Some colleges now opting for student vaccine requirement

Cornell University said Friday it will require students to be vaccinated this fall as it makes plans for in-person instruction.

The vaccination requirement covers the Ivy League school’s main campus in New York’s Finger Lakes region as well as the Cornell Tech campus in New York City and its agricultural college in Geneva.

“Medical and religious exemptions will be accommodated, but the expectation will be that our campuses and classrooms will overwhelmingly consist of vaccinated individuals, greatly reducing the risk of infection for all,” according to a statement from President Martha E. Pollack and Provost Michael I. Kotlikoff.

Representatives for several colleges in the Capital Region mainly say they “strongly encourage” students and staff to get vaccinated and schools were still firming up plans to ensure everyone on campus is protected from COVID-19. It was unclear if that might include mandating vaccines.

At least two — Siena College and the University at Albany — plan to host on campus clinics Tuesday for hundreds of students to be inoculated, the first day in the Empire State that anyone 16 years and older can begin to schedule vaccinations.

Lisa Witkowski, a Siena College spokeswoman, said in a statement Friday “college administrators are currently finalizing plans for the fall semester with the goal of providing the most ideal student experience possible, and we expect to announce our intentions shortly.” The Siena clinic would be for about 500 students.

Ualbany spokesman Jordan Carleo-evangelist said the decision of whether students will be required to be vaccinated before returning in the fall lies with the State University of New York brass.

The Albany County Department of Health has made available 536 Pfizer doses for eligible students and employees of Ualbany and its affiliates, Carleoevangelist said.

“We are extremely grateful that Albany County was able to make these doses available, and we are going to vaccinate as many students as the vaccine supply and the time remaining in the semester allow,” Carleoevangelist said. “It’s also important to note that once students become eligible, they can get vaccinated anywhere they qualify for an appointment and do not need to wait for an available slot at an on-campus POD.”

Cornell has more than 23,000 students overall, with 22 percent coming from other countries. Rutgers University, in New Jersey, and Roger Williams University, in Rhode Island, have made similar announcements.

Citing expanded eligibility and increasing production, university officials said students should be able to be vaccinated before the fall. Students who return this fall without a valid vaccination will be expected to be vaccinated as soon after their arrival as possible.

Cornell administrators anticipate that enough students will be vaccinated to make possible in-person instruction without a routinely scheduled online option. But they acknowledged uncertainty about conditions this fall.

If less than 50 percent of the student population has been vaccinated by the beginning of the semester, Cornell said it would begin the semester in “de-densified” classrooms, with a mix of instruction modes similar to this semester.