UCA announced on Jan. 19 that hover boards would henceforth be banned from campus buildings.
While the announcement says hover boards are “permitted on any sidewalk or improved surface used for pedestrian purposes,” they will not be allowed in any building, including the Student Center and residence halls. This prevents campus residents who own a hover board from keeping it in their dorm or apartment. Hover boards also cannot be charged anywhere on campus.
According to the announcement, the boards were banned as a potential fire hazard. In December 2015, the National Fire Protection Agency issued several safety tips for hover board owners.
President Tom Courtway reiterated the school’s concern about the boards as fire hazards.
“I would rather err on the side of caution,” he said. “We don’t allow other things like hot plates that are fire hazards.”
Freshman Adler Goode received a hover board at Christmas. He said he wasn’t worried about his board being a fire hazard.
“Well the only reason some of them are exploding is those people bought the fake cheap ones. If you buy a real one they are just fine,” he said.
According to a USA Today article, more than 30 schools across the United States have banned or limited the use of hover boards. UCA is not the first school in the state to place a ban on the boards. The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville banned hover boards from university buildings on Dec. 18, 2015.
Courtway said there is currently no penalty set for possessing a board in a building or charging it. He said he assumed if a student had a board, that board would be temporarily confiscated and the student would be asked to take the board off campus.
For more on hover boards at UCA, check out this article.
image via youtube.com
