Eleven students faced expulsion from the University of Otago last year over dangerous flat initiation pranks which sparked fears the tradition could result in a death.
The university provost referred the 11 students to the acting vice-chancellor with a recommendation that their exclusion be considered because of their involvement in initiation events at the end of 2023.
Seven of those students elected to withdraw from the university before the disciplinary process was complete.
Matters would be addressed further with them before they would be allowed to re-enrol.
Three of those students unsuccessfully appealed their exclusion to the appeals board of the university council.
University of Otago proctor Dave Scott said they were among "a number" of student flat initiation events the proctor’s office investigated in 2023.
He said the events involved "adults" on "private property" and The Student Conduct Statute worked the same as New Zealand law.
There needed to be sufficient evidence present to make a finding against any student.
"Investigating a clandestine event hosted out of sight on private property is challenging.
"However, a number of student initiation events were investigated where there was sufficient evidence to find against the parties involved through serious misconduct processes.
"These involved 58 University of Otago students and three students from Te Pūkenga."
Mr Scott said there was a mixture of outcomes for the students, but to protect student privacy, he provided only the range of disciplinary outcomes.
"Depending upon the nature of the breach, students received between 40 and 60 hours of community work. Some students also received a final warning.
Mr Scott said some of the students were genuinely remorseful.
"Others, not so much.
"Some are no longer a member of our community in 2024 because of their behaviour."
It was alleged one of the flat initiation events involved a group of first-year University of Otago students being forced to bite off the legs of live ducks.
However, Mr Scott said following investigations by the university, the Otago University Students’ Association, Dunedin Police, the SPCA and the Department of Conservation, there was still no evidence of an initiation event which involved students biting the legs off ducks.
Mr Scott said he was concerned that year on year, host flats tried to out-do what had occurred the year before.
For a number of years, the university had undertaken proactive prevention and education work to educate students about the harm initiations could cause and to encourage students not to participate.
"In recent years, myself and the deputy proctor have visited flats identified as likely to host events and provide face-to-face information, followed by specific targeted email advice and a reminder that initiations are prohibited under the Code of Student Conduct.
"It is frustrating that despite all of this work, these events continue.
"I have a genuine concern that one of these events will result in serious harm or a death."
