My observations about the year, FWIW. I had 2 college students this year, one attending in NC, the other in NJ. The approaches taken by the schools, of approximately the same size, were very different.
NC school had hybrid classes throughout, weekly testing, and regular dorm living (though nearly half are off campus). Rather than have a midsemester break, those days off were randomly spread throughout the semester. Masks were required on campus, but socialization continued off campus. 800 positive cases of covid among students. None became seriously ill. The cases were not attributed to any classroom interaction.
NJ school did not allow students on campus first semester, and had very strict conditions for second semester. Classes remote, solitary living, almost all socialization banned. Masks required, spring break limited to 2 days and students not permitted to leave county. Tested 2x weekly, just a handful of covid cases among students. There is, however, an epidemic of serious mental health problems with record rates of counseling and mental hospitalization.
UChicago says it is still considering whether to enact such a requirement in order to attend in-person classes in the fall, etc. Thatâs the formal statement. The informal (via the facebook parent page so a knowledgable but not âofficialâ source) is that UChicago follows state health department requirements on vaccines. I know that, so far, the IL Dept. of Public Health hasnât made or announced any such requirement, so this is a TBD issue. UChicago could always go âabove and beyondâ although I suspect they will get some pushback from parents of returning students - as well as push forward from others. Like the students, the parents always seem ripe for a lively debate on a âhot-buttonâ topic.
Information from the Covid page of other university websites in the state:
Northwestern - âFor a number of reasons, at this time, Northwestern is not requiring students, faculty or staff to be vaccinated in order to access campus. However, as noted above, we strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they are able. In the future, we may require vaccination to participate in certain activities or access certain spaces at the University. We understand that there are medical, religious and other reasons that may prevent a person from being vaccinated. Those concerns will be taken into account when deciding whether to require vaccination and would be addressed through an appropriate accommodations process.â
UIUC - âThe Illinois Department of Public Health determines the immunizations that are required of Illinois college and university students. IDPH does not currently require proof of COVID-19 immunization. Please note that if the guidance changes and any students become required to receive any COVID-19 vaccine that has not yet been available to them, the university intends to hold vaccine clinics on campus at the start of the semester to provide the opportunity to be vaccinated with a U.S. approved vaccine.â
In a message to the campus community, Provost Persis Drell writes that Stanford plans to require all undergraduate, graduate and professional students coming to campus this fall to be vaccinated for COVID-19, with accommodations for those who cannot take a vaccination for medical or religious reasons.
The NYS Senate has a bill that seeks to amend the Labor Law to call for long term, and potentially permanent, masking and social distancing protocols to protect against airborne infectious diseases. If it passes, employers can be held accountable for illnesses contracted. It certainly makes you wonder about NY schoolsâŠ
I assumed someone was studying this perspective. I just found it interesting that for the given conditions, the surrounding community did not spike as expected when the school spiked. I fully appreciate that my information is observational at best, but more accurately informed speculation
I think it will depend on locale and amount of interaction between campus and surrounding community. The epidemiology might be unique to the institution due to these and other factors.
University of Michigan just announced today that all students residing in residence halls next year will be required to provide proof of vaccine. About 31% of students live in dorms, so while thatâs not enough to reach herd immunity, a good amount of students are already vaccinated (theyâve already updated proof) that are not incoming freshmen so hopefully the numbers will actually be much greater than 31% especially if you assume of the remaining 69% that at least half (and probably more like 60% minimum) would be getting the vaccine worst case scenario, so that would put them at about 28% of non dorm students plus the 31% of dorm students so just shy of 60% of total students vaccinated. Hopefully itâs even higher than that in reality.
I can see Northwestern and U-Chicago both ultimately requiring the vaccine. Especially since all other private schools in Chicago have mandated it. Many colleges in large cities are mandating the vaccine - Boston, DC, NY, here, so to have a normal semester it would only make sense and considering they are both medical powerhouses as well, be prudent, even though Northwestern Hospital is actually downtown, not in Evanston.
RIce announced today that at least 74% of their âcore populationâ (students, faculty and staff) has received at least 1 dose of the vaccine. All have had the opportunity to get vaccinated. 87% of undergrads report they are vaccinated but only 61% of grad students. But, only 69% of grad students responded to vaccination survey (vs 94% of undergrads). I think undergrads were much more motivated to respond to the survey because they were told planning for future restrictions depended on the results.
As a result of these numbers, students no longer need to wear a mask outdoors and if they are fully vaccinated they can opt out of the weekly testing . There is no news yet about vaccine requirements for fall but the Governor of Texas signed an executive order saying that organizations that receive public funding in Texas cannot require people to prove that they have been inoculated against the covid.
That is true - Roosevelt, LUC, De Paul, and CCC at least all requiring the vaccine (didnât read but presumably for fall). Not sure about SAIC. Of course, these campuses might have also had a very different approach to teaching and learning through the pandemic than, say, NU or UChicago. Pretty sure both schools are looking at their own situation more than what others are doing to figure out their plan going forward. Havenât read whether NU has announced a return to normal in the fall, but UChicago has already announced that intention.
UC is just coming off a stay at home order due to an increased cluster of covid cases there so itâs likely they will decide to do something to mandate vaccines in some capacity there even if itâs only in residential living. Similarly with NU where everything was remote this year and most students werenât even allowed on campus or in dorms. Also, as others big 10 schools are starting to make decisions the pressure will be on them to follow suit especially since Michigan is mandating it for residential students and it would not surprise me if UIUC ultimately heads there as well as many schools are decreasing the testing requirement for those vaccinated and this will be something that also saves the schools lots of $ on that front.
Reducing testing and other requirements or limitations for vaccinated students appears to be a carrot that some colleges that choose not to require vaccination (or which require it but have lenient exemptions) use to give students additional incentive to get vaccinated.
You got it! My daughter already got notified that she no longer has to be tested 3x/week and is now only required once/week. Iâve also heard that some schools that mandate the vaccine but have students who claim a religious or medical exemption will instead be required to test and possibly at their own expense.
I completely understand why someone may not be able to get a vaccine due to medical risks but there are states where religious exemptions are not allowed so itâll be interesting how that shakes out.
Yesterday (Friday), all members of the Five College Consortium (Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, and UMass Amherst) announced they will require the vaccine for students in the Fall 2021 semester (with the provision that students can apply for medical/religious exemptions).
Students who are unable to obtain a vaccination prior to the Fall 2021 semester (who do not have a religious or medical exemption) will be provided assistance by the college in obtaining the vaccination in a local area.
Also interesting is that 55% of students at Amherst College have already âbegun the vaccination processâ (meaning they have received at least one dose of vaccine), as well as 64% of faculty and staff currently approved to work on-campus.
I think weâre going to see almost all residential colleges go this route because they have to get a high number of freshman vaccinated. Otherwise every fall there will be a likelihood of a covid spike on campus and then in the community.
Personally I like the distinction of requiring those living in the dorm to get vaccinated. The unvaccinated are a risk to the vaccinated in communal living situations.
Works for me but we know there are certain schools in some states that will not do one thing to require the vaccine for residential housing. Period. One of my kids schools has made the vaccine available for students for months now. She got her first dose in January. No push for students just saying itâs available if you want. She canât believe how many people there donât want it but many more students than adults do so hopefully that will at least help somewhat.