Community statement: expectations for student behavior

September 1, 2020- UW-River Falls is a proud member of the River Falls community and has been since 1874. This week we are welcoming students back to campus for fall semester during an unusual and unnerving time. 

The university has made it very clear to students what the expectations are concerning their behaviors related to stopping the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in our community. For UW-River Falls to be successful and able to provide instruction in person, students must also take individual responsibility for their actions. 

We are confident that the majority of our students understand what it means to be on campus right now, and we have seen most of them already following our policies and practices, as well as calling out their peers and holding each other accountable for their behavior. We were, however, saddened to hear from a handful of community members who shared concerns, having witnessed people they believe to be our students behaving in violation of state and community COVID-19 health guidance off campus over the weekend. 

As an institution, we have put several protective and mitigation measures in place. As well, State Administrative Code Chapter 17 allows us to take disciplinary action against UWRF students who act in ways which endanger their health or safety or that of others on or off campus. While we hope to not have to initiate disciplinary proceedings against students who refuse to uphold the parameters of our community of care commitment statement, we will work with our office of Student Conduct and Community Standards as needed. 

Thank you for your concern and your ongoing support of UW-River Falls.