Penn State has issued 1,277 sanctions against students for violations of COVID-19 restrictions and policies in the five weeks since the fall semester began, the university revealed on Thursday.
Violations included refusal to wear a mask in public, not adhering to Penn State’s quarantine and isolation guidelines, and failure to abide by gathering limitations on and off campus.
‘We are grateful for the seriousness with which most of our students take the virus’ threat, but we will continue to hold accountable those students who threaten our community by violating our clearly stated expectations,” Damon Sims, vice president for student affairs, said in a news release. “The consistent compliance of most students continues to be a source of encouragement for the universal compliance among students that we seek, and the decline in conduct referrals in recent weeks has been pleasing.”
Among the sanctions, 10 students have been suspended from the university, which prohibits them from registration, course attendance and on-campus living for the remainder of the academic year.
Another 17 students have had on-campus housing revoked, mostly for violations of gathering and no-guest policies. Those students were given time to make new arrangements before moving out of campus housing, according to the university. They will be refunded a pro-rated portion of unused housing fees, but will not be allowed to live on campus for the rest of the academic year.
Sanctions also have included 204 students who have been placed on probation or probation with a transcript notation, which is for multiple or more serious offenses, and 1,046 students have received warnings.
“The health of our community depends on both individual and collective action,” Sims said. “We will continue to work closely with student leaders and local authorities to encourage the necessary behavior among all students, but I could not be more pleased by the personal and public responsibility so many of our students have consistently demonstrated through this challenging time.”
Students were required to sign a ‘COVID-19 Compact‘ acknowledging health and safety expectations prior to returning for the fall.
Off campus, State College Borough has issued a total of 66 citations for violations of its COVID-19 mask-wearing and gathering limit ordinance since its enactment in August, including 13 for the week of Sept. 21-27. The ordinance, among other provisions, limits, with some exceptions. residential gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings on municipal property to 25. Violations carry fines of $300 plus court costs.
Sims previously said that violations of the borough ordinance involving students are reported to the university’s Office of Student Conduct.
Phi Kappa Psi and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternities were placed on interim suspension early in the semester, pending a student conduct hearing, for allegedly hosting social gatherings in violation of COVID-19 regulations.
Editor’s not: A previous version of this story stated that Phi Kappa Psi and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternities were suspended. It has been corrected to reflect that they were placed on interim suspension pending a student conduct hearing.
