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Academic Affairs

The committee for Academic Affairs focuses on supporting the academic side of the undergraduate experience at Duke. We work with professors, administrators, and resource & cultural centers to advocate for students’ needs inside and outside of the classroom. In the past, we’ve worked on projects such as establishing the Blue Devil Buddy program, which pairs first-year students with upperclassmen for mentorship, and launching GRUNCH, an initiative that gives students funding get lunch with a graduate student. Whether you’re studying in Durham or somewhere abroad, AA is the committee working to make sure you have everything that you need to thrive in your time at Duke.

Committee Projects

Blue Devil Bridges

This program expands upon the pre-existing Blue Devil Buddies structure, instead matching upperclassmen with Duke alumni in relevant fields.

Course Materials Transparency

In collaboration with Duke’s Engineering Student Government, DukeLIFE, Duke Hub, the DSG Research Unit, and the deans of Trinity and Pratt academics to develop a solution to the lack of transparency surrounding pre-registration and the hidden costs of course materials.

Abroad 101

AA worked closely with Engineering Student Government & Duke Global Education Office to produce guides streamlining the study away process which will be available by the end of the 2026 school year at the latest.

AI Usage Guidelines

In collaboration with the CARADITE Lab, the Academic Affairs committee wrote guidelines on how students can best take advantage of generative AI. You can find them at ai.duke.edu.

GRUNCH

This program is an expansion of a previous DSG collaboration (FLUNCH), allowing students to use funding to bond with graduate and professional students.

Study Spot Hotspot Tracker (x ESG)

Utilizing current tracking technology, we will work with OIT to create a study space tracker modeled after the Brodie and Wilson occupancy meters featured on Duke Mobile. Pilot location to be selected with ESG.

Study Spot Hotspot Tracker

In collaboration with Duke’s Engineering Student Government, AA is working with OIT and ITAC to patch existing issues with DukeGPT and BlueBot.

Duke Discover

Proposes Academic Credit for Spring Term remote fellowships in fields that can be entirely unrelated or pertaining to one’s chosen path. We hope to encourage tangible work experience across various fields of interest.

Duke Research Fair

In collaboration with Bass Connections and Muser, AA is testing the introduction of a spring term fair that features research opportunities for both STEM and humanities research-focused teams.

Tutoring Accessibility and Impact Assessment

Reforms include survey redesigns, curriculum realignments via Syllabi and Canvas, and establishing additional tutoring options for more accessibility. Through the utilization of already existing data from the ARC office and class outcomes, we assess the effectiveness and accessibility for all freshmen as well.

Outdoor East Campus Study Spaces

In collaboration with SAS, the committee will create furnished outdoor study locations to compensate for the loss of Lily Library during the renovation period and to encourage time spent outdoors.

Farsi Integration

In the wake of Farsi no longer being offered for Academic Credit, we are exploring avenues for the language to integrate in other academic circles

FOCUS/Constellation Guides

Working with E & A to develop a comprehensive guides for freshmen about Constellations and how it now fits into the pre-existing FOCUS programs.

Spring Group Fair

Introducing a spring club fair for clubs that launch application periods in the Spring.

Olivia McConnell

Vice President

Ty Mastrian

Assistant Vice President

Abigail Lau

Elected Senator

Sabrina Manero

Elected Senator

Alex Precourt

Elected Senator

Massimo Reali

Elected Senator

Esha Kalakiri

Elected Senator

Brooke Revels

Elected Senator

Jonathan Fromm

Elected Senator

Amelie Calamia

Elected Senator

Not pictured: Sarah Wolfson, Carina Kehoe, Quinn Mulvey, Ahilan Eraniyan, Shambhavi Sinha, Noah Tajudeen, Emma Ren