Duke imposes 94 additional sanctions on students for COVID-19 policy infractions

Since the April conduct update, Duke imposed 94 additional sanctions related to infractions of the Duke Compact, according to a Thursday email from Dean of Students John Blackshear and Jeanna McCullers, director of the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

These sanctions bring the total for the period from the start of the spring semester through May 13 to 281. Sanctions, which are implemented through either the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards or Housing and Residence Life, can become part of students’ records and can sometimes be reported to graduate schools and employers, according to the email. 

The email noted that the number of sanctions is distinct from the number of students subject to disciplinary action, as a student can receive more than one sanction.

During the same period, 307 total students were subject to “educational interventions for less severe infractions of the Duke Compact,” the email read. These referrals do not transfer to students’ disciplinary records. 

Since the last update, no additional students have had flagrant COVID-19 policy infractions addressed through the administration action review panels, leaving the total at 11 students. 

Flagrant violations subject to review by these panels can include “hosting large gatherings, failing to follow quarantine and isolation protocols to protect fellow students, and repeated violations of COVID expectations,” Blackshear and McCullers wrote in the email. 

Disciplinary actions for these violations have included temporary suspensions and loss of campus privileges. 

Zero campus organizations are currently on suspension for violations of COVID-19 policy, down from two suspended organizations in April. 

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