Around 200 students under investigation for COVID-19 violations
Sophomore Jacob Harris catches a frisbee on the Main Quad on Sunday. Around 200 students are under investigation for potentially violating COVID-19 policies. Harris is not one of the students under investigation.
September 14, 2020
The number of students on campus under investigation for potential violations of the COVID-19 policy has nearly doubled since the University issued a stay-at-home order for undergraduate students.
During the Senate Executive Committee meeting on Aug. 31, Dean of Student Support and Advocacy Stephen Bryan said 119 students and 11 organizations were under investigation for COVID-19-related violations.
On Wednesday, Student Affairs spokesperson Chantelle Thompson said there were around 200 open investigations into student behavior.
Many of the investigations were brought about by Student Affairs’ online COVID-19 enforcement form, where campus folks can report potential coronavirus violations they see on campus.
Three weeks ago, just five reports had been sent in. As of Wednesday, 226 reports had been filed.
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Users can fill out details about the individual they’re reporting, including UIN and email if known, and describe the incident. Users can attach image and video files to back up their reports.
Several students have already been issued interim suspensions for hosting parties and violating quarantine orders, while one student faced discipline for trying to show others how to circumvent the Safer Illinois app.
Additionally, the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity was suspended for holding a large party.
In University Housing, 118 students were isolating for COVID-19 while another 26 were quarantining for potential exposure, University spokesperson Robin Kaler said at Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
That’s down from 160 students who were isolating or quarantining in University Housing on Wednesday morning.
“This number is a snapshot in time,” Thompson said. “We have students who are released from quarantine and isolation daily.”
Most students who are required to isolate are staying in Champaign-Urbana Public Health District rooms, while some have returned to their private residences, she said.
According to numbers provided by CUPHD’s Awais Vaid, about 95% of the campus cases have been from undergraduate students. If that holds true with current data, over 1,700 students have tested positive for the virus since move-in began on Aug. 16.
He said 80% of students who’ve tested positive are asymptomatic, and most others have “very mild symptoms.” None of Champaign County’s three hospitalizations for the virus are students.
