All accepted Duke Immerse students and a parent or guardian are required to sign a theme-specific participation agreement in order to participate in a Duke Immerse. Legally independent students, as affirmed by their academic dean, may complete and sign the participation agreement without a parent or guardian signature. 

Students will receive instructions via email for signing and submitting the agreement through AdobeSign after acceptance.

Some Duke Immerse themes engage minors through research, fieldwork or service-learning. If a theme is approved to engage minors, in accordance with the Policy for Minors in Duke Programs (https://hr.duke.edu/policies/expectations/minors-duke-university-programs), all enrolled students and participating Duke staff and faculty, prior to engaging minors, must: 

1. 1. Complete the online Duke Minors Training (https://forms.hr.duke.edu/minors/training/) 
   2. Complete a background check through Duke HR’s Background Check Center 

Only students, staff and faculty who have completed the training and have a clear background check may engage minors. 

As participants on Duke Immerse themes, students should remember that they are representing Duke, their home institutions, and their home cultures, and should conduct themselves in a manner expected on campus.  

Duke students remain subject to the behavioral requirements set forth in the Duke Community Standard while participating on a Duke Immerse theme. Please review the full text of the Duke Community Standard.

Duke may terminate a student’s participation in a Duke Immerse theme if the following occur: 

• student has violated a local law or regulation;
• student has violated the Duke Community Standard, or is accused of violating the standard in a matter which, if proven to be true, could pose risk to the health, safety, or welfare of the student or others;
• continued student participation in the theme poses a risk to the health, safety, or welfare of the student or others;
• continued student participation will materially disrupt the theme

In the event that a student is found to have engaged in any of the activities mentioned above, the Duke Immerse Office will consult with the Duke Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS) to determine next steps and possible dismissal of the student from the program.

While studying on a Duke Immerse program, students must comply with all applicable laws and regulations. This includes laws pertaining to the purchase, possession, or consumption of alcohol or drugs. As outlined above, a student’s participation in a Duke Immerse program may be terminated if Duke determines that a student has violated a law.

If the program travels outside of the United States, students are subject to all laws and regulations of the host country and city, including those regarding required travel documents, visas, and study permits. It is the sole responsibility of the student to obtain the necessary permissions to enter or remain in a country. The Duke Immerse office will assist students as needed and provide them with any necessary documentation which the student might need as part of the process for getting travel permissions or visas for the field experience portion of the program.

Duke Immerse themes may include required lectures, excursions, and/or field trips that are considered germane to the educational experience. In order to receive academic credit at Duke, all enrolled students must participate in such activities unless exempted by the faculty leaders.

All Duke Immerse programs have established start and end dates. Without exception, each student must arrive in time for the official start date of their program and should expect to stay until their program officially ends. This also pertains to the field experience portions of the programs. 

Upon submission of their application, Duke Immerse will conduct a check of each Duke student’s academic and disciplinary record in order to determine his or her eligibility to study away from Duke. A student who is on academic or disciplinary probation or who has pending disciplinary probation does not qualify for study abroad/away enrollment, regardless of acceptance to a program. A student who is put on academic or disciplinary probation during the course of a Duke Immerse program is not permitted to continue on the program. In this event, the student must leave the program without a refund or any academic credit. 

Any student withdrawing from a Duke Immerse program must submit a signed Duke Immerse Withdrawal Form as soon as possible Students are responsible for making all arrangements to maintain their continuation status at Duke. If a student withdraws from Duke Immerse before the end of Duke’s add/drop period for the current semester, they may enroll in courses if space is available. Students withdrawing after Duke’s add/drop period should consult their academic dean as soon as possible.  

Students must complete the academic program requirements of the Duke Immerse courses in order to receive credit for the courses. If students withdraw prior to completing coursework, it is unlikely that they will be eligible to receive credit.  

Financial aid recipients considering withdrawal after the start of a Duke Immerse program and after Duke’s add/drop period should discuss the situation with their financial aid office prior to making a final decision.

• Before start of program – full refund
• During the first or second week – 80 percent
• During the third, fourth, or fifth week – 60 percent
• During the sixth week – 20 percent
• After the sixth week – none

In the event that local or world conditions should force the university to suspend or cancel a Duke Immerse program, thereby causing no academic credit to be awarded, full tuition refunds will be made. Please note, however, that in such circumstances Duke will only be able to refund uncommitted and recoverable funds from any non-tuition program fees.

If Duke terminates a program early, but arranges for students to earn full or partial credit, the tuition refund amount would reflect these circumstances. Whether or not credit is awarded would depend on the particular program, when the suspension or cancellation took place, and other factors.

Financial aid students enrolled in a cancelled Duke Immerse theme should discuss aid implications with their financial aid counselor.