UIS issues Fall 2021 student COVID-19 vaccination policy

UIS issues Fall 2021 student COVID-19 vaccination policy

University of Illinois Springfield Interim Chancellor Karen Whitney sent the following email to faculty, staff and students on July 1, 2021.

Dear UIS Students, Faculty and Staff —

Today we are issuing our UIS Fall 2021 Student COVID-19 Vaccination Policy in alignment with the UI System’s recently announced requirement that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 if they plan to be on campus during the Fall 2021 semester.

Our UIS leadership team has spent the past week listening and responding to representatives from our student body, faculty and staff as we’ve developed our policy. I appreciate all of the thoughtful dialogue and ideas as we continue to work together to be United in Safety.

The UIS Fall 2021 Student COVID-19 Vaccination Policy is available to read in full on our United in Safety website. Below is a summary of the key components of the policy.

  • All students living, learning, working or training on campus for Fall 2021 must be fully vaccinated by their move-in date or the start of classes (Aug. 20), whichever is earlier.
  • The UIS vaccination requirement does not apply to students who learn entirely online or remotely and have no on-campus obligations.
  • Students with approved exemptions must comply with mitigation measures, which will include entry-testing for residential students, twice-weekly COVID-19 testing, wearing face coverings, physical distancing, and following any site-specific requirements if participating in university-sponsored activities. Please refer to the full policy for further details on mitigations for unvaccinated students with approved exemptions.
  • By Aug. 1, students should upload documentation confirming their vaccination status or request an extension beyond their applicable vaccination deadline.
  • International students who cannot get vaccinated in their home country must make an appointment through UIS Health Services to be vaccinated upon arrival to the university.
  • To the extent practical, UIS will work with individual students who are not vaccinated and do not qualify for an exemption to identify a path forward to continue their academic progress off campus. Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisors to map out a plan if they do not intend to comply with the campus vaccine requirement and do not qualify for an exemption. Course delivery modalities for Fall 2021 are expected to be finalized and communicated July 16.

This policy aligns with our guiding principles to place the highest priority on the health and safety of our entire campus community. We know the available COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at reducing the transmission and severity of the COVID-19 virus and its variants; if you missed our listening session last week with Dr. Vidya Sundareshan, a QnA on commonly asked questions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine is available on the United in Safety website.

Decisions like these are never taken lightly. Requiring the vaccine puts us one step closer toward achieving the campus life we all wish to experience at UIS while contributing to the overall public health effort to limit the strength of this virus within our respective communities.

If you have not yet been vaccinated, now is the time to schedule an appointment. Vaccines are widely available. As the summer continues, we will continue to communicate about deadlines and remind everyone about these important Fall 2021 requirements.

Our regular campus briefing will take place at 1 p.m. today via Zoom, where we will respond to questions regarding today’s announcement.

United in Safety,

Karen

Karen M. Whitney, PhD

Interim Chancellor

University of Illinois Springfield

Original

Freelance journalist

Related Posts
All UIS students who plan to be on campus for fall semester 2021 will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination
The following message was sent by University of Illinois System President Timothy Killeen to students,
Illinois colleges push to get students vaccinated before returning to campus
Illinois colleges and universities are pushing for most students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before
JJC Survey Will Gauge Interest in Vaccine Clinic on Main Campus
Joliet Junior College has partnered with Costco Pharmacy to gauge interest in a COVID-19 vaccine
Mass Vaccination Clinic for COVID-19 Pfizer Vaccine at Park District’s Arlington Ridge Center
Appointments remain available for a mass vaccination clinic at the Arlington Heights Park District’s Arlington
Lurie Children’s Joins Nationwide Campaign With Other Leading US Hospitals To Promote COVID-19 Vaccination
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is collaborating with a coalition of 60 of
Largest outbreak in 25 years of Measles cases in U.S as they surpass 1000
The number of the measles cases reported in US has surpassed 1000 and it is
UIS men’s tennis earns first NCAA D-II bid
University of Illinois Springfield earned its first bid to the NCAA Division II national men's tennis tournament on Tuesday. UIS was
Lynn, Moore honored by UIS at 50th anniversary celebration
UIS Chancellor Emerita Naomi B. Lynn and retired U.S. Marshal Robert Moore were honored by the University of Illinois Springfield with
UIS Education Honor Society inducts new members
The Alpha Alpha Gamma chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society in Education,
National Weather Service certifies UIS as a StormReady® University
The National Weather Service has certified the University of Illinois Springfield as a StormReady® University.