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Colleges and universities attempt to prevent spread of COVID-19 with signed pledges

Educators in some colleges and universities across the U.S. announce they will be requiring signed pledges from students in a hopeful effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campuses, saying pledges will install responsibility among students.

During a time of ongoing concern surrounding COVID-19, administrators in colleges and universities across the U.S. have announced plans to require signed pledges – or oaths – from students this coming fall.

Announcements from colleges planning to reopen have wavered over the last few weeks as COVID-19 data shows little decline in new case numbers across most areas of the U.S.

The pledges being signed cover what students will and won’t do, higher education hoping that these pledges install a sense of responsibility and accountability in students.

“Student behavior is the biggest risk universities face in the health crisis, other than the virus itself, because it’s the least controllable factor,” Larry Ladd, senior consultant with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, told The Business Journals. 

How pledges are enforced will likely determine the impact they have, some colleges remaining relatively lax while others are taking a stricter stance when it comes to what is included in the pledges, such as Miami University of Ohio, which said students may face disciplinary action including suspension or dismissal depending on the circumstance.