As TCU students return amid COVID, parties spark worry the virus will close campus
As TCU students returned to class this week, it quickly became clear some were not interested in following mask mandates and social distancing guidelines designed to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus, with students calling out their peers on social media.
That’s a concern as three major universities — the University of North Carolina, Notre Dame and Michigan State — chose to go back to online-only learning after coronavirus outbreaks on campus. Young people are becoming the primary drivers of novel coronavirus outbreaks, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
University officials say the school is hopeful students will take responsibility for themselves so campus can remain open.
“We have received some reports of large off-campus gatherings, which is disappointing for our community to hear,” spokeswoman Ann Davis wrote in an email. “Students are reminded regularly that large gatherings are not permitted and that we all must do our part to stop the spread of coronavirus.”
Several factors could send students and faculty home, including the number of active cases on campus, capacity of the school’s isolation space and Fort Worth area hospital and ventilator capacity.
As of the afternoon of Aug. 20, the unviveristy reported 55 active coronavirus cases, according to an online reporting dashboard updated daily. Students accounted for 53 of those cases, a sharp increase from Aug. 17 when the student case count was 13.
Madison Olmo, a senior graduating in December, said she has no expectation TCU will successfully finish the semester with students on campus. She’s spotted too many students without masks, gathering in groups or hosting parties, she said, and believes it is only a matter of time before the school has an outbreak that forces classes back online.
“It’s not going to happen,” she said.
That’s a sad prospect, Olmo said. Much of her course work is best done in-person or with the use of campus studio and work space, so online would significantly diminish her last semester. Regardless of class, students pay for and expect a campus community. That culture is in jeopardy if students don’t take the virus seriously, she said.
“It’s not hard to follow the rules,” she said, adding that her friends routinely have study sessions where they stay six feet apart and wear masks. “People just don’t want to do it or refuse to do it.”
One Twitter user said she left the library after seeing a large number of students without masks.
Reports of gatherings sparked the university to send an email on Tuesday evening telling students not to party.
“In summary, do not attend parties. Do not host parties. Do not come to class if you feel sick. Wear a face covering. Hold your friends and peers accountable for the health of our community. I know this is easier said than done. We need you to step up and model responsible behaviors that #ProtectThePruple,” Kathy Cavins-Tull, a vice chancellor for student affairs, said in the email, with part of the text emphasized in purple.
The school followed the email with guidelines for football games, which will be played with a limit of 12,000 fans.
That same night, another Twitter user reported that “a drunk frat boy” and his friends knocked on her door to meet her and her roommates.
“Shocked & disappointed that today’s email nicely asking us to avoid parties wasn’t 100% effective,” Twitter user mesullivan98 wrote.
Over the summer the school launched #ProtectThePurple, a public health campaign for students, faculty, staff and parents about coronavirus-related precautions and expectations. Messaging has included campus signs, social media blasts, videos and a website.
“If policies are not followed, a Campus Life dean will help the student understand their choices,” Davis said. “It is our expectation that all community members will follow policies at all times.”
If a student or teacher doesn’t wear a mask they may be asked to leave the building, she said. All in-person classes have an online option so students can chose not to come to campus.
TCU has COVID-19 tests for students who think they may have been exposed. A contact tracing system has been established. Students who test positive must isolate themselves, but the university will provide a health kit, telemedicine and other resources.
Students at the University of North Texas and UT Arlington will begin class on Aug. 24 and Aug. 26.
Both campuses will ban large gatherings and enforce social distancing and mask requirements. The schools are encouraging virtual meetings whenever possible. Each school has a contact tracing policy which officials say will help stop outbreaks.
At UNT, faculty or staff may have conversations with students about gatherings and masks, but the the school is “emphasizing social responsibility and social distancing and that our behavior can negatively impact the health of others,” spokesperson Trista Moxley said in an email.
UTA is taking a similar approach of “common cause and mutual respect,” spokesperson Jeff Carlton said in an email. Students not following the mask or social distancing guidelines may be reported to the Office of Community Standards.
The school has designated a residence hall for students who may need temporary quarantine because of COVID-19.
Olmo, the TCU senior, said the responsibility lies with both the school administration and the students. She wondered if faculty or staff monitors in common areas like the library would help, but she said it is incumbent upon students to think about the greater good. The school’s mission statement focuses on building ethical leaders and responsible citizens, after all.
“When I walk on campus and see people just, you know, going about as if the pandemic isn’t happening, it kind of shows that they don’t really care about the mission statement,” she said.
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
