Numbers Don’t Add Up in BU Today’s Compliance Reports

By Yeelin Bacchus

Graphics by Grace Ferguson

WTBU News has discovered discrepancies in three of BU Today’s weekly COVID Compliance Reports.

The Nov. 6 report falsely states that testing noncompliance had decreased from the previous week. It actually increased—there were 1,685 warnings issued for testing noncompliance in this report and 1,299 in the last report.

The description in that report also falsely equates the number of warnings issued with the number of students who are out of compliance. In fact, a student can receive multiple warnings in the same week, making the two numbers different.

The Nov. 6 report

On Oct. 30, the report states that there were 6,452 instances of testing and attestation noncompliance. But adding the number of warnings issued for testing and attestation for that week only gives a total of 4,404.

The Oct. 30 report also says there were fewer instances of noncompliance compared with the previous week’s number of 6,979.

However, the report released the week before, on Oct. 23, shows 5,489 instances of attestation noncompliance and 146 instances of testing noncompliance which makes for a total of 5,635. Not 6,979.

The Oct. 30 report

This is the third time the number 6,979 has shown up in BU Today’s compliance reports, and the second time it has been incorrect.

The Oct. 23 report also says there were 6,979 instances of attestation noncompliance in the previous week. But the Oct. 16th report only shows 4,503 instances of attestation noncompliance.

The Oct. 23 report

The report on Oct. 16 puts the previous week’s attestation noncompliance at 6,979 too. However, this is accurate as the Oct. 9 report does have 6,979 instances of attestation noncompliance. That figure does not include testing noncompliance.

BU Today has not responded to multiple requests for comment.