As North Shore Community College begins to wind down its ‘zoom university’ class format and open its doors to more in-person classes, the college announced Monday that all students, staff, and faculty members are required to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 22.
This announcement comes on the heels of a unanimous decision from the state’s 15 community college presidents to require full vaccination for all students and staff. NSCC president William Heineman said the vaccine mandate applies to all employees and students who will be studying, participating, and visiting campus; NSCC has campuses in Lynn and Danvers.
The Massachusetts Community Colleges have been discussing this decision for 18 months. The objective of this decision is to ensure health and safety for all schools and communities.
“The Massachusetts Community Colleges have prioritized the health and safety of our communities while also recognizing that many of our students have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the 15 community college presidents said in a joint statement.
“While a significant number of students, faculty, and staff are already vaccinated or are in the process of becoming vaccinated, the 15 colleges are seeking to increase the health and safety of the learning and working environment in light of the ongoing public health concerns and current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”
The NSCC announcement comes after a rise in the number of new cases across the state. There is also increased access and availability of vaccines, which can help students and staff receive their shots, according to NSCC.
Students who do not have in-person classes and will not plan on going to campus for any reason during the spring semester will not be required to provide documentation of vaccination.
The CDC has proven the COVID-19 vaccine to be extremely safe and highly effective at preventing infections, severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
“The Massachusetts Community Colleges are committed to ensuring vaccination status is not a barrier to students and will continue offering a range of virtual learning opportunities and services,” Heineman said
By enforcing vaccination among those attending campuses in person, it can ensure the safest learning and working environments possible for the more than 135,000 students served by the state’s community colleges each year.
Hannah Chadwick can be reached at [email protected].
