The calm campus of Duke University is now dealing with a contentious storm.
A recent academic paper compares black and white students who initially expressed an interest in the sciences and those who actually got a degree in engineering, economics or natural sciences.
The now controversial study was done by Duke economics professor Peter Arcidiacono.
"The number of African-Americans who are getting science degrees is very small, despite the amount of interest," Arcidiacono said.
The study has not been published but has been leaked. Many students feel the results have a racist undertone that blacks couldn't cut it in tougher courses.
"I think that is what students are mad about," said Duke student Nelly Kontchou, "that the researchers did not take into consideration all the societal and cultural things that you would need before making a claim that black students chose easier majors."
Titled "What happens after enrollment," the study focuses on racial differences in GPA and major choice.
One finding, from 2001-02, shows that 54 percent of black males and 51 percent of black females switched majors from natural sciences to humanities or social studies.
According to the report, only 8 percent of white males and 33 percent of white women switched.
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