End of Tip

On October 8th, 2020, Duke TiP put out a statement regarding the permanent end of the Duke TiP program. The original statement, while vague, discussed the permanent change of TiP's programs to "modernize" and discussed Duke's precollege programs, suggesting a merger. The statement, originally published at https://tip.duke.edu/message , can be read below. The next day, there was a Q&A published on the website which cleared up many questions. The Q&A, found on https://tip.duke.edu/updates/suspension-duke-tip-programs-questions-and-answers , pretty clearly states that TiP will be suspended completely, including the talent search and Summer Studies programs. The Q&A can also be read below.

Original Statement

Dear Members of the TIP Community,

COVID-19 has disrupted every part of our lives, from our health and education to our mobility and our livelihoods. Nothing has been untouched, and we have all had to make difficult and painful choices.

Today, we are writing to inform you about one of those difficult choices that Duke has had to make. The pandemic-induced closure of Duke TIP’s Summer Studies residential programs on our main campus in Durham and at colleges across the country in 2020 and likely again in 2021 has fundamentally disrupted the business and financial models that have long supported the TIP organization.

At the same time, the pandemic has also led Duke to accelerate a review of all precollege academic programs. A key strength of Duke has been its ongoing ability and willingness to innovate. The pause in operations across a range of precollege academic programs has given us an opportunity to step back and assess how best to serve students in a post-pandemic world. Based on this review, Duke will be creating a new unit in the Office of Academic Affairs to better align the existing important and diverse precollege activities with Duke’s current educational priorities and operational practices. Students served by Duke TIP will be a principal focus of this unit, which will oversee all our precollege programs and ensure they meet the highest standards of quality, reflect the best practices in education and are tightly linked with Duke’s extraordinary academic community.

As a result of this change, Duke TIP will not be offering programming (including the Academic Talent Search) for the remainder of 2020 through spring 2021 as we go through this transition and re-envision how to best serve all precollege learners. We look forward to resuming our activities next summer with a new and exciting slate of online courses on a wide range of topics—including artificial intelligence, coding, financial markets and pandemics, among others—taught by Duke faculty and graduate students and using the latest innovations in online education. As we redesign our precollege and talented offerings, we will not resume the talent search with above-level testing, but will instead be looking at new ways to identify students and facilitate their access to these enrichment programs. We will continue to work with families who participated in prior talent searches to provide the promised programs, research, and resources, which will remain available on this site.

We know that the suspension of Summer Studies and Talent Search will come as a disappointment to you, and it is a disappointment to us as well because we know how valued it has been by generations of TIPsters. But we are equally excited about the opportunity to update and modernize our programming, and to build on the innovative, enriching and challenging educational experiences that have made TIP such a transformative resource for more than three million students over the past 40 years. We will provide more information on this transition in the weeks ahead, as well as opportunities for students, parents and alumni to remain engaged.

Thank you for your continued support of Duke University.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Francis Executive Vice Provost

Official Q&A

Q: What is happening with Duke TIP?

A: Duke TIP programming will be paused through spring 2021. The national Academic Talent Search that had been administered by Duke TIP will be ended.

Q: Why are you doing this?

A: First, COVID forced the closure of all Summer Sessions in 2020 and likely in 2021, which has had a disruptive impact on the business and financial models that have long sustained TIP. Without the revenue from Summer Session, TIP cannot continue operating in its current form. Second, Duke is adapting to significant changes in the educational, technological and regulatory landscapes for precollege programs that have taken place in recent years. After a careful assessment, we are creating a new unit in the Office of Academic Affairs to better align these important and diverse activities with Duke’s current educational priorities and operational practices. The students served by TIP will be a principal focus of this new unit.

Q: Will the Academic Talent Search restart after this pause?

A: No. As we redesign our precollege and talented offerings, we will be looking new ways to identify students and facilitate their access to these enrichment programs. We will continue to work with families who participated in prior talent searches to provide the promised programs and resources.

Q: Will Duke TIP continue to provide resources and research for the gifted and talented community?

A: All Duke TIP resources and research will continue to be available at tip.duke.edu. We will add to this library as additional information becomes available.

Q: Will you resume TIP programs at some point?

A: We look forward to resuming precollege programs next summer with an exciting slate of online courses on a wide range of topics taught by Duke faculty and graduate students and using the latest innovations in online education. Potential offerings include courses in artificial intelligence, coding, financial markets and pandemics, among others. We will also be working with Duke faculty and educational leaders within the university and across the country to develop new programs that serve a broad cross-section of talented youth and precollege learners while sustaining the sense of community that TIP has built over the past 40 years.

Q: What will you do with the philanthropic contributions to TIP?

A: Private contributions have been critical to TIP. All contributions to TIP will continue to be used for their stated purpose: building and sustaining high quality educational programs and services for talented youth.

Messages

As a tribute to Duke Tip, feel free to make whatever additions you want to this page to mourn Duke Tip.

• Dear 2019 LSU term 2, and Elyse if you read this
  • It was fun. I have you to thank for the two best times of my life, and its surreal that its all over now. Arrivederci, Theo.

• To everyone that was there for me along the way
  • The people at TiP gave me the first place I truly could be myself, and you changed my life. To all the friends I made along the way, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know for a fact I'll never have a place that feels so perfect again. - Messi Ho

• To the courageous humans of 2019 LSU/Rice evacuees term 2,
  • There are too many of you to name, but you all know who you are. This was the best time of my life. I had never met such a group of diverse, supportive, crackheads, who weren't afraid to be themselves, and helped me to become a happier, more confident person as well. Acting games, cussing like sailors, Pen as a Weapon shenanigans, dances...there is too much that I miss about my experience to write down everything. I would charge a machine gun nest for every one of you.

Forever in my heart. Until we meet again; Anna