Get Involved

The application for 2027 Term is scheduled to open on Oct 23, and will be closed on Nov 9.

All interested students must submit a complete application to the Board by the deadline (11/9/2026) to be considered. To be eligible, you must fulfill the following requirements:

• Be a full-time enrolled student of DKU.
• Be in good academic and conduct standing (may not be on probation or suspension).
• Be physically present on DKU’s campus for the duration of the term appointment.
• If you plan to study away during the Spring 2027 or Fall 2027 semester, you are not eligible to apply this term. Study away assignments for Class of 2029 will be released on Oct 24.

Class of 2029 students planning to attend Duke in the FA27 term may run for the next SLB term, starting in the Spring of 2028.

Class of 2028 students planning to attend Duke in the SP28 term may apply for the board in the current term cycle.

All Class of 2028 students should plan on applying after they have received confirmation of their offered Duke term. Application to or participation in the SLB is not a consideration for Duke semester away assignment.

Exchange/visiting students and graduate students are not eligible to apply. If you are an active graduate student who is physically on campus in the spring, you may be eligible to apply for the Cabinet Officer position of Graduate Student Representative when applications for these roles open in the Spring 2027.

Current term applications are open for Board Member and Co-Chair appointments. If you are applying for a Co-Chair position, you must find a partner and apply as a leadership pair. This pair must include 1 Chinese student (HMT included) and 1 international student. You need to indicate your partner choice in the application, and submit a video together.

After confirming your eligibility, you will be invited to a mandatory applicant meeting and we will share more information about the upcoming phases.

The Endorsement Period is a critical component of an application. In this phase, every applicant will meet with other students, share their personal stories and insights, and try to secure as many endorsements as possible. Any active DKU student may submit an endorsement for applicants. Each student may endorse up to 1 pair of Co-Chairs and 20 board members.

The number of endorsements secured is crucial for determining whether you will advance to the next phase, and for the holistic evaluation of your application.

A. Engagement Windows

Each applicant will be provided a few official engagement windows organized by the Office of Student Experience to meet with fellow students, including but not limited to: Speaking Event/Applicant Forum, Tabling Event for all applicants, and an applicant profile on the website. You are strongly encouraged to attend all official engagement windows organized by OSE.

All students will have a profile and statement listed on the Student Leaders Board website, and the Office of Student Experience will create digital signage for display on campus screens to show applicant names throughout the endorsement period.

You may also engage with fellow students on your own, including but not limited to: talking/texting with your friends/classmates, posting on your social media, making announcements in a student organization, organizing your own events, etc.

B. Guidelines

As a potential student leader on the Board, all applicants should approach this process with the highest standards of respect and professionalism toward peers, faculty and staff on our campus. Please use your best judgement in designing your messages and engagement activities.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list; applicants are expected to conduct themselves to the highest standards fitting of a student leader on campus.

C. Concerns

Any member of the DKU community may issue a concern form regarding an applicant for a behavior that they deem as inappropriate. Such reports must be submitted by the concern form deadline.

Any concern forms submitted by a member of the DKU community will be reviewed by the Annual Selection Committee.

The following behaviors, once confirmed, will lead to disqualification of the application: Endorsement fraud; Harassment of students in pursuit of endorsements; Bribing any student or groups of students, or members of the Selection Committee with the intent of securing endorsements or advantages; attempting to alter or access the endorsement system to manipulate results; failure to attend mandatory applicant meetings and makeup meetings.

Other disqualifications are at the discretion of the committee.

After being confirmed for eligibility requirements, a selected group of the applicants will advance to the interview period based on the results of the endorsements. All successful applicants must go through the interview stage.

A. Interview Details

Every applicant will be invited to a 15-20 minute interview conducted by the Annual Appointment Committee.

Co-Chair applicants will be invited to an additional interview with the Chancellor and Executive Vice Chancellor of DKU.

B. Interviewers

The Annual Appointment Committee is chaired by the Dean of Student Experience, and consists of administration, staff and faculty members that may work closely with the Board members.

Please note that interviews are one of several components of applicant evaluations, and final appointments will consider endorsement results, interview performance, and submitted application materials.

The Annual Appointment Committee will deliberate and make the final decision on the applicants based on the endorsement results, interview performance and submitted application materials.

A final list of the Student Leaders Board appointees will be shared with the entire DKU community by the end of the Fall semester.