Durham & Community Affairs

The committee for Durham and Community Affairs has purview over community service, Durham city and county governments, North Carolina state affairs, relations with local universities, Durham cultural life, off-campus mediation, and engagement in elections. As a collaborator, Durham and Community Affairs works on projects like Democracy Day to facilitate voter registration and enthusiasm on campus; fireside chats to engage Duke students and Durham residents with local politicians; and the Durham welcome box to ensure Duke students are productive and well-informed Durham residents. Durham and Community Affairs is a transformative space where you can make a tangible impact on the Duke and Durham community.

Committee Projects

Democracy Day

Coordinates an annual civic engagement fair & a campus-wide celebration of early voting for midterm & presidential elections. Set an early-voting record at Duke in 2024.

Collaboration with the Durham and Community Affairs Office

Facilitated conversations with administration and local leaders regarding community affairs, collaborated on grant-writing for local organizations, promoted the community engagement center on campus

DPAC Program

Obtained and distributed DPAC tickets free of charge or at discounted rates for students to interface with the Durham community in conjunction with the DUUrham committee. Have sent Duke students to productions of Six, the Sound of Music, and Wicked.

Party Safe @ Duke

Introduced a house party safety system to protect students living off-campus and encourage Duke students to be respectful residents in Durham neighborhoods.

Off-Campus Advisory Board

In collaboration with Duke DCA and Student Affairs, convened an advisory board of off-campus fraternities, sororities, and selective living groups (pending addition) to discuss off-campus safety surrounding party culture.

Durham Days

This project focuses on building relationships with Durham small businesses and bringing them onto campus. Last year, this culminated in a “Durham Days” on campus that brought numerous partners to West Campus for students to try samples from restaurants, get free Durham swag, and ask questions about venturing out into Durham.

Fireside Chats

Fireside chats seek to provoke conversation between Duke students and Durham community members over dinner. This project was taken on by Duke DCA and was in the final stages of its focus group phase, but the coordinator who was leading the program left over the summer. Project members will need to restart conversations with Duke DCA and/or consider how to pilot the program solely through DSG or with other partners.