After a full academic year of frequent testing, isolation and quarantine protocols, remote and hybrid learning, and an overwhelming need for constant adaptability, colleges and universities across the U.S. are looking forward to a “normal” fall 2021 semester. But what does “normal” mean in a post-pandemic world? What are the pros and cons of requiring postsecondary communities to be fully vaccinated? If campuses forego the COVID-19 vaccine requirement, how will they ensure a culture of equity and inclusion among students who are not vaccinated? These are some of the questions that higher education leaders across the country are grappling with as the fall semester rapidly approaches.
In March 2021, Rutgers University became the first U.S. postsecondary institution to require students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Since then, many institutions in New England have joined Rutgers in requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus in the fall. Having a vaccinated population is the safest way to conduct a fall semester with a full-capacity campus. Moreover, fully vaccinated students will help to stop the spread of the virus in the communities surrounding our New England campuses. So, which New England institutions are requiring the vaccine for students?
As of today, 87 (or more than two-thirds) of New England's colleges and universities will require students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall semester: 60 private and 26 public institutions.
Click below to view the complete list of institutions that will require students to be fully vaccinated in the fall.
