PUBPOL 290 | “Who’s in Charge at Duke?”: Leading the University in the 20th Century
Instructor: Andrew Nurkin
Semester:
Spring 2024
Meeting Times: Tuesday/Thursday, 10:05 AM-11:20 AM
Modes of Inquiry:
Ethical Inquiry (EI)
Research (R)
Areas of Knowledge:
Civilizations (CZ)
Course Description:
Who decides what kind of place a university is? This course examines this question through six leadership flashpoints at Duke between 1901 and 2000, each of which shaped the University we have inherited in 2024. Students will consider the contested stakes and competing visions for what Duke University would become, asking whose voices and labor count in decisions about the nature of the institution. Working in teams, students will identify and research historical leadership case studies that help constitute their own understanding of Duke as an always-dynamic community. Students will also reflect on how they experience the long tail of these decisions in their everyday lives now.