What We Do

The Dean of Students Office (DOS) in conjunction with a group of nearly 300 student volunteers in the FAC Program work together to successfully support and acclimate each incoming first-year student to collegiate life and, most importantly, their new home at Duke University and the Durham community. 

The FAC

Our program’s success rests in the FACs.  While these 240 students have the least extensive time commitment in the program, they are the most important participants.  Each FAC becomes the peer leader and mentor of a group of 8 to 10 incoming first-year students, vested with important responsibilities. 

FACs contact each of their first-year student for the first time during the summer before they arrive, offering themselves and their experience as a resource for any questions the students might have before setting foot on campus.  At the end of the summer, the FACs return to campus a week early to be trained in their position.   This training is intended to teach FACs leadership skills, increase each FACs knowledge of university resources, and finally build their confidence in facilitating group discussions. 

On Move-In Day, the FACs of each residence hall are present as each of the first-years arrive and, as a way of welcoming them, physically move in all of the luggage that each family brings for their student.  This is a most concrete means by which the university and students illustrate strong community values in welcoming their newest members.

Finally, FACs are responsible for leading their first-years through the rest of Orientation Week.   As previously mentioned, one of their major tasks of the FACs is to facilitate a discussion of the summer reading book among their first-years, which of paramount importance to the FAC Program.  The FACs are entrusted as student leaders to initiate and lead the first intellectual experience for the first-year students at Duke University.  This activity stresses the fact that their academic experience at Duke extends beyond the classroom to their interactions with peers over the course of their academic career.  FACs also lead follow-up discussions to “The Real Deal,” which is a presentation that describes how to healthily navigate your first couple of weeks at college with an emphasis on social decision making. This places the FACs in the position of acting as a resource and a support system to help their first-year students with some of the most difficult aspects of the transition to the college academic and social scene.

The FACs are expected and encouraged to maintain a year-long commitment, remaining as a resource and a friend to their first-years throughout not only their first-year, but the entirety of their Duke career.

The Head FAC

The FAC Board, composed of 30 junior and seniors students serve as Head FACs in an extended leadership role for the Program.  Head FACs select their incoming teams through the FAC application process in the beginning of the Spring semester.  Concurrently, the FAC Board seeks to build group cohesion through biweekly meetings and regular communication, as well as group activities to develop this tier of leaders.  In the late summer, this dedicated crew returns to campus early to participate in training in preparation for the return of their FAC group to campus. 

The Head FACs become capable and dedicated student leaders, vested with the responsibility to build group cohesion and a sense of purpose among their respective groups of approximately 20 FACs.  We see it as invaluable that our Head FACs train their respective FAC groups, as this student-to-student communication builds personal relationships and mentorship skills.  Lastly, Head FACs continue to design residence hall programming and foster community building through their year-long involvement. 

The FAC Board Co-Chairs

The FAC Board’s two chairs provide leadership for the program at the student level.  Despite the “titles,” the co-chairs function as members of the FAC Board who work with an eye towards the facilitation of multi-level program integration. 

The Chairs function as a direct line of communication between the Dean of Students’ Office and the rest of the FAC Program.  Currently, the Co-Chairs perceive two main responsibilities – first, the Chairs logistically ensure that the FAC Board and the program perform all of its major functions. 

These functions include:

• FAC Board recruitment and selection in late fall
• FAC recruitment and selection in early spring
• Spring preparations – Head FACs begin team building with their residence hall FAC groups
• Summer planning and preparation for FAC Board training and orientation week activities
• FAC Board training in mid-August
• Orientation Week supervision the week before school starts
• Co-Chair selection and program transition in mid-fall

   
Secondly, and in addition to these organizational concerns, the Chairs are also responsible, along with the support of the FAC Board, for maintaining a more encompassing perspective on the mission of our program and constantly looking for ways in which we can do our job better. 

The Dean of Student’s Office (DOS)

Finally, our DOS professionals are pivotal in providing a nexus between an organization with a student foundation and administrative-level responsibilities.  As a source of financial support and accountability, provider of infrastructure and logistical support, and as a liaison between the FAC Program and University administrators across campus, this connection places the FAC Program in a unique position.  Even the FAC volunteer becomes not only accountable to the highest level of DOS administration, but also reaps the benefits of this direct connection.  

Currently, Associate Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi oversees New Student and Family Programs for the Dean of Students Office, Assistant Dean of Students Clay Adams serves as the primary advisor of the FAC Program, Sarah Starkey as Graduate Assistant, and Molly Eberly as the NODA Intern. Information about these individuals can be found here!