UConn probes party reports
STORRS — Several University of Connecticut students have been removed from campus housing as an investigation has been launched into a dorm party that could have violated COVID-19 measures, school officials said Tuesday night.
The Residential Life staff identified students involved in an “unapproved gathering in a residence hall room,” according to a letter to students Tuesday night from Eleanor JB Daugherty, associate vice president and dean of students, and Pamela Schipani, executive director of residential life.
“Students were not wearing masks, closely assem
bled and endangering not only their own health and wellbeing, but that of others at a time when UConn is working to protect our community and resume classes in the context of a deadly global pandemic,” the letter stated.
The students were issued “interim actions” and removed from housing as the investigation continues, the letter said.
UConn has tested a total of 3,850 residential students and 30 of them have been quarantined since returning to school. Five residential students have tested positive for the coronavirus and 25 others have been quarantined because they came in contact with them, said Stephanie Reitz, a spokeswoman for UConn.
Two commuter students have also tested positive for the virus, Reitz said. A third commuter student who had tested positive was determined to be a “residual positive,” meaning the person was previously infected but has recovered, Reitz said.
Connecticut medical professionals expect cases to rise as students return to colleges. However, the state Department of Public Health is not keeping track of those cases, Lora Rae Anderson, communications director for the state’s chief operating officer, said Tuesday.
Some colleges around the country are already seeing spikes in cases.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced this week it was switching to online learning and taking steps to “greatly reduce residence hall occupancy,” amid a rise in infections.
Oklahoma State University placed a sorority house under quarantine after 23 members tested positive.
The University of Notre Dame announced Tuesday it’s suspending in-person instruction after 80 students tested positive for COVID-19, the Wall Street Journal reported. A school spokesman said the cases were linked to two off-campus parties.
Reitz said the school expects the number of cases to continue to rise on campus and the challenge will be to quickly identify them and isolate the students.
“Our plan is drawn up to be nimble and to recognize that this disease changes course quickly, and it allows us to quickly respond to that,” she said. “We’ve seen from other institutions in other states that cases can rise swiftly, so it’s important to have abundant testing and universal precautions in place to limit spread.”
But the reports of partying, including a Snapchat video showing a mask-less gathering in a crowded room, has raised some immediate concerns.
UConn’s COVID-19 policy requires all students to wear masks when not in a car or their residence, and the state’s COVID-19 rules limit indoor gatherings to 25 people and outside gatherings to 100.
“If it’s determined that one or more students violated the Student Code of Conduct — which includes a portion prohibiting ‘endangering behavior’ — they can face various sanctions that could include being removed from student housing, being placed on probation, or more serious consequences such as suspension or expulsion,” Reitz said.
The video was shared on a Reddit page devoted to UConn. The author of that post did not respond to a direct message seeking comment.
Another Reddit user complained about partying at Hilltop Apartments, an off-campus complex of 13 buildings that house about 1,200 students. The user said the partying lasted until around 4 a.m. Sunday.
Other universities and towns have drawn a hard line on college partying.
In Fairfield, college students could face expulsion for hosting off-campus parties with more than 12 people if they’re caught breaking the rule twice.