Case Studies

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

Duke University is one of the most prestigious private research universities in the United States, consistently ranked in the national top 10. Based in Durham, North Carolina, it educates around 17,500 students across its undergraduate and graduate schools and is known globally for academic excellence, research, and a strong culture of student success. Duke had previously used its own Duke Blueprint journal to support first-year students, and approached Semester Student Planner to refresh this existing resource, bringing fresh thinking and design to a tool already embedded in the first-year experience.

17,500

Students

2,000

Planners

USA

Region

The Challenge

Duke University's first-year experience is built around close-knit residential community, from East Campus housing to newer initiatives like QuadEx, which brings together social, residential and academic support to help students build a strong foundation from day one. Supporting this ecosystem was Duke's own Duke Blueprint journal, a tool the university had developed in-house to help first-year students navigate their transition.

Over time, the challenge became keeping that tool as strong as the ecosystem around it:

Ensuring the journal's design and content felt as considered and current as the rest of Duke's first-year experience
Keeping pace with evolving student needs and expectations, rather than relying on a tool that had not been refreshed in some time
Finding a partner who could bring outside expertise and fresh thinking to a resource that was already valued, without losing what already worked

Duke wanted a partner who could elevate the Blueprint journal, respecting the foundation already built while bringing a new level of quality and insight to the tool.

The Approach

Semester Student Planner worked with Duke to take the existing Duke Blueprint journal and meld it with the Semester planning and coaching framework, rather than replacing it. What had been a three-month journalling journey became a year-long planner, keeping everything that made the original Blueprint valuable while building on it in a few key ways:

Extending the journal's reach across the full academic year, rather than the first three months alone
Blending Duke's own journalling approach with Semester's planning and coaching framework, so students get structure alongside reflection
Turning what had been a periodic journalling exercise into a daily habit students can build into their everyday routine
Integrating the refreshed tool even further into Duke's existing first-year support services

The result honours everything the original Blueprint journal set out to do, while giving it the year-round structure and daily rhythm to make an even bigger impact on Duke's first-year students.

What We Delivered

‍A snapshopt of what was provided:

Number of planners produced: 2,000
Student population: Full-time on campus students
Academic year: 2026–2027
Delivery format: Physical planners (Custom planner including the exsisting "Duke Blueprint:)
Keynotes included: Yes
In-person or virtual coaching: Yes

What They Said

What the Institution Said

No items found.

Impact

Duke's refreshed planners are set to launch in August 2026, ahead of the new academic year. We'll update this section with real feedback and outcomes once the rollout is underway.