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University of Portland to Require COVID-19 Vaccinations of All Students, Faculty, and Staff By Start of Fall 2021 Term

Pilots Prevent

President

April 27, 2021

The University of Portland (UP) has announced that it will require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff when the Fall 2021 semester begins. Employees must provide proof of vaccination by August 1, and all students will be required to show their proof of vaccination by September 1. As with all other vaccination requirements, religious and/or health-related exemptions from this policy may be requested. Announcement of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement was made through an internal memo shared today, along with informational posts on UP communications portals. To date, more than 100 colleges and universities nationally have announced vaccination requirements for students and/or employees, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

“As we have stated from the start of the pandemic, the health and well-being of UP community members must be our collective priority,” wrote UP President Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., in a memo also signed by University leaders serving on UP’s COVID-19 Steering Committee and Vaccination Task Force. “We have adopted several measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and, thanks to your extraordinary efforts, the University achieved success in keeping COVID-19 case numbers low. The vaccination requirement we announce today is just the latest step we must take on our journey to keep one another safe and return to the cherished in-person campus community that is so essential to our mission.” 

Acknowledging that vaccine availability might be difficult for some individuals, Poorman added, “The University will work to assist our community members experiencing barriers to receiving vaccinations, including our international students who may not have access to FDA-authorized vaccines prior to their return to The Bluff.”

After more than a year of mostly virtual instruction and a limited number of students in its residence halls, UP announced plans last February for a return next fall to mostly in-person classes and normal campus operations. The upcoming spring graduating Class of 2021, however, will be celebrated with a Virtual Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 9, due to continued restrictions on the size of public gatherings in Oregon related to the COVID-19 pandemic.