Duke University Policies Updated in Support of Diversity & Inclusion

Duke University has adopted a new statement in support of diversity and inclusion and added “gender expression” to the Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action policy. These changes were recently approved by the Board of Trustees following engagement with a wide range of students, staff and faculty.

The new “Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion” statement expresses the values and expectations for members of the Duke community:

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Duke’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action policy has been amended to include “gender expression” as a protected class. The term references how individuals express their gender, which may differ from the gender they identify as.

Duke Human Resources will make these changes to the Online Policy Manual, as well as minor changes to the Compliance and Temporary Employment policies to reflect department and vendor name changes and updated contact information.

A listing of all the changes can be found on the Polices section of the Human Resources website: http://www.hr.duke.edu/policies/index.php 

Please review the change to ensure understanding and compliance within your departments, and take a moment to notify staff in your units.

If you have questions, please discuss with your school or department Human Resources representative or call Staff and Labor Relations at 919-684-2808.

Thank you,

Benjamin D. Reese, Jr., Psy.D.,Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer