Ignoring public health guidance could have 'fatal' consequences, Cork students told

University of Limerick President Professor Kerstin Mey has taken to the streets with local gardai in off-campus housing estates to remind students to follow public health guidelines. Picture: Alan Place

Failure to heed public health guidelines could have fatal consequences, incoming students to Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) have been told.

As the president of University of Limerick, Kerstin Mey, walked through off-campus estates to remind students to follow public health guidelines, University College Cork (UCC) confirmed that its campus watch body has received “some complaints pertaining to alleged breaches of student rules” as the university's student union's virtual fresher’s week continues.

“Every case is considered on its merits and the principle of natural justice applies,” a spokesman said.

“Hearings for those complaints not already resolved by campus watch through the informal procedures of the UCC student rules have yet to be held, and UCC, therefore, is not in a position to comment on these ongoing cases.” 

Campus watch decides whether the complaints should be dealt with by the campus watch committee, which hears less serious complaints, or by the student discipline panel, which deals with the more serious cases.

Both groups are meeting daily.

If rules are found to have been broken, students are giving the option of completing two programmes, or just one and making a €25 charitable contribution, or just paying a €75 charitable contribution.

For the more serious breaches, students can be fined, suspended, have their access to library and computer facilities removed, or even expelled.

Fatal consequences

Meanwhile, CIT students due to start their academic year next week have been told that failure of even a small minority to observe public health guidelines could have fatal consequences.

And they’ve been told that student regulations are in place to address anti-social behaviour, with warnings that such behaviour could have implications for visas and job prospects, and could lead to convictions for public order offences.

“With Covid-19, if such measures or sanctions are encountered, it will probably already be too late in terms of the health or life of either ourselves or other members of the community. Our request is simple: obey public health guidelines,” they were told.

Joint message

In a joint welcome message, signed by CIT President, Dr Barry O’Connor, and president of CIT Students’ Union, Aisling O’Mahony, all members of the CIT community have been asked to remain alert to the risk posed by the coronavirus.

President of CIT Dr Barry O'Connor. 

They said: “2020/2021 will be a long year if public health restrictions are necessarily re-imposed on us in an effort to control the spread of Covid."

But they told students that this scenario can be avoided if people follow “the straightforward advice” of reducing social and physical contacts.

It may not be what going to college is all about, but it is necessary and essential as we try to survive the current crisis

“Off campus, there is a responsibility on all of us as individuals to follow public health guidelines in particular in terms of social, physical distancing.

“Failure of even a small minority of us, or indeed just one member of our CIT community, to observe these rules and Covid etiquette may result in serious, potentially fatal, consequences."