Syracuse University in New York state has placed students who violated coronavirus quarantine orders on interim suspension, the university confirmed.
Students returned to campus at the start of August but, after only a week back, the school reportedly placed a group of students under interim suspension for “knowingly violating” the terms of the state-mandated travel quarantine, Syracuse’s the Daily Orange reported.
It was unclear how long the students would be suspended, and it was not known whether the students who violated quarantines were living on-campus or off.
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Many of the university’s students come from out of state, requiring them to self-quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, per Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s travel orders. The university has allowed about 400 first-year and incoming transfer students to quarantine in SU dorms for a $1,000 fee while other students did so off-campus, allowing them to fulfill the 14-day quarantine period before classes start.
“The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and the broader Syracuse community is our priority,” Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president for university communications, said in a statement to media outlets. “Creating a safe campus environment is all of our responsibility, and Syracuse University will not tolerate any actions – on the part of students, faculty, or staff – that jeopardize the health of our community.”
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“While we cannot comment on a specific case due to federal privacy laws, recently, the University has placed a group of students on interim suspension for knowingly violating quarantine orders.”
Several medical experts told syracuse.com they believed the importance of education, value of colleges to local economies and mental health benefits as good reasons to risk a return to on-campus teaching — provided the school has a good plan in place.
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Syracuse’s reopening plan includes safety measures, testing and monitoring, attempting to educate students on the importance of limiting coronavirus spread and punishments for students who violate rules.