Academic Deans

As academic officers of Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Academic Deans report to the Dean of Undergraduate Education for Trinity College and serve under the leadership of the Lead Academic Dean. They are an integral member of the College Deans Staff and serve on Trinity College and University Committees as designated by the Dean of Undergraduate Education. 

Academic Deans:

  • Monitor degree progress and certify completion of Arts & Sciences requirements
  • Interpret and apply academic policies set by the faculty, ensuring consistency and equity across student cases
  • Review and decide student petitions and exceptions (e.g., deadline exceptions, course substitutions/waivers approved by departments, credit applicability).
  • Manage academic standing processes, including notices of unsatisfactory progress, probation interventions, and return-to-good-standing plans.
  • Support students in complex circumstances, coordinating with campus partners (e.g., Counseling & Psychological Services, Student Disability Access Office, Dean of Students, International Student Services, Athletics) while safeguarding student privacy.
  • Advise faculty and departments on policy and degree applicability questions; provide consistent guidance for chairs, DUS/DUSes, and program leads.
  • Communicate official academic determinations (e.g., academic standing, policy rulings, degree clearance) to students and, when appropriate under FERPA, to families.
  • Advance equity in academic decision-making, using clear criteria and case review to reduce unwarranted variation.
  • Note: Routine academic planning (course selection, building term schedules, routine S/U requests, timely course withdrawals, registration logistics, and referrals) is led by Quad Advisors in the Trinity Academic Advising Center in collaboration with departmental advisors.

 

Four-Year Dean Model

Each student is assigned to one academic dean, and this dean will remain theirs for all four years. This is to ensure that every student has one consistent academic contact over the course of their time at Duke, as well as to provide for holistic support and long-term mentoring relationships that provide continuity over time. First-year students are assigned to a dean in late July or early August.