Duquesne University suspends all Greek Life for ‘repeated and egregious violations’ of COVID-19 rules

PITTSBURGH — Duquesne University announced it has suspended all Greek Life activity “indefinitely” due to “repeated and egregious violations” of the COVID-19 protocols set in place prior to students returning to classes in the fall.

University officials said in a letter that the suspension is effective immediately because organizations that hosted parties and other gatherings above approved limits also took “deliberately misleading actions in an attempt to limit contact tracing.”

All organizational activities, including social, recruiting and charitable, are suspended both in-person and virtually for the rest of the fall term.

According to the letter, individual students who have been identified as taking part in these events are now restricted from all on-campus activities as well.

Officials said it is unclear if Duquesne will lift the suspension of Greek Life in the spring.

You can read the full letter sent to members of Greek organizations from by Dr. Douglas Frizzell, vice president of student life, below:

"Due to repeated and egregious violations of the Duquesne University Student Code of Conduct’s COVID-19 standards, by several organizations and numerous members of Greek organizations, all Greek Life activity at Duquesne is suspended indefinitely, effective immediately. Member associations hosted gatherings that exceeded the 25-person limit for indoor gatherings, hosted parties that violated not only COVID-19 conduct standards but more typical conduct standards, and members throughout various Greek organizations took deliberately misleading actions in an attempt to limit contact tracing.

Individual students who have been identified as taking part in the parties and other events that violated policies also are restricted from all on-campus activities. The suspension of the chapters means that all organizational activities—social, recruiting, charitable and otherwise—are suspended both in person and virtually for the remainder of the fall term.

Greek Life routinely publishes the overall GPA average of members as an indicator of the system’s commitment to excellence and leadership. Fraternities and sororities at Duquesne state in their language that they encourage leadership, service, excellence, integrity, and productive citizenship. And yet, at a time when the University and, indeed, our region needed you most to live the values you espouse, as a system you failed to do so. Furthermore, you deliberately persisted in behaviors known to endanger people. The University has been very clear about the requirements necessary to return to campus and be safe, knowing it would be a challenge to overcome, but one we could overcome—but only with everyone’s commitment.

The majority of University students have been diligent in following COVID-19 policies and best practices in personal self-care. However, the careless and irresponsible activities of this group has dramatically impacted the entire Duquesne community. A short three weeks remain for our community to be together before our Thanksgiving break. It will require the deliberate and conscientious efforts of each member of this community to keep our campus a safe, open and engaging educational community for all.

For Greek Life at Duquesne, the next several weeks are a moment of reckoning and, hopefully, reflection. It is unclear whether the University will lift the suspension for Greek Life in the spring. Duquesne will look to see a mindful and serious plan from leadership in the Greek community to inform decisions about the spring."

Duquesne University bans all off-campus programs, social gatherings due to COVID-19 concerns Duquesne University bans all off-campus programs, social gatherings due to COVID-19 concerns

Cox Media Group