Sanctions for Students Who Violate Campus Community COVID-19 Standards

Overview of Student Sanctions: Following guidance from the UNC System and the CDC, Winston-Salem State University is requiring all faculty, staff, students, vendors, contractors, and guests to wear a face covering when in common spaces on campus. This includes in learning environmental, hallways, elevators, public spaces, and common areas.

Wearing a face covering is not required when alone in a personal office or in individual residence hall room. Students who fail to comply with community safety regulations will receive sanctions by the Office of Community Standards and Civility. These sanctions are:

1st Violation of Student Responsibility—Educational Conversation: During the educational conversation, the Director of Community Standards and Civility, or designee, will communicate with the student on the importance of following CDC regulations and public safety guidelines pertaining to COVID-19 best practices. The student will have time to reflect on their actions. The student will further share what they could have done better to avoid the infraction, and how, as a member to the WSSU community, the student can do their part in protecting the safety of the campus community. Administrators will document the conversation in the Maxient Student Conduct System along with all adequate documentation of the incident.

2nd Violation of Student Responsibility—Verbal Warning: The Director of Community Standards and Civility, or designee, will reflect with the respondent student on his/her actions and reiterate the importance of following CDC regulations and public safety guidelines pertaining to COVID-19 best practices for the university community. Administrators will document the verbal warning in the Maxient Student Conduct System along with all adequate documentation of the incident.

3rd Violation of Student Responsibility—Exploration Sanction: The Director of Community Standards and Civility, or designee, will reflect with the respondent student on their actions. The student will receive an educational sanction. For example, the student will be asked to engage in an exploration assignment where they examine the importance of the community safety guidelines from the university and the State of North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic. The student will conduct an inquiry activity that aligns with his or her learning style (i.e., interviewing a health care practitioner, reading information from the CDC or a medical journal) then produce an educational product that details best practices for reducing the spread of COVID-19, how their direct actions could have negatively impacted that working and living community in which the student resides during the time of infraction, detail how the experience has impacted their working knowledge of COVID-19, and how the they will use this information to educate their community. Administrators will document the exploration sanction in Maxient Student Conduct System along with all adequate documentation of the incident.

4th Violation of Student Responsibility—Disciplinary Warning: The Director of Community Standards and Civility, or designee, will sanction the student with Disciplinary Warning for the student’s fourth violation to the regulations. Disciplinary Warning means that an official reprimand is provided in writing that advises a student's need to conform their behavior to the WSSU Students’ Code of Conduct and further advises that any subsequent violation of the same nature by the student within a two-year period will automatically result in Disciplinary Probation. The Director of Community Standards and Civility, or designee, will also reflect with the respondent student on their actions, discuss why the student is a repeat offender of the guidelines, and reiterate the importance of following the University’s community safety standards. Administrators will document the Disciplinary Warning in the Maxient Student Conduct System along with all adequate documentation of the incident.

5th Violation of Student Responsibility—Disciplinary Probation for One Semester: The Director of Community Standards and Civility, or designee, will sanction the student with Disciplinary Probation for the student’s fifth violation of the regulations. Disciplinary Probation means the loss, for a specified period of time, of designated social privileges. Designated social privileges include but are not limited to: varsity sports, intramural sports, band(s) and choir(s), cheerleading squad(s), fraternities and sororities, participation in student organizations, serving in a leadership capacity in any student organization, or the right to represent the university in any specific activity. The Director of Community Standards and Civility, or designee, will also reflect with the respondent student on their actions, discuss with the student about any underlying behaviors which are causing the student to be a repeat offender of the guidelines, and reiterate the importance of following the University’s community safety standards. If a student has reached this level of infractions for violations to the COVID-19 regulations, their case may also be forwarded to the Care Team to discuss/assess any behavioral issues which are inhibiting the student’s ability to remedy the infractions from an educational perspective. Administrators will document the Disciplinary Probation in the Maxient Student Conduct System along with all adequate documentation of the incident.

6th Violation of Student Responsibility—Deferred Suspension for One Semester: The Director of Community Standards and Civility, or designee, will sanction the student with Deferred Suspension for the student’s sixth violation of the regulations. Deferred Suspension is used for offenses found serious enough to warrant a suspension, but where the specific circumstances of the case mitigate the offense or for repeated offenses of a less serious nature. Deferred Suspension is a designated period of time during which a student is given the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to abide by the community's expectations of behavior articulated in the WSSU Students’ Code of Conduct. The Director of Community Standards and Civility or designee will also reflect with the respondent student on their actions, discuss with the student about any underlying behaviors which are causing the student to be a repeat offender of the guidelines, reiterate the importance of following the University’s community safety standards, and inform the student that any further infractions to the Code will result in suspension from the university for a minimum of one semester. Administrators will document the Deferred Suspension in the Maxient Student Conduct System along with all adequate documentation of the incident.