The provost's office at Duke University has a back-to-the-future thing going on.

Provost Peter Lange, inspired by a recent discussion with musician Jackson Browne, has ordered bottled water use in his office to cease.

Instead, a return to the good old days of water coolers and paper cups. Remember those days? Ahh, nostalgia. 

_{(photo courtesy Duke University)}

Lange met Browne, a 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, recently when the rocker was on campus. Lange was swayed by Browne's interest in sustainable living, deciding then to rid the Allen Building's second-floor administrative offices of bottled water.

“We had a staff meeting the Monday after their visit and I told everyone we’re going to get rid of plastic bottles and exclusively use a cooler and paper cups,” Lange said in this story from the Duke website. “There are a lot of things you know you should do but never get around to it, so I figured why not start now?”

 And they'll save some cash, as well. The bottled-water elimination is expected to save about $1,700, according to the same Duke website story.

Four top Duke University officials will answer questions today about the issue on the minds of so many Duke workers: budget cuts.

Of chief interest: Whether there will be layoffs and whether Duke will offer a retirement buy-out deal.

Duke recently announced plans to reduce its operating budget $125 million over the next three years.

The forum will be at noon in the Griffith Film Theater at the Bryan Center on campus.

The administrators fielding questions today will be Provost Peter Lange, Executive Vice President Tallman Trask, finance vice president Hof Milam, and Kyle Cavanaugh, the head of human resources.

If you work at Duke University, you get an extra day off this week.

So says Duke higher-ups Tallman Trask III and Peter Lange, who have penned a joint email to staff announcing that university employees need not go into work Friday, the day after Christmas. (Employees already get Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 off)

By way of explanation, the duo wrote:

"As we come to the end of a most eventful 2008, and prepare to enter a new year that brings both uncertainties and opportunities, we encourage you to use this season as a time of renewal and recharging. To that end, we invite all University employees to take December 26 off, with pay.  The University will essentially be closed next Friday, and access to buildings and services will be quite limited. We hope you will spend this day with your family and friends."

The surprise perk affects 23,000 employees but not those with Duke University Health System. 

Duke Provost Peter Lange will discuss faculty diversity today at a meeting of the university's academic council.

Lange will discuss the progress of a long-running faculty diversity initiative aimed at increasing female and minority faculty in areas that have traditionally been underrepresented. 

The council meets at 3:30. Here's the agenda, in case you feel like swinging by.