Junior John Guarco plans to advocate for reforms to Duke’s student conduct policy if elected Duke Student Government President.
Guarco, a Staten Island, N.Y., native, currently serves as DSG executive vice president. In addition to modifying the University's student conduct policy, Guarco hopes to increase opportunities for student input.
During his tenure as executive vice president and previously as a senator for equity and outreach, Guarco worked with administrators on the sexual misconduct task force to advocate for an amnesty policy for students reporting sexual misconduct through which sexual assault victims do not have alcohol and drug use count against them in the investigative process.
Guarco also helped organize Duke’s first Mental Health Awareness Month.
“These experiences have prepared me to actually make policy changes at this school instead of simply making new programs and spending from our surplus,” Guarco said.
If elected, Guarco said ensuring justice and fairness in changes to the student conduct policy would be a priority, noting that the number of conduct cases at Duke has doubled during the last decade.
“I think student rights are being diminished at Duke,” Guarco said.
Guarco said that as part of his plan to increase fairness in the conduct policy, he would aim to minimize potential bias involved with further appellate board reviews in conduct hearings and advocate for changes to Duke’s alcohol policy. He noted that the University's alcohol policies are stricter than those at peer institutions, including Harvard University, Yale University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“I think what we should move toward is something along the lines of Stanford University— where they embolden RA discretion and allow students to drink if they're open about their intentions in order to to encourage responsible drinking.”
Guarco said he believes he is the best candidate for the position because of his experience serving in DSG internal committees, as chairman of the student health advisory committee and as a member of the Interfraternity Council sexual assault task force.
“I'm the only candidate to have both an external and an internal role within DSG," Guarco said.
David Malone, professor of the practice in the program in education, worked with Guarco in the DukeEngage Boston program last summer and lauded his "significant and insightful" contributions to group discussions.
"It was very apparent how deeply John cares about creating an inclusive, positive and deeply engaging undergraduate experience," Malone wrote in an email. "Creating positive change seems to be what drives John."
In addition to student conduct reform, Guarco said he would push for curricular changes, such as allowing students to take two pass/fail classes their first semester of freshman year and the proposed Duke Experience course.
Guarco has been involved with numerous other organizations on campus, serving as event coordinator for the Catholic Center and vice president of Oz House Council, in addition to competing on the Duke debate team.
Adam Schutzman, a junior who knows Guarco through his involvement in Delta Tau Delta fraternity, praised Guarco's persistent character.
"He's a very passionate guy—when he wants to solve a problem he will go out of his way to do it," Schutzman said. "He understands students but at the same time he's the kind of guy who can work within the establishment he can work with anyone.
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