“We started getting reports of them (hoverboards) combusting while charging,” said Claire Wagner, a Miami University spokeswoman. “It’s clearly a safety hazard,” she said.
The self-balancing, two-wheeled, personal scooters, which also go by the names of Swagways, IO Hawks and Skywalkers, are growing in popularity nationwide, especially among teens and young adults despite growing reports of them catching on fire.
The hoverboards are battery operated and require electrical charging to operate.
Mark DeVilbiss, Associate Dean for Residence Life at Wittenberg, sent an email to all students Jan. 6 telling them to not to bring the devices to campus if they received one over the holidays.
“This decision, made in consultation with Wittenberg Police, helps mitigate risk and enhances the safety of students, faculty and staff on campus,” DeVilbiss’ statement said.
He included links to several articles on the fire risks associated with hoverboards for students to read.
Clark State Community College has not addressed hoverboards on their campuses, spokeswoman Laurie Means said this week.
There are a few other Ohio schools that have banned hoverboards, including:
• Shawnee State
• Ohio University
• Bowling Green State University
• Xavier University
• University of Akron
• University of Cincinnati
• Notre Dame College
• Case Western Reserve University
Kent State University will allow hoverboards under the same policy that governs skateboards, said spokesman Eric Mansfield.
Cleveland State University has no policy but is looking at the issue, a spokesman said. CSU prohibits roller skates, roller blades and skateboards on campus sidewalks and walkways.
John Carroll University is developing a hoverboard policy that will be sent to students before they return to campus, a spokeswoman said. Baldwin Wallace University and Ursuline College are also developing policies.
Hiram College, Oberlin College and Lorain County Community College currently have no policies regarding hoverboards. Lakeland Community College’s new policy does not allow students to bring a hoverboard into any building.
Blattner, director of housing and residential education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said hoverboards are prohibited on his campus.
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