and meaningful inclusion in our work.

Internal Commitments & Actions

Commitments & Actions Beyond OUE

Read more about OUE's efforts beyond our organization.

Commitments & Actions Beyond OUE