Penn State has suspended more than 100 students who have repeatedly missed mandatory COVID-19 tests.
As of Tuesday, 117 students were suspended for missing at least three weeks of testing, meaning they are not allowed to participate in either in-person or virtual classes, and those who are living on campus are removed from their residence hall, the university announced on its website.
The suspensions are a last resort, Vice President of Student Affairs Damon Sims said in a written statement.
“I’m sorry these students did not follow our repeated admonitions and warnings, and I hope they will make the correction necessary,” he said. “Others should not repeat their mistake, and everyone who can be should be vaccinated and should upload their data to us as soon as possible.”
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The school announced before the start of the fall semester that students, faculty and staff who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 or have not disclosed their vaccination status are required to undergo weekly testing if they are studying or working on campus.
The suspensions follow prior action, including preventing students from registering for future classes after missing two tests, as well as last week having staff call students who had missed three tests, the university said, adding that the latter measure brought “hundreds” of students into compliance.
Besides missing classes, suspended students are not allowed on university property and may not attend any Penn State-sponsored events, programs and activities, including football games, the school said.
Students who want their suspension lifted may submit proof of vaccination or get a COVID-19 test on campus.
The university also said its human resources department is working to determine how many faculty and staff members are running afoul of testing requirements.
