During the first week of the semester, students were removed from housing after violating the semester’s guest policy multiple times.

Pace is holding students responsible for their behaviors in regards to following the new rules the campus has implemented upon the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rachel  Carpenter, the Dean for Students and the Interim Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, commented that it is very important to keep a watchful eye on all of the campuses. She added that everyone takes responsibility for protecting public health.

“We are seeing examples on campuses across the country where this is not happening, and it’s leading to campus closures, quarantines, and a shift to entirely remote learning,” Carpenter said. “We don’t want this to happen at Pace.”

Pace’s expectations for all students, staff, and faculty members  is that they follow the guidelines put in place − such as wearing a face covering when you are not actively eating/drinking, practicing social distancing, or immediately reporting any symptoms related to COVID.

The school implemented these policies for the wellbeing of the campus, and the ability to continue to provide in-person experiences.

“If there is one thing I hope students learn from this is that the health of a community is directly dependent upon their own actions,” stated Carpenter.

Whether a violation happens in the first week of classes or the last week of classes, Pace is going to take action by following the conduct process in the Guide to Residential Living handbook.

The first violation will be a Zoom meeting with their RD, a written warning and three conduct points put towards the student.

A second violation will be a Zoom meeting with the Assistant Director of Community Standards, with six conduct points and a written action plan of the students removal within the next two days if they violate the guest policy a third time.

The third and final policy violation results in eight conduct points and the student’s termination of their housing agreement, with no refund.

If any student feels unsafe or knows of a situation that could run counter to the policies and guidelines, they can report an incident to Pace’s Office of Safety and Security right from the home screen of the PaceSafe app, or call the (914) 422-4224 community phone line.

Pace is aiming for the students, faculty, and staff to be “empowered to hold each other accountable.”

Carpenter explained that it is up to every member of the community to do their part in making sure the Pace community stays safe and healthy during these stressful and scary times.

“Independence and accountability are part of the college experience, but it isn’t just up to the college staff,” she added. “This effort takes everyone.”