If you haven’t seen this article from the News & Observer then you need give it a read. The door is opening…it may not be long until Duke shoots themselves in the head with a full-scale campus civil war.
In the ongoing debate about athletics at Duke University, a new idea has emerged: Why not assign professors to sports teams to improve communication and understanding? The proposal to pair faculty associates to sports teams is drawing cheers and sneers on a campus divided on the role of sports.
The program is the brainchild of Paul Haagen, head of Duke’s Academic Council and a law professor who teaches sports law. About 80 faculty members have expressed interest, he said. “Duke invests a lot in athletics,” Haagen said Wednesday. “It’s probably a good idea if you know about athletics.”
A professor would be assigned to a sport but would not be expected to monitor or report on a team. Faculty members could attend practices, travel with the team occasionally and get to know athletes and coaches.
The proposal, scheduled for discussion today, has elicited scorn from professors who think Duke should de-emphasize sports in the aftermath of the men’s lacrosse scandal.
