23 Quinnipiac Students Suspended For Violating COVID-19 Policies

HAMDEN, CT — More than 20 students at Quinnipiac University have been sent home or suspended this past week for violating policies regarding gatherings and visitors that are meant to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Eleven undergraduate students have been sent home for four weeks and 12 off-campus students were suspended pending conduct meetings after violating the school’s “no-visitor policy for residence halls, having non-QU guests on campus, and/or exceeding our indoor gatherings policy both on and off campus,” according to Tom Ellett, Quinnipiac’s chief experience officer.

“We’re enforcing these policies because every violation potentially can have a negative impact on your health and on the health of multiple others in the QU community,” Ellett said in an email to students. “I fervently hope we don’t encounter these circumstances again. However, should there be further violations, we will continue to follow the clear policy guidelines we’ve issued and respond quickly to any such cases so that we can remain in person, in good health, throughout the academic year. Otherwise, we will lose the battle against the virus.”

Ellett said the community’s collective “hard work, diligence with mask wearing, physical distancing, and adherence” to testing protocols enabled Quinnipiac to return to on-campus learning this fall.

“I have spoken to hundreds of students and the message from you is loud and clear – you are passionate about wanting to remain on campus for an in-person experience this year, and you are willing to follow the necessary measures to achieve that,” Ellett said in the email. “I know it’s not easy, but that’s what is required, from every single student.

“Please re-familiarize yourself with the responsibilities and policies we all committed to as the conditions for continued participation in an on-ground experience this fall.”

Overall, he said students have been “awesome in enjoying campus life while adhering to the health protocols. We don’t want to have to issue any more sanctions against violators of our policies. Let’s continue to work together – and influence each other’s responsible behaviors – to protect the Bobcat Bubble.”

Quinnipiac reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 last week. That has been the only confirmed case as of Sept. 25.

Overall, since Aug. 5, there have been 11,516 tests performed for a positive test rate of 0.008, according to data released by Quinnipiac.