All hoverboards and any associated items, such as self-balancing scooters, hands free Segways, powerboards, etc. have been banned from use on campus or from storage in any university owned, occupied, rented or managed building.
Kimberly M. Goff-Crews, secretary and vice president for Student Life, and Janet Lindner, deputy vice president for Human Resources & Administration, announced the new policy in a campuswide e-mail on January 13th.
“We have been closely following the recent news stories regarding fire concerns associated with self-balancing scooters, commonly known as hoverboards,” the e-mail read. “Recent information has revealed that the batteries in the devices are dangerous and may be prone to explosion, creating safety and fire risks. Several safety and consumer agencies are investigating the damage caused by these devices, including the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (link is external).”
Anyone who owns one of these devices is being asked to remove it from campus. If immediate removal is not possible, you should remove the battery from the device and dispose of it; in addition, please keep the device in your room or apartment and do not use it on campus.