Dear Language Institute Participant:
Welcome to the Language Institute! This page contains important information and recommendations that will smooth your transition to the Durham area. Please read it carefully.
Also, please watch the following recordings from Blue Devil Weekend.
Blair Sheppard http://stream.fuqua.duke.edu/Content/Groups/BDW/2008/BDW-Sheppard.qtl
Bill Boulding http://stream.fuqua.duke.edu/Content/Groups/BDW/2008/BDW-Boulding.qtl
International Student Panel http://stream.fuqua.duke.edu/Content/Groups/BDW/2008/BDW-IntPanel.qtl
We want to make sure you realize that this is not a simple course of study, and a great deal of effort will be required of each individual student. Our curriculum includes lectures, experiential exercises, team projects, and social events. No academic preparation is required for you to participate in the Language Institute. However, we ask that you listen to and read as much English as possible in the weeks before the program begins.
Language Institute classes will meet daily, from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on weekdays (Monday through Friday) from Monday, July 13, to Friday, July 24. In addition to a daytime schedule, the Institute has arranged for some evening social and cultural activities. Students have regarded these events as very helpful in developing their understanding of Fuqua culture and in developing friendships with the other participants. We strongly encourage you to participate.
To make the Language Institute a valuable experience, we ask that you attend all classes, social events, and meetings. The workload is rigorous. During the program, you will work on projects, sometimes as a member of a team. For your benefit and to be fair to project teammates, please do not schedule any absences during the Institute.
Some students who are required to attend the Language Institute starting on July 13 have asked for additional instruction on an informal, voluntary basis before the formal program begins. While access to such instruction is limited, it will be available. Depending on the number of students who desire such instruction, some of our tutors have indicated that they can be available for some instruction sessions beginning on July 6. This instruction is by no means meant to constitute a class or a program, and it will only be offered three times a week starting on July 6. There is no additional charge for the Pre-instruction.
If you are interested in registering for additional instruction, please indicate your interest by completing the attached MSWORD "Pre-program Instruction Registration" form and emailing it to Donna Jones at dmj2@duke.edu no later than June 15. Access to such instruction is based on availability, so it is important that you send in the form as soon as possible.
Registration for the Language Institute will begin at 8:00 a.m. July 13 in Keller East wing of the Fuqua School of Business. You should plan to be here ready to register promptly at 8:00 a.m. Please park in the Frank Bassett Parking Lot located at the end of Science Drive. When you register for the program, for convenience, you will be given a parking permit that you will use for the duration of the program. Your student account will be charged a student parking fee of $6.50.
If you have already paid your $500 deposit, the balance of the program tuition, $2,870, is payable to Duke University’s Bursar’s Office, 919-684-3531. You will be notified by email of the tuition balance due date.
Please arrive in Durham between June 15 and July 10.
The Language Institute will provide you with all study materials. You must provide items required for your own personal care (i.e. housing, transportation to and from class, lunches, and items for personal grooming). Lunch at the Fox Center will be provided on weekdays while the program is in session.
When deciding what clothing to pack, please keep in mind that the weather in Durham will be hot and humid (average 90 degrees Fahrenheit), and the program attire will be casual - jeans and shorts are fine. However, many students have found that the air conditioning in U.S buildings is too cold, so plan for that as well.
If you have any questions of any kind before the program begins, please feel free to contact me at (919) 660-7868 or mtb2@duke.edu. Have a safe and comfortable trip to the United States. I look forward to meeting you on July 13.
Sincerely,
Mark T. Brown