University of Missouri working on enforcement, contact tracing as students return

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

With thousands of students coming back to Columbia for classes during a global pandemic, the University of Missouri wants to be able to track down cases and enforce its health guidelines.

The university released updated event guidelines on Monday, saying any student, staff or faculty member cannot host or participate in an event with more than 20 people.

While this guideline applies to university-sponsored events, MU spokesman Christian Basi said the university has the authority to discipline students who are not following health guidelines under the student conduct policies. An example of this would be a large house party.

"It's a situation where, is someone doing something intentionally that puts another individual at risk," Basi said. "We would certainly be looking at something like (a large party) in determining is there a student conduct code violation here, and if so what's an appropriate discipline."

Basi said the type of discipline would likely start at an education standpoint but if more violations are seen, more restrictive measures could be taken.

The University of Missouri Police Department is not enforcing this policy, but spokeswoman Sara Diedrich said the whole university community is working together to stop the spread.

"If MUPD came upon an event where there were too many people, we would simply refer the situation on to student affairs," Diedrich said. "We'd be working as a team."

Basi said student leaders have been receptive to the changes in event policies, saying Greek Life made its own policy restricting social gatherings.

The Interfraternity Council and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life have not responded to requests for comment.

One member of an MU fraternity is in quarantine. Alpha Epsilon Pi International spokesman Jon Pierce said the organization is aware of a member who exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 after coming back to school.

"It appears that he came back to school with the virus as members of his family at home have now tested positive. Following our already established protocol and working in conjunction with the university administration and health professionals, the young man has been isolated and quarantined. The other members of the chapter are being closely monitored and encouraged to isolate if they came into close contact with this member."

Jon Pierce, Alpha Epsilon Pi International

While the university can't confirm a student's positive test, MU requires any member of the faculty, staff or student body to tell the university if they have tested positive on- or off-campus.

"As we would get a notification, depending on the location of the student, we would make sure that we are offering the appropriate support," Basi said.

Now the university has its own way of tracking cases as well. Basi said about two dozen contact tracers have been hired to track cases of the novel coronavirus on campus.

Basi said they have been hired over the past several weeks.

"We knew as students came back the likelihood was going to start rising," Basi said. "We are also assessing to make sure, maybe we need to hire a few more."

While they are being paid for by the university, they are working in conjunction with the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services.