What We Do
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the official website for the NC State Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs. Each day, DUAP provides services that enrich the lives of literally thousands of NC State students plus hundreds more faculty and staff members throughout the University's colleges and academic programs. This website will tell you what our services are and I hope you will stay and explore them in detail. But what I would like to address in my letter to you is why we do what we do — and how seriously DUAP takes the responsibility we have been given.
Serving Students
Students today are faced with significant challenges early in their college careers. Most must learn to find their place within the University and, one day, within a rapidly changing world. Many have yet to discover their optimum pace of learning or their true academic potential. Almost all need to develop habits of mind that will help them master the challenges of an effective undergraduate education.
It is both the honor and obligation of DUAP to make sure that undergraduates at NC State successfully undergo these processes of place finding, pace finding and developing strong habits of mind.
We do this by offering student adaptation programs that help undergraduates make a successful transition to University life. We also offer academic and career enhancement programs that provide students with opportunities to hone the skills that make them unique. Our goal is to prepare students to share control of and take responsibility for their undergraduate academic careers. Ultimately, we want them to leave NC State with the ability, focus and desire to make the most of their lives.
Working With Parents
In preparing students to succeed we are, of course, serving their families as well. But we take our obligation even further than that. We have a mature process in place to converse with parents who desire to be involved during their children's college careers. We work closely with our colleagues in the Division of Student Affairs' Parents and Families Services to conduct parent orientation sessions, and we also pursue other partnerships with student affairs specialists to ensure that the University adapts to both the needs and expectations of today's parents. We've learned to talk with parents and educate them on how to support their children in positive ways without robbing them of their opportunity to accept academic responsibility and grow. We are proud of our role in accomplishing this critical task in turning students into mature, self-sufficient adults.
Promoting Excellence
DUAP's role in the University goes well beyond providing undergraduates with support. NC State faculty and staff are also faced with significant challenges in their quest for excellence. Developing flexible curricula, keeping pace with changing technology, and addressing the learning and communication needs of new generations while competing effectively with peer departments at other universities can all take up tremendous amounts of time, energy and resources.
DUAP helps by working in concert with other divisions of the University to provide faculty and staff with planning, consulting and assessment services that make these critical tasks easier and more effective. We also act as the gateway to a host of resources that keep faculty and staff at the top of their fields and able to spend more time doing what they do best: educating future leaders and uncovering new areas of knowledge in their industries.
In this way, we contribute to the well-being of virtually every student who graduates from NC State while helping push the envelope of innovation in many different areas of science, medicine, engineering, the arts, mathematics, humanities and so much more. We are very proud of our contributions to the success of so many individuals as well as the many achievements we have helped them attain.
Adapting to Change
DUAP operates on an important assumption: it is always possible to get better. We help students and faculty follow this principle and we apply it to our own division every day. DUAP is always adapting to change and always looking for ways to improve the services we offer. So, please, stop back by again soon, see what new activities we've been up to — and always feel free to contact us with your thoughts on how DUAP can promote undergraduate excellence at NC State.
Sincerely,
John Ambrose, Interim Dean
Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs
