| by Derek Doucet

Faculty, Fall 2020, Staff, Students

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,



I am writing to inform you that a number of students were sanctioned this weekend and will be barred from campus due to significant COVID-19 conduct violations.



We take these matters most seriously and immediately investigated to determine the facts. We have concluded that 22 students violated College policies related to COVID-19. We took swift action according to our sanctioning guidelines shared earlier with the community. These sanctions included revoking on-campus housing privileges and disallowing the students from visiting, studying, or taking courses on campus.



We cannot share any more details of particular conduct cases because of privacy concerns. I can tell you that these were very difficult decisions to make, but there is nothing more important than the health and safety of our community. Students removed from campus because of COVID-19 violations are ordinarily eligible to return in the following semester.



This is disappointing news in the context of the overall high level of compliance our students have demonstrated to this point, which has allowed us to advance to Phase 2 of our reopening. We are gratified that the vast majority of our campus community has closely followed our policies, and is currently maintaining the conscientious and responsible behaviors that resulted in a successful Phase 1.



For Middlebury to continue our in-person residential experience, we expect all members of our community to follow the guidelines for a successful Phase 2. Our requirements are designed to protect the entire community. Adhering to them is of the utmost importance as we continue to live with this pandemic.



Our behavioral expectations continue to prioritize, among other strategies, the three that the Centers for Disease Control has identified as the central contributors to safer environments: consistent and proper use of face coverings, strict physical distancing, and socializing outside whenever possible. Wearing face coverings and restricting the number of people who gather inside, even when the members of a campus community have tested negative, have been shown to drastically lower the possibility that COVID-19 will be introduced. Our rules for Phase 2 are based on public health practices shown in the past several months to be most widely effective. We are striving for a safe, sustainable, and successful semester on campus.



Information about the resolution of conduct cases related to Middlebury’s COVID-19 Conduct Policy will be published on our new COVID-19 Conduct Dashboard. The state of Vermont has requested that all higher education institutions provide COVID-19-related disciplinary statistics weekly as follows: Number of substantiated policy violations, number of students disciplined, and number of students removed from campus. Members of the public may report possible violations by filling out this form.



Sincerely,



Derek Doucet

Dean of Students