UChicago students receive degrees after school drops case over campus protests

CHICAGO - The University of Chicago has dropped disciplinary action against students who were allegedly involved in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on campus this past spring and released their degrees which were previously withheld.

UChicago United for Palestine, a student coalition calling for an end to the war in Gaza, said Monday that all 10 complaints have been dismissed. However, one graduate student’s degree remained withheld until Monday after facing separate disciplinary action.

The university faced criticism from students and professors over the handling of the cases, with allegations of bias, procedural violations, and surveillance of students. A group of 23 professors expressed concern over the university’s use of its private police force, UCPD, to surveil a student off campus.

"UCPD cannot toggle between being a public actor with police powers one moment and a private actor free of constitutional restraints on policing whenever convenient. The Dean of Students’ office cannot simply deputize the UCPD and its public police powers to investigate an academic disciplinary matter," the letter from professors read.

The university withheld degrees from four graduating seniors on May 24 and initiated disciplinary proceedings against six additional non-graduating students on June 7. The complaint, which did not identify any of the student by name, alleged that they were "student leaders" of the encampment.

The graduate student, who was not named, faced separate disciplinary proceedings and continued surveillance by UCPD, including monitoring of their off-campus residence.

Youssef Hasweh, a fourth-year student involved in the encampment, said the resolution of the disciplinary actions does not address the university’s underlying issues. "The UChicago community has never been so polarized from admin," Hasweh said.

The university has not publicly responded to the allegations of bias and procedural violations.