By The Associated Press

WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue University suspended 36 students Thursday for attending a party on the same day that President Mitch Daniels made it a violation to host or attend a party not following social distancing and mask guidelines.

The Circle Pines Cooperative, an off-campus residence, and the attendees of an event there Wednesday night received summary suspensions for violating the Protect Purdue Pledge, university spokesman Tim Doty said.

Katie Sermersheim, Purdue's dean of students released a statement saying the university “has been clear and consistent with our messaging to students about the Protect Purdue Plan and the expectations they would need to follow if they made the decision to be on campus this fall.”

“We are social creatures and yearn for human interactions and engagement with one another — no one is denying that. We are just asking that we put on hold large gatherings in confined spaces until this global pandemic can be better understood and controlled," the statement said.

The suspensions can be appealed.

Meanwhile, in Bloomington, Indiana University administrators said Thursday they were “actively investigating the circumstances surrounding a large, off-campus student party in Bloomington last night.”

The school said suspensions were possible for students who were at the party and violated the university’s Sanctions for Noncompliance with COVID-19 Health and Safety Directives, WRTV-TV reported.

The party violated “county and state regulations for event size, as well as those related to physical distancing and face coverings during the pandemic, as well as IU’s guidelines," an IU statement said.