Faculty members are only “strongly encouraged” to get the vaccination.
QUICK FACTS:
- Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania released its COVID-19 vaccination strategy for the upcoming year, which requires students to be completely immunized before returning to campus.
- Employees, however, are only “strongly urged” to be vaccinated before returning to school, as opposed to students, who are mandated to do so.
- Students who haven’t yet been fully vaccinated are advised to “speak to [their] doctor about the benefits.”
- The university gives individual teachers the right to choose whether to require masks in their classroom regardless of students’ vaccination and booster status.
EXEMPTIONS TO THE POLICY:
- According to Susquehanna University policy, students may ask for an exemption from the COVID-19 immunization for moral, spiritual, or religious grounds, but whether they will be granted will depend “on an individual basis through the Student Health Center.”
- Additionally, the university has “the right to require exemption approvals be renewed for each academic year,” which leaves students unsure of whether their exemption will be accepted each succeeding year.
BACKGROUND:
- Universities nationwide have come down on various sides of the vaccine and masking issues. However, American University (AU) in Washington D.C. has recently released its mask policies requiring students to wear masks in classrooms, going beyond even the CDC guidance.
- Another university in Texas was offering up to 15% extra credit in one of its courses for consistent mask-wearing throughout the course.
