The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards announced updates to the Duke Community Standard Wednesday.
The OSCCS shared the updates and promoted a new awareness campaign and website in a Wednesday email to the Duke community. The message also provided summary data on Community Standard violations from the 2023-24 academic year.
“We regularly review and update our policies to keep our students safe and to meet their needs,” OSCCS wrote.
Community Standard updates
Beginning fall 2024, matters related to the Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct will be investigated and facilitated by the Office of Institutional Equity.
A new Duke Identification Card policy now requires all students to carry a physical or mobile Duke Card and display it upon request from a “University official.”
The email noted that “protests, pickets and demonstrations” are now considered events which must comply with University policy on event registration. Students who wish to hold such events on campus should contact Student Involvement and Leadership and review planning guidelines.
The Faculty-Student Resolution is reserved for first-time, minor instances of alleged academic dishonesty among undergraduates. The process has been changed to require the student’s academic dean to also sign the FSR form along with the student and course instructor.
The OSCCS is launching a new #HoldHighTheStandard awareness campaign, which reminds students that the Community Standard “represents the highest ideals and expectations” for Duke students.
“This means committing to acting with integrity both in and out of the classroom, familiarizing yourself with all of Duke's Policies, Rules and Regulations, and treating everyone in this community and beyond with respect and civility while encouraging your peers to do the same,” the OSCCS wrote.
The OSCCS encourages students to visit the new Community Standard website, which includes policies and student conduct processes among other resources.
2023-24 data summary
The email also summarized data about student conduct violations, outcomes and resolutions for the 2023-24 school year. The most common types of policies violated were alcohol (35.5%), followed by academic dishonesty and noise (25.9% and 13.8%, respectively). Additional violations reported included disorderly conduct, drugs and “other.”
The most common disciplinary outcome at just under 150 instances was Basic I Alcohol, an “evidence-based program” for students who have had “adverse experiences related to alcohol and/or other drug use.” It was followed by approaches of “admonition,” “reflections” and “reprimand,” each at around 100 instances.
The most frequent resolution type over the past year was administrative hearings, with around 300 instances reported. Faculty-student solutions and policy reminder letters were the next most common approaches, occurring between 100 and 150 times each.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Winston Qian is a Pratt sophomore and health/science editor for the news department.