BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Northeastern University has cautioned students against parties and large gatherings during the pandemic, and said anyone violating the rules could have their offer to the university rescinded.
In a letter sent to 115 students on Saturday, Senior Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Madeleine Estabrook said the University had been made aware of several students on social media expressing to gather in large groups and to engage in parties.
"These plans disregard numerous government and university restrictions regarding safe distancing and social gatherings," Estabrook said. "They are not acceptable and will not be tolerated by the university."
The letter came after the instagram account "northeasternclassof24" had posted a poll asking whether the NU students planned to attend any parties when they got to campus for the fall semester.
Estabrook said the NU Office for Student Affairs has already contacted the students in question, to inform them of several actions they are expected them to take immediately, including reading and accepting the community standards and acknowledging that they will abide by the Northeastern University Code of Student Conduct.
If they do not accept the conditions, Estabrook said the students will have their offers of admission to Northeastern University rescinded, and any student who expresses plans to host or attend unsafe gatherings "can expect the same response."
"Current students can expect removal from the community, including the immediate loss of university housing," Estabrook said. "Disciplinary processes will be expedited, so that Northeastern can move swiftly to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone. Our own university standards are clear: social gatherings that do not follow healthy distancing rules put everyone’s health at risk and are strictly prohibited."
Northeastern University is staggering the return of its students to campus housing from August 29 through September 7. NU's guidelines say all students returning to campus must collect their ID card, take a COVID-19 test, move in their belongings, and go directly into quarantine in their university housing space until their first negative test is received.
No guests will be allowed in any university housing building, and no one else is permitted inside a student's dorm room, including neighbors within their residential building.
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(Photo: Mario Jarjour/WBZ NewsRadio)