Colleges in the 2021-2022 Academic Year & Coronavirus (Part 2)

I think there could be restrictions to the public (or students of other dorms) wrt entering dorms, while letting the residents of each dorm form a bubble. It’s nice when dorms can host community events, but I don’t see why that’s a priority. Much more important for students living within a dorm to be able to walk around safely and freely within the dorm, unmasked.

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So, I just heard today that at least 10 more colleges have announced they’re mandating the vaccine. I also heard that colleges are now sending emails to students/parents and advising them that if they have no uploaded their vaccine information by a drop dead deadline that they will be automatically unenrolled and according to DOJ this is just the beginning https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/26/politics/doj-covid-19-vaccine-requirements-olc-opinion/index.html

and finally, even a bigger beginning, the VA just issued a vaccine mandate for it’s health care workers! V.A. Issues Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers, a First for a Federal Agency - The New York Times

Here we go as this is the only way to get this behind us! Masks work, but they’re only a bandaid because making us all wear masks again is fine, but they’re only going to reduce the spread and then those who are too selfish to get vaccinated won’t, and then we take our masks off again and the cycle continues. Wearing masks are not enough.

Lastly, @GKUnion Of course there will be cases on campuses. No one ever said covid will be completely gone, but the point is that if everyone is vaccinated, the risk of a widespread is significantly reduced and the likelihood of anyone being hospitalized is essentially zero. There will always be breakthrough cases, no one ever said otherwise, but these will be no worse than a mild cold and the viral load is so low it is unlikely to be passed to someone else especially the immune compromised who are most at risk which is what is happening right now. Even being vaccinated they’re the ones being hurt the most, which is what they always told us.

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I doubt any visitors will be allowed inside buildings at least this fall without producing a vaccine card. I can’t remember now if it was Bowdoin or Colgate but one of those schools told parents and anyone not part of the college community that, to attend events like concerts, indoor sporting events, etc., they need to buy tickets online with proof of vaccine.

As for move in at both, what we’ve heard so far is that it is expected that everyone is vaccinated or masked up and everyone can be asked for their vaccine card at any time. If they cannot produce one, they will need to mask. I don’t know how much that will be policed.

NYS has a vaccine mandate for both private and public colleges. It seems to me that if a student at one NYS school has friends over who attend another NYS school, they will all be vaccinated.

If homerdog’s daughter decides to attend a basketball game at Syracuse, it will not be an issue - everybody (or the majority) is vaccinated.

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Even some colleges that haven’t yet mandated vaccination of students/staff/faculty require all visitors (including contractors) to be vaccinated.

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Syracuse is one of the schools being super strict and telling people today in an email that they will be automatically unenrolled if vax card not uploaded by 8/1. Good for them!

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I would like to see this at S’ school as well.

NYC and the State of CA now just announced mandatory vaccine or weekly testing for all state/city workers and health care workers. This is what is needed. NY already has higher numbers of vaccine so this will put them higher up, but it will help CA for sure, but still doesn’t help states like MO, FL, TX, LA etc where the governors don’t want any mandates whether for vaccines or masks. If they can’t stunt things with the vaccine, it is going to be way worse in those places where people still don’t get vaccinated. Even then, we can’t forget how long it takes to be fully vaccinated.

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Agree. S’ school announced their mandate in May but will allow unvaccinated domestic students on campus. So I’m a bit concerned about the % who complied and sent proof. I’d rather they put some teeth into it.

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Why do you think they are allowing domestic unvaccinated students on campus? Just like all schools requiring vaccines, Colgate is mandating it with the exception of a medical exemption. I talked to someone there and was told that the kids arriving without a vaccine will all be international students.

It says: “What if I am not able to be fully vaccinated prior to arriving on campus and will not be applying for an exemption?

Vaccination status will be checked at student arrival and Student Health Services will be available at that time to assist you with making a vaccination appointment.”

Domestic students can apply for medical or religious exemption.

Yes and I asked about that. I was told they haven’t had any domestic student ask to get the vaccine upon arrival. That makes sense since vaccines are readily available. I don’t know why they wrote it like that but they offered this to all but it was always expected it would be for international students

Yes but I looked at the forms for those exemptions and at least at our kids’ schools, those forms are not cut and dry. The religious one has four sort of essays you have to write (for Colgate) explaining exactly why you feel you can’t take the vaccine. I heard Northwestern is turning down a lot of the religious/philosophical requests that they are getting. I expect that schools with mandates are not going to be offering many exemptions.

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I don’t understand. Out some teeth to it? It’s mandated. Just a few exemptions. They expect full compliance. A vaccine card upload or a request for exemption and they aren’t granting everyone an exemption who wants one. They did offer a late gap year option to those who don’t want vaccine and don’t have a good reason.

As of July 15th, UVA reports 85% of students have been vaccinated and 78.5% of Academic Division employees.

UVA mandated the vaccine for students but not staff. I assume that’s why they only reported their vaccine results for academic employees, not transportation, food services, housekeeping, reception, filing, accounting, buildings and grounds, etc. There is also no word on whether the 15% of UVA students who are not vaccinated will be allowed on campus. Do they have exemptions?

I would like to see the percentages for other colleges, whether they mandated the vaccine or not. My high hopes for a “normal” year for my two college kids are shaken. I also can not understand why the FDA hasn’t given full approval to the Pfizer vaccine. They’ve had almost three months.

At other mandate schools not everyone is sending the proof when required. Most schools aren’t talking. If you won’t get your classes and housing like at my friend’s college then you’ve got some motivation to really do it.

I think I’m going to move to Vermont in my retirement. A bunch of rule followers up there. :wink:

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Was vaccination proof required in order to apply for housing or register for classes at any college?

A friend told me it was at Pomona College. Parents are also not allowed in the dorms but I wouldn’t be keen on that one for vaccinated parents.

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From Twitter:

“CDC is expected to recommend on Tuesday that people vaccinated for the coronavirus resume wearing masks indoors. The change follows reports of rising breakthrough infections with the #Deltavariant.”