Late Monday, the COVID-19 Dashboard on the Furman Focused website was updated to reflect the increased cases on campus: there are now 29 confirmed student cases.  Tom Evelyn, Vice President for University Communications, shared that all 29 of these students attended one or both of the unauthorized Kappa Alpha parties on Aug 21-22. The University has identified 58 students who participated in the parties.  Among the attendees, Evelyn reported, “a 50% positive rate that could go as high as 60%, pending any outstanding results.”

Some second- and third-year students who are unable to return to campus until September 11-13, are frustrated by the actions of their peers already on campus.  “Completing classes from my dining room every day, it feels like over 50 students felt partying was more important than the safety of everyone on campus,” junior Lindsay Diehl shared, “Those students do not care if sophomores or juniors get to come back to campus.”

Kappa Alpha has been issued “an interim suspension while the university investigates the incidents,” and Connie Carson, Vice President for Student Life, has stated, “We cannot allow such gatherings to jeopardize the well-being of the Furman community.”  In the Aug 28 Furman Focused Weekly Update, the Administration stressed, “If these types of gatherings continue, we will not be able to continue in-person classes through November 20.”