BACKGROUND

The mission statement of Duke University includes the development of its students as "adults committed to high ethical standards and full participation as leaders in their communities." On a corporate level, the University understands clearly that "Duke itself is a citizen of a nested set of larger communities..., and that the university must strive constantly to play a constructive role as a good citizen of the Durham community."

Community outreach has long been an important activity at Duke’s Facilities Management Department, and in 2000 FMD formally adopted outreach as a new strategic goal. We adopted this goal based on our awareness:

That the University is keenly aware that it was created specifically for the benefit of the larger society and has established community outreach as a University goal;

That the University is directly affected by the strength of our ties to the greater Durham community;

That community outreach is a personal priority for our own employees as well as for students, faculty and our FMD Contractors; and

That FMD, because of its large staff with skills in horticulture and construction craft skills, its contacts in the Contractor community and its "out-in-front" working environment, is uniquely qualified to support the outreach goals of the University