The Office of Student Life at Duke Divinity School is dedicated to fostering a vibrant and inclusive student community that supports all residential and hybrid students as they grow into their calling to serve the church, the academy, and the world. The office coordinates a variety of events and programs, including student-led panels, guest speakers, community meals, sports events, workshops, brown-bag discussions, and community learning and service. In addition, the office enhances the educational environment through cultivating student leadership and mentoring students.

The Office of Student Life provides support to a wide range of student groups from small interest groups to the Divinity Student Council and its more than 15 official affiliate groups.

The office also provides a hospitable space for students to unwind; speak freely; discuss academic, spiritual, and personal concerns; and explore possibilities for future vocation and ministry.

Cathy Watson
As director of student life, I want to ensure that every student knows they are being prayed for, and that there is a safe space for them to reflect and process their current journey as they look to their future in ministry. I find great joy as students share. I am delighted to listen and ask clarifying questions, then prayerfully guide their discernment process as it relates to reflecting on the day-to-day at Duke Divinity and what it will look like for them in the future.
Rev. Cathy Watson, M.Div. '04, Director of Student Life

Our goal is to promote the kind of community that helps students flourish and make the connections spiritually, socially, academically, and vocationally that will empower them for ministry.

Students pose in Goodson chapel with glass crosses

Student Organizations and Clubs

Engagement, Reflection, and Community

Our students are formed for ministry in the classroom, in their field education placements, in worship, and in the communities they create and participate in while they're at Duke. The Divinity School has nearly two dozen student organizations and clubs to foster community, including choir and dance groups, the Black Seminarians Union, La Union Latina, New Creation Arts, the Women's Center, Sacred Worth, and more.

More About Student Activities
about Student Organizations and Clubs

About the Director

Cathy Watson joined the Divinity School in 2011. The daughter of a Tuskegee airman, she was born in Mesa, Ariz., and has lived in states from Alaska to Virginia. She earned a B.S. in early and middle childhood education from The Ohio State University and an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School. Watson enjoys her five children, travel, reading, good movies, and knitting. She is an ordained minister and lives in Raleigh, N.C.