Campaign promoting safe and healthy campus behavior underway at Ohio State

From mask-wearing selfies to physically distanced teamwork during Move-In week, a new campaign is underway to remind Buckeyes how to work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The Ohio State University continues to encourage safe and healthy behavior before the start of the new academic year next week. The campaign focuses on people’s personal motivations for adopting healthy behaviors.

The campaign uses video, photos and social media to help inspire the Ohio State community to adopt safety practices that focus on physical health, while also promoting mental health and well-being. Images and photos of students, faculty and staff showing off their masks or physical distancing are circulating under the #TogetherAsBuckeyes hashtag.

The university is also warning of the consequences for members of the community who don’t support those goals. Today, Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers delivered a student-wide message discussing the ramifications for individuals and student organizations whose actions are not consistent with safe and healthy guidelines.

“I recognize what we’re asking you to do is difficult. I understand the importance of students finding a sense of belonging and connecting with others to aid in building community. And in ‘normal’ times, the ways we’ve facilitated this interaction worked incredibly well,” Shivers said in the statement. “You love Ohio State because of the memories you’ve created, the community you’ve built or the ones you imagined you would have this year.”

Shivers noted the Student Conduct team is in the process of opening dozens of conduct cases, which likely will result in interim suspensions for students or organizations that hosted parties this week.

Ohio State is working closely with public health authorities, local government, business and property owners, and student leaders to remind the community of the need to follow the safe and healthy guidelines.

“It is not simply a slogan to say we are in this Together As Buckeyes. It is a reality. And a critically important one,” Shivers said. “I know we can do this. We have to do this. But we can only do it together.”

The Office of Student Life has teams monitoring off-campus neighborhoods for both violations and positive behavior. They are encouraging individuals to report non-compliant gatherings directly to Student Conduct at 614-292-0748 or studentconduct@osu.edu.