COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Missouri says 19 more students and one former have been disciplined for violating the school’s COVID-19 policies.
MU said the punishments all stemmed from hosting gatherings of more than 20 people, which is a violation of a Boone County health order.
Five students have been suspended for the remainder of the academic year (through May 2021).
Fourteen students are now on probation for two consecutive semesters. They’ve also received additional sanctions, MU said. If they violate any COVID-19 policies in the future, they will be suspended for the rest of the academic year.
One person, a former student, “will not be able to enroll until the violations are addressed through the student conduct process,” the university said.
Earlier this month, MU already expelled two students and suspended three others for not following coronavirus policies.
Any student who faces university discipline can request a hearing or appeal the decision.
Face masks are required in all public places on campus, even outside unless you’re alone, and social distancing is also part of the university’s COVID-19 policies. Individuals are also required to report positive test results to the university within four hours and remain in isolation for a certain time.
MU recently said it has seen a significant drop in cases since Sept. 5. As of Friday, the number of active COVID-19 cases among students has dropped 86% to 95 individuals, the university said.
“We continue to be extremely pleased that the vast majority of our students are complying with the policies and regulations related to COVID safety on the campus,” Bill Stackman, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said in a news release.
“Our Office of Student Accountability and Support has been working diligently, continuing to hold students accountable as we work to prevent the spread of the disease. The discipline announced today is for egregious violations of our rules related to the safety of our campus.”
As of Friday, about 540 instances have been referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Support.
