Duke University Employee Reviews for Senior Analyst

"More hype than substance; no vision or accountability"

What do you like about working at Duke University?

"Very little. Nice campus with some good people, but they tend not to stay here."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Don't believe the hype. Get any promises, particularly about benefits or salary, in writing. Don't plan to stay long - look at it as a stepping stone to a better university or private/public sector gig. Be patient - job searches for fairly simple hires can take months of red tape and bureaucracy. Don't bother with temp jobs - they never turn into full-time permanent positions with the university unless you know the right people. If you're a minority, keep good records and notes - in professional and upper management and administrative positions, institution has issues with diversity."

What don't you like about working at Duke University?

"No vision in upper management - constantly looking for ways to keep up with similar institutions, but not developing talent and unique aspects of faculty and staff they have that would set the institution apart. Most of staff work is focused on projects that generate publicity, rather than actual results - it's an institution where there's much hype, but not much there there. Faculty and administrative politics spill into staff work; often no clear direction of where you're going. Decisions, particularly with vendors, often driven by personal financial or career interests of administrators and management. No shared decision-making and no culture of assessment and accountability. Not a place to create a career - people tend to get stuck in roles with no opportunity for professional growth or change without leaving institution."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"None, particularly. Administrators and management aren't open to suggestions and operate in a very closed, top-down manner. To improve, the overall culture would have to change to be more open and to have more personal accountability."