BY SANDRA GUY
DePaul will require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 when the 2021-22 academic year begins, starting with Immersion week Aug. 30 and when classes begin Sept. 8.
The requirement covers all undergraduate, graduate and professional students in all degree programs starting in the fall 2021 term. Students need to submit proof of vaccination through Campus Connect.
Watch the COVID-19 website for updates as the nation deals with the delta and lambda variants. A study published July 20 said the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine is much less effective against the variants than the original virus. The findings add to evidence that 13 million people inoculated with the J&J vaccine may need to get a second dose, ideally a vaccine made by Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech.
Non-compliance with the vaccination mandate may result in the university placing a registration hold, so carefully review the terms of the mandate.
The university intends to maintain mask-wearing, hand sanitizer stations, enhanced cleaning practices and the expansion of on-campus testing. Fully vaccinated stuudents who are on campus will be highly encouraged—though not required—to wear a face mask indoors. Those who are not fully vaccinated are expected to wear a mask at all times.
People may respectfully ask others to wear a mask, for example when they are in a crowded setting or close proximity.
“We ask that everyone be mindful of others’ circumstances and respect their choices,” the university policy says.
Testing will be accessible to all students, though specific plans are still being determined.
“A DePaul-specific contact tracing team has been put in place,” according to the university statement. “This team has been trained by Johns Hopkins University on contact tracing, and on DePaul specific protocols and procedures.”
As for housing, plans call for the return to pre-pandemic levels of occupancy in all residential halls in both the Lincoln Park and Loop campuses. Students living on campus in the fall quarter will be living together with other DePaul students as roommates and suitemates.
DePaul also plans to set aside some residential units for student quarantine if necessary.