Nature & Nurture | Giving News
Students Gain Added Skills, Edge in the Working World
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Support needed to move beyond ‘a shoestring’
Maguire, who has been contacted by several universities interested
in launching their own skills modules program, notes that
despite the program’s success and its expanding reputation,
it is still run on a shoestring budget. She generally tries
to find speakers willing to volunteer their time, and must
“beg, borrow, and steal” to pay for travel expenses for the
rare out-of-town presenter. Kirchof has a modest budget that
covers some of the professional skills seminars, but both
would like to secure funding to bring nationally reputed speakers
to the Nicholas School on a more regular basis.
Arensman agrees that “It is important to continue
to get presenters of Tim Koegel’s caliber. Especially in a
program that’s as well respected as Duke, we should always
strive to bring in the best.”
Maguire says that additional funding would allow
the school to bring several national presenters to campus
each year for the skills modules, and could help cover transportation
and lodging costs for several field trips to Washington, D.C.,
for students to meet environmental leaders and policy makers.
With that funding, Kirchof could see offering more management
skill modules, so MEM/MF students can gain business and organizational
skills, such as how to allocate resources, set up budgets,
build teams, and manage people.
To support this and other programs through the Annual
Fund or to arrange an endowment fund, contact Krista Bofill,
director of alumni affairs and the annual fund, 919-613-8035,
k.bofill@duke.edu,
or Susan Berndt, associate dean for external affairs, at 919-613-8019
or susan.berndt@duke.edu.
Laura Ertel is a freelance writer based in
Durham, N.C.
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