Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Office
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Office

Support

To stay healthy and flourish, we need to stay connected and take care of ourselves and others. The Nicholas School has provided some resources below to help us do that.

General Wellness Resources

please see the resources lists below for more resources for our whole NSOE community, including students, staff, and faculty. Looking to understand NSoE’s policy on responses to current events? Please visit this page.

Wellness & Prayer Rooms

  • This map provides locations of meditation and wellness rooms across the Durham campus. Check out the Grainger Hall Wellness & Lactation Room* (GH 4111), which doubles as a meditation space, and the Murphy-Nimocks Meditation Garden, located just outside the Student Wellness Center.
  • Looking for a place to meditate or relax? Complete with massage chairs, aromatherapy and Baoding balls, DuWell’s “Oasis West” provides a quite space to invite in calm. Oasis West is located in Room 129 on the first floor of the Student Wellness Center. The Oasis is open from 9am-4:30pm M-F.
  • At the Marine Lab, there is Wellness Space in the Library that is dedicated to personal wellness such as meditation, prayer and quiet reflection.
  • Dedicated lactation rooms can be found via maps.duke.edu by clicking on the Lactation Room map layer. 
Photo of MURPHY-NIMOCKS MEDITATION GARDEN.
MURPHY-NIMOCKS MEDITATION GARDEN.

* A note about the Wellness & Lactation Room in GH 4111: The room is listed on Outlook as Nicholas School Wellness and Lactation Room. You can type “Nicholas School Wellness” in the To field of Outlook and Control + K (Windows) or Control-⌘-C (Mac) to check names to complete the address. If you find the door is locked, the room is likely in use; if you are using this space, we encourage you to slide the “Available/ Occupied” sign on the door to indicate that the space is occupied. The hallway doors automatically unlock from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM on weekdays.

Support for Students

Students have access to a range of wellness resources and support through Duke’s Student Wellness Center. This resource list is adapted from Duke Student Affairs and the Office of Undergraduate Education. Also, check out our NSOE DEI reading list on Mental Health (including sections on Burnout and Race and Mental Health).

BLUE DEVILS CARE: 24/7 telemental-health support to all students at no cost, through immediate and scheduled appointments. Visit BlueDevilsCare.duke.edu.

CAPS: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers many services to Duke students, including telemental-health appointments. Any student can call 919-660-1000 to speak with someone, or for assistance with referrals in your local community. 

DUKEREACH: DukeReach will help you identify support services from among the variety of resources across campus or in your local community. You can contact DukeReach at 919-681-2455 or by emailing dukereach@duke.edu. 

DUWELL: DuWell engages students through a variety of wellness experiences across campus in an effort to manage stress and reduce anxiety while emphasizing self-care.  

STUDENT HEALTH: Student Health is the primary source for a wide range of healthcare services for all Duke students. During COVID-19, Student Health remains open for essential services and offers virtual visits, and students may call (919) 681-9355, option 2, during business hours to speak to a triage nurse. For urgent matters after hours, students can always speak to a nurse by calling 919-966-3820.

FOOD INSECRUITY: Any student experiencing food insecurity can request temporary funds for food through the Feed Every Devil (FED) program. FED can be used by any student that is currently enrolled at Duke if they are experiencing food insecurity. FED can be used even if the student does not have a meal plan. Learn more here: https://fed.oit.duke.edu/

COST OF LIVING SUPPORT:

In October 2022, Duke implemented a number of actions to help doctoral and master’s students manage the recent rapid rise in the cost of living.

PhD students can learn more about the measures aimed at helping them, which include stipend increases, reduced parking costs, and an increase in affordable housing.

Master’s students can learn more about the measures aimed at helping them, which include reduced parking costs, increased affordable housing opportunities, and professional development grants.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

IDENTITY AND CULTURAL CENTERS: The Student Affairs Identity and Cultural Centers also serve as important resources and places of connection and support for many of our students. The centers are offering programming and support throughout the year, including summer. Our ICCs include: Center for Multicultural Affairs (CMA), Center for Muslim Life, Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, International House, Jewish Life at Duke, Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture, and the Women’s Center.  

RELIGIOUS LIFE AT DUKE: Religious Life at Duke offers a wide range of student supports, whether or not you are connected to a religious tradition at all. Visit their website to connect with leaders from any of Duke’s diverse faith groups, all of whom are experienced in offering emotional and spiritual care, and a non-anxious presence with a humanistic listening ear, to college-age students. 

SA ON-CALL TEAM: Student Affairs has a 24/7 on-call team to support urgent student matters. For urgent concerns after business hours, you may contact the Dean on-Call (cell: 984-287-0300), or if you are living in residential spaces, you may connect with the Residence Coordinator On-Call by contacting your Residential Assistant On-Call or directly through Duke Police (919-684-2444). 

GENDER AFFIRMING RESOURCES:

NEURODIVERSITY CONNECTIONS: Neurodiversity is an inclusive term that emphasizes the abilities of people with “brain differences” that are distinct from what is considered “typical.” As a social justice movement, neurodiversity aims to recognize the strengths and unique challenges of those with autism, ADHD and other neurological differences. Neurodiversity Connections was founded in 2016 by faculty, students, staff, and administrators who believe that the Duke community is enriched by the many contributions of neurodivergent students. Students might also be interested in visiting the Neurodiverse Duke Career Hub resource page.

FACE EQUALITY: In pursuit of a world where everyone is treated fairly, with equity, compassion and justice, we must recognize and celebrate our physical and visible differences. To that end, please visit FaceEqualityInternational.org and ChangingFaces.org to find resources for visible differences and disfigurement. You can also learn more about the Face Equality campaign through the late Face Equality International Founder Dr. James Partridge’s book, “Face It” (order here).

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID: This interactive 8 hour course offered through Colorado-based Jefferson Center presents an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the U.S. and introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. The curriculum includes access to a 2 hour self-paced course, and a 6 hour live, interactive virtual session led by certified Mental Health First Aid Instructors. There is a $15 deposit due at sign up that will be refunded upon completion of the course. If you have any difficulty with this, please contact Amy Lyden at amyl@jcmh.org to make other arrangements. Registration closes 1 week before the scheduled date to ensure enough time to complete pre-work requirements. Upcoming trainings will occur on May 11th, 2022 and June 16th, 2022. Find more info here.

HOPE4NC call 1-855-587-3463 or text HOPE at 1-855-587-3463 Crisis Counseling 24/7
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8355 or in Spanish by calling 1-888-628-9454

Water Safety & Swim Resources

Durham Campus

Click here for Duke Recreation & Physical Education swim lessons.

Lifeguard Certification: https://recreation.duke.edu/programs/aquatics-safety/safety-courses/

Duke Aquatics: (919) 684-4620.

  • Sign up for the Duke Aquatics listserv to receive the latest news and information by clicking here.

Swimming Pools

  • Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion (accessed through Wilson Recreation Center)
    • Address: 330 Towerview Road Durham, NC 27708
    • Phone: (919) 613-7489
    • Email: aquatics@duke.edu
  • Brodie Aquatics Center
    • Address: 20 Brodie Gym Drive Durham, NC 27705
    • Phone: (919) 613-7534
    • Email: aquatics@duke.edu

Your Duke Recreation Fee grants you access to this facility. You can reserve 55-minute blocks for lap swimming and even make back-to-back reservations. All reservations and cancellations must be made through MyRec.

Beaufort Campus

Swimming Lessons & Swimming Pools

Support for Staff & Faculty

Please see below for COVID resources.

What mental health resources are available to staff and faculty? If you’re a Duke faculty or staff member facing an acute or chronic emotional challenge please check out the resources available through the Personal Assistance Service: https://pas.duke.edu/. Some materials from that website are pasted below:

Personal Assistance Service (PAS) is the faculty/employee assistance program of Duke University and Health System. Our staff of licensed professionals offers assessment, short-term counseling, and referrals to help resolve a range of personal, work, and family problems. PAS services are available at no charge to benefit-eligible Duke faculty, staff, and their family members.

Emotional Support. Personal Assistance Service is here and continuing to provide support during this challenging time. Telephonic and video sessions are easy to access through a smart, phone, table or laptop with video and microphone capability. To obtain an appointment, contact the PAS office at 919-416-1727. For more information or FAQ’s about video counseling, Click here to learn how to access video appointments.

Other resources through the PAS site include:

Also, check out our NSOE DEI reading list on Mental Health (including sections on Burnout and Race and Mental Health).

HOPE4NC call 1-855-587-3463 or text HOPE at 1-855-587-3463 Crisis Counseling 24/7
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8355 or in Spanish by calling 1-888-628-9454

Support for Caregivers*

Caregiver Crisis Sypport

  • HOPE4NC call 1-855-587-3463 or text HOPE at 1-855-587-3463 Crisis Counseling 24/7
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8355 or in Spanish by calling 1-888-628-9454
  • www.thetrevorproject.org focuses on ending suicide among LGBTQ+ among youth. A trained crisis counselor is available 24/7; it’s safe and judgment-free. Dial 1-866-488-7386 or Text START to 678678
  • Trans Lifeline https://translifeline.org offers direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis. 1-877-565-8860

*Thank you to Shavonne Joyner and Montessori Community School for providing many of these resources.

Pandemic Support

If faculty need an accommodation to teach or work remotely due to health-related concerns, please seek an official accommodation: See https://remotework.duke.edu/guidelines/ and  https://access.duke.edu/requests.  

WOMEN, WORK & BURNOUT: An article published by the Harvard Business Review shares that women in the workforce, and especially women of color, were experiencing burnout and gender and racial inequities since long before the pandemic. COVID-19 reorganized our society and workforce in such a way that has exacerbated many disparities in the workplace, leaving millennials feeling isolated, frontline workers more vulnerable, and caretakers stretched thin. According to data collected from Harvard Business Schools MBAs, women experienced higher rates of burnout, poor mental health and adverse health impacts even before the pandemic. Compared to 23% of white women, more than 30% of Latinas, Black women, and South Asian women said they felt burned out often or very often. As authors Ammerman and Groysberg write, “[l]ooking at how people really felt pre-pandemic makes clear that a return to that status quo is untenable.”

We recommend reading Amelia and Emily Nagoski’s book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle for a better understanding of the science behind burnout and actionable steps you can take to mitigate and overcome it. The Nagoski sisters will teach you the importance of “completing the stress cycle” through activities like exercise, laughing, crying and dance. Burnout is a great introduction to what burnout is, and validating for folks who are struggling to understand why they’re struggling. Please find additional resources on the subject below:

Reference: Ammerman, C. & Groysberg, B. (2022). Women Can’t Go Back to the Pre-Pandemic Status Quo. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from www.hbr.org

PARENTING: The below resources from the WHO and UNICEF provide tips for parenting during the pandemic.

Ukrainian flag

REFUGEES & INTERNATIONAL RELIEF: Please check out this guide from CNN on organizations supporting refugees and international relief.

SUPPORT UKRAINE: Duke’s Office of Global Affairs has a list of resources to support Ukraine on their website. Duke Relief Efforts also has a compiled a support list here.

The New York Times collated the following list of organizations, which have been verified by charity evaluators like Charity Watch.

  • Direct Relief is one of the world’s largest distributors of donated medical supplies. Over the past six months, it has provided Ukraine with $26M in medical aid. Last weekend, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health sent Direct Relief a list of items it needed, such as 500 emergency medical packs. The organization is working to acquire and deliver those supplies.
  • Mercy Corps provides humanitarian assistance and community building in more than 40 countries, including Afghanistan and Yemen. After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the organization sent workers to Ukraine’s separatist regions to repair war-damaged houses and deliver water and sanitation supplies. Mercy Corps is sending aid workers to Romania and Poland along the Ukrainian border, where it plans to support local organizations with cash grants in the coming weeks.
  • Since 2014, International Medical Corps has provided medical services and prescription medicine to people in eastern Ukraine. To meet the needs of Ukrainians displaced by the conflict, the organization plans to increase its presence in the country, focusing in particular on mental health care and access to food and water.
  • Save the Children has been providing education, food, water and cash grants to Ukrainians since 2014. Over the past year, Save the Children prepared for escalating conflict in Ukraine by helping local organizations stock up on hygiene kits and winter clothes. Since the Russian invasion, it has helped distribute those supplies and provided protective services for unaccompanied minors who are fleeing the country.

Reference: Hoffman, B. (2022). How You Can Help Ukraine. New York Times. Retreived from www.nytimes.com

Comprehensive Resource List for Staff

Staff-Resource-ListDownload

Looking for information on reporting unprofessional behavior, discrimination, and/or harassment? Please visit our Reporting page.