Information for Duke Conversations Guests

• Lodging
• Transportation
• Meals and Hospitality
• The Dinner Dialogue
• The Community Hour
• After Your Duke Conversation
• Duke Conversations Policies Regarding Guest Eligibility
• Contact
  
  

Lodging

What Duke Conversations Covers:

Your Duke Conversations student host will book a room for you at the Washington Duke Inn, or another local venue if the Washington Duke is unavailable. The student host is asked to notify you of the reservation confirmation number; however, do not hesitate to follow up with your host if you fail to receive confirmation. Please make your host aware if you have any special needs (accessibility, dietary, etc.) Duke Conversations will cover the cost of the room, tax, meals, and ground transportation arranged by the hotel during the your visit.

What Duke Conversations Does Not Cover:

• Guests are responsible for all other incidentals.
  
  

Transportation

Work with your student host to book transportation that is convenient for you.

What Duke Conversations Covers:

Flights to Durham (RDU)
If you will be flying to Durham, we ask that you use Expedia Corporate Travel Service to book your own coach-class or equivalent flight. Instructions on how to use Expedia are included in this email. All airfare must be booked no less than two weeks in advance of the flight date. International flights costing more than $1200 USD will not be approved.

Local Ground Transportation
University policy prohibits students from transporting guests at any time; thus, Duke Conversations covers your local ground transportation to/from the airport and to/from Conversation programs. Your student host will book your local ground transportation through the Washington Duke Inn. The Washington Duke Inn’s ground transportation personnel will contact you by mobile phone should any issues arise; however, if you encounter difficulty with ground transportation arrangements, please contact the Concierge Desk at 919-490-0999, x6106. Should you be staying at another area hotel, your student host will make special ground transportation accommodations for you.

Rental Cars
Should you prefer to drive to Durham, you may make your own rental car arrangements and submit the original receipt to your student host for reimbursement. The student host is responsible for ensuring that the receipt is delivered to Duke Conversations staff within 3 days of the program in order to secure reimbursement. If the original receipt is not submitted, university policy mandates that the program file a 1099, and you will be taxed for this expenditure.

Driving Around Town
The liability and insurance regulations that restrict students from driving guests also apply to guests driving students. Should you choose to transport Duke students, be aware that Duke insurance and liability does not cover students as passengers. For your protection, we discourage you from doing so.

What Duke Conversations Does Not Cover:

• Ground transportation expenses in you city of origin
• Ground transportation expenses in Durham for sightseeing purposes
• Rental cars nor transportation expenses for local guests (Triangle-area residents)
  
  

Meals and Hospitality

What Duke Conversations Covers:

You are welcome to dine at your hotel for up to three meals per day during your visit. Should you prefer to dine elsewhere in Durham, please submit the original receipts to your student host for reimbursement. Your host is responsible for ensuring that all receipts are delivered to Duke Conversations staff within 3 days of the program in order to secure reimbursement.

What Duke Conversations Does Not Cover:

Duke Conversations covers only guests’ meals; should you dine with your student host or others, they are financially responsible for their own meals. Any unapproved charges on your bill will be assessed to your student host’s bursar account.

The Dinner Dialogue

The Dinner Dialogue component of your Duke Conversation is an intimate meal – brunch, lunch, or dinner – during which you, your student host, and up to 15 additional students can informally discuss a topic of your collective choice. Student participants are encouraged to prepare questions for you in advance. While some may have a deep understanding of the topic at hand, others may have only a budding interest in it; thus, you can expect to receive a diverse range of questions.

The Dinner Dialogue will be held on campus, either in one of several fine dining venues or in a comfortable private room with catering provided. Should you require audio/visual equipment for any aspect of your Dinner Dialogue, please notify your student host accordingly.

Duke Conversations covers all approved expenses associated with the Dinner Dialogue; however, please be aware that we do not cover alcohol purchases. Students and guests must follow all alcohol-related laws and university policies.

The Community Hour

While your student host took the initiative to nominate you as a Duke Conversations guest, you were ultimately selected by a panel of students, faculty and staff who represent the interests of the broader Duke community. The Community Hour component of the Duke Conversation affords you the opportunity to engage a slightly larger group of students – typically between 25-50 undergraduates – in your chosen topic. Work with your student host to select an appropriate format for the Community Hour: you might consider a question and answer session moderated by your host; an anecdotal approach, during which you share with students stories of your experiences; a master class; a book reading; or whatever you and your host agree is a suitable method for you to interact with participants. Please bear in mind that you need not prepare a formal presentation, as the Community Hour is intended to serve as an extension of two-way dialogue.

The Community Hour will be held on campus, in a common gathering space, and a standard order of snacks will be provided. Should you require audio/visual equipment for any aspect of your Community Hour, please notify your student host accordingly.

Duke Conversations covers all approved expenses associated with the Community Hour.

After Your Duke Conversation

Please remember to provide your student host with all original receipts for your meal and rental car expenses in order to receive reimbursement.

We greatly welcome your feedback regarding Duke Conversations, as well as your reflections on your experiences interacting with Duke students. Please complete a Guest Evaluation Form.

As this is intended to be a learning process for students, we also encourage you to provide your student host with feedback about your visit.
 

Duke Conversations Policies Regarding Guest Eligibility

Duke Conversations encourages the student host to nominate a prospective guest who is the best-qualified individual to address the topic of his/her choice. The prospective guest should possess wisdom that comes from life and/or professional experience as well as a record of accomplishments or contributions to society. His/her expertise should appeal to students throughout the Duke community. 

• The prospective guest must be willing to visit Duke free of charge. Duke Conversations does not offer guests a paid honorarium. Guests are financially responsible for any incidentals during their visit.
  
  
• Duke Conversations does not fund individuals affiliated with Duke (faculty, staff, students, etc.) as guests.
  
  
• While we welcome the nomination of Duke alumni, Duke Conversations does not fund Duke alumni who have graduated during the past three years as guests.
  
  
• Duke Conversations does not fund undergraduate students – from Duke or any other institution – as guests.
  
  
• Duke Conversations will fund only one guest per student host application unless there are special circumstances.
  
  
• Duke Conversations will not provide funding for meals or any accommodations for a speaker who is already visiting Duke for other purposes.
  
  
• Students may invite a politician or candidate involved in local, state or national elections to be a Conversations guest only if the purpose of the Conversation is not directly related to the candidacy of the guest. The university must be assured that the candidate's appearance will not be conducted as a fundraising event nor as a campaign rally by the candidate. Further, neither the individual's political candidacy nor the upcoming election may be stated in communications announcing the candidate's attendance, nor during the introduction of the individual at the program.
  
  
• International guests are responsible for entering the United States legally; they must have the appropriate visa or documentation for travel to the US or be a US citizen. Duke Conversations will not sponsor a visa for any international guest.
  
  

Contact

Should you have general questions or concerns, please contact the Duke Conversations staff by email or phone (919-684-4741).

Should you have questions regarding the specifics of your trip, please contact your student host directly.