University of Northern Colorado students, faculty and staff will be required to have COVID-19 vaccines by Aug. 15 in advance of the start of the fall semester eight days later.
UNC, which with other Colorado colleges and universities in late April, updated and clarified its vaccination policy Friday for students, faculty and staff.
Aims Community College, with four campuses in Weld and Larimer counties, will not require COVID-19 vaccines for students, staff and visitors.
UNC students, faculty and staff will be required to submit proof of vaccination status or exemption documents through a secure online portal that will be available starting June 1.
Among the details in the updated UNC vaccine policy, according to the :
- Enrolled UNC students are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Aug. 15 in order to participate in in-person classes, campus housing and other in-person activities, services and events.
- Employees must complete and submit an affidavit confirming they have received a full course of vaccinations against COVID-19 no later than Aug. 15.
- Medical and non-medical exemptions are available to students and employees who are unable to receive a vaccination.
- Students who are enrolled in approved, exclusively online academic programs through Extended Campus are exempted from this policy.
- Employees may be vaccinated at a vaccination clinic or by a healthcare provider of their choice and receive any of the vaccines currently available.
- On Aug. 15, UNC will begin contacting students and employees who have not submitted vaccination records or exemptions documents.
In late April, UNC joined the University of Colorado system, the Colorado State University system, Metropolitan State University of Denver and Fort Lewis College in announcing a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for the fall.
UNC president Andy Feinstein said in a statement at that time that one of the reasons for mandating the vaccine is efficacy of the shots. The vaccine will allow the university community to function in a safe and healthy environment, while restoring the benefits of full, in-person learning.
“They have been proven to be highly effective at preventing moderate, severe and critical illness, hospitalization and death,” Feinstein said. “The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is the university’s highest priority. Additionally, a broadly vaccinated university community is key to providing a safe and healthy environment – ensuring UNC’s return to a full schedule of in-person courses and restoring activities and events that will allow students to enjoy experiential learning, campus life and community engagement opportunities this fall.”
An Aims spokesperson said this week while the college encourages individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, it does not have a place to mandate personal health decisions.
“Aims is an open-enrollment institution,” spokesperson Julia Smith said in an email. “As such we believe quite strongly that all individuals should have the opportunity to access higher education regardless of their access or decisions about healthcare.”
According to other information on the Aims website, the college does not require vaccinations for general admission. Vaccinations might be required for admission to a specific class or program. The college says students are responsible for determining if their chosen class or program requires specific vaccinations.
The information is available from an appropriate college department or within information listed for a specific program and course requirements.
In April, as UNC and other colleges and universities announced the vaccine requirement, Smith said president Leah Bornstein and her cabinet was soon scheduled to meet to discuss the issue. Smith said in her email Thursday that the decision was considered for quite some time, but ultimately Bornstein and other college leaders decided to stay with no-vaccine requirement.
“President Bornstein and Cabinet confirmed that decision in April and we are sticking with it,” Smith said.
Representatives from Aims and UNC were not available for additional comment on Friday.
