SAN DIEGO — Word that seven UC San Diego seniors have had holds placed on their graduations came during a protest on campus Thursday when academic workers marched against the war in Gaza.
A spokesperson for the university confirmed the holds were ordered by the UC Board of Regents, saying in a statement, “A degree hold refers to the withholding of a student’s degree and transcripts pending the conclusion of a student conduct case. The Board of Regents and the UC President have instructed campuses to ensure that all students who are arrested on campus for violating the law must go through the applicable student conduct process. Because of student privacy laws, the university cannot comment on specific student disciplinary cases.”
Forty students and two professors were arrested on campus on May 6, out of a total of 64 arrests confirmed by the university.
Under UC San Diego policy, a student conduct case can take more than a month to resolve. Students receive an email informing them of the disciplinary action, triggering a review hearing where both the university and the student are allowed to call witnesses and give closing statements.
After that, it can take more than two weeks for a decision letter to be mailed. The student has a right to appeal the decision.
UC San Diego’s graduations are set for this coming weekend, so it seems unlikely any of the arrested students will be allowed to walk in commencement ceremonies. In the end, the students may still receive their degrees, depending on individual review decisions.
One of the two professors arrested during the May 6 protests told CBS 8 she was given paperwork ordering her to appear in court on the afternoon of June 17.
The city attorney emailed CBS 8 the following statement:
“The UC San Diego Police Department has begun referring cases to our Office for possible misdemeanor prosecution related to the Pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. Our prosecutors will now review the facts of each case to determine whether a crime occurred.”
WATCH RELATED: UCSD Protests | What are the legal consequences