Information for faculty
Arts & Sciences Development reports to the dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences and provides development and fundraising services to the deans of Arts & Sciences and Trinity College; the departments, programs, and centers within Arts & Sciences; the Graduate School; and the Division of Student Affairs.
Faculty participation enhances the development process. We welcome the help of faculty in identifying potential donors who might be inclined to support their departments or programs. We will also work to include faculty members — particularly chairs and directors — in development travel.
Complete details of these procedures are published in the Arts & Sciences and Trinity College Chairs' Handbook. Questions about these procedures should be directed to the A&S Development staff.
Requests for Development Assistance
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences and the Dean of Trinity College, in consultation with the co-directors of development, determine fundraising projects, priorities, and opportunities.
Individual members of the faculty who wish to receive specific fundraising assistance should direct their requests first to the chairs of their departments, who will forward appropriate requests to the Dean.
Approval will be based on:
- relevance to institutional and Arts & Sciences priorities;
- likelihood of success
- indication of departmental/program commitment to the effort.
If the request is approved, a staff member will contact the faculty member to plan the fundraising activity.
Identification of Potential Donors
Faculty can help us by identifying potential donors. If you know of an individual or entity you believe would be inclined to support your department or program, or others within the university, please contact our office.
We will consult the university's central data base of alumni, parents, and friends to determine whether to take further action. Additional research or activity would be coordinated through our office.
Please bear in mind that alumni are the main supporters of the Annual Fund, which generates a portion of our operating budget. Furthermore, many alumni have more than one Duke degree and support more than one area of the university. Thus we strive to protect prospective donors from multiple unwanted solicitations and to coordinate the development process. Direct mail solicitation by faculty, departments, and programs is discouraged, as it jeopardizes the Annual Fund and other development communications.
Faculty Development Travel
Faculty participation enhances the entire development process. Prospective donors particularly enjoy meeting our professors and talking about their projects.
Our staff will work to include members of the faculty, particularly chairs and directors, in their development travel. The Dean has created a modest fund to assist with trips taken with A&S gift officers.
Faculty will receive written briefings and other preparation in advance of development trips. On returning from a trip, the gift officer will prepare a report in consultation with the faculty member and prepare follow-up correspondence as necessary.
Occasionally, faculty members may take development trips alone with the approval of the Development Office. Following such trips, the faculty members will post trip reports in the university's contact data base.