St. Olaf College administrators have suspended 17 students for the fall semester after they attended an off-campus party where they were exposed to someone who had the COVID-19 virus.
So far, 8 students have tested positive while 50 are under quarantine at the Northfield-based college.
Students who attended the party reportedly did not practice social distancing, and masks were not worn.
“This is the kind of reckless behavior that will put an end to our in-person semester, and it must stop,” said St. Olaf president David Anderson in a campus-wide email sent out on Thursday.
St.Olaf has introduced a COVID-19 alert system to keep students informed on how widespread the coronavirus is in Northfield and the campus community.
"Every single one of us has a responsibility to check the behavior of those around us," Anderson wrote. "If you see someone not adhering to the Community Standards, remind them that this behavior endangers everyone and could jeopardize our ability to complete a full semester in person."