April 28, 2021

Washington State University (WSU), as the state’s land-grant university,
has an obligation to serve the public good and promote the health and safety
of the communities it serves. The COVID‑19 vaccine, now widely available, has
been shown to nearly eliminate the chances of death or serious illness related
to a COVID‑19 infection, and is a critical element in protecting public health
locally and worldwide.

  • Vaccine requirements for students

    WSU system-wide will require proof of the COVID‑19 vaccination for the
    2021–2022 academic year for all students engaging in activities at a
    WSU campus or location.

    Exemptions will be allowed for medical, religious, or personal reasons.
    Information about how to submit proof of vaccination and the process to
    request an exemption will be provided in the coming months.

    Students whose programs are fully online and/or for which an
    on‑campus/location presence does not occur are automatically
    exempted from this requirement.

    In order to participate in any on‑site or in‑person courses and activities,
    students at all WSU locations will be expected to be vaccinated by the start
    of the fall semester. Some programs may designate an earlier date for proof of
    vaccination or an exemption based on when fall semester in‑person activities
    begin. All WSU Pullman students living in university-owned housing will
    need to provide proof of vaccination, or have an approved exemption, by Friday,
    August 6, 2021. For students who have been granted exemptions, the
    university retains discretion to modify housing assignments as it deems
    necessary to protect public health and safety.

    Beginning Monday, November 1, 2021, students not living in
    university housing or with program-specific requirements will be required
    to have documented proof of vaccine or an approved exemption. Students who
    fail to meet this requirement will be prevented from registering for spring
    semester courses and/or face other restrictions. Students with approved
    exemptions may be required to participate in regular COVID‑19 testing
    and/or other COVID‑19 public health measures.

  • Vaccine requirements for employees

    WSU system-wide intends to extend the requirement to all employees
    and volunteers engaging in activities on a WSU worksite. Exemptions
    will be allowed for medical, religious, or personal reasons. Any employees and
    volunteers who receive exemptions may be subject to COVID‑19 testing
    and/or other COVID‑19 public health measures. More information, including
    how to submit proof of vaccination or an exemption, will be provided
    in the coming months.

  • Acceptable vaccines

    WSU will accept proof of any vaccine that was authorized for use in the
    United States at the time of administration. For vaccinations requiring
    two doses, students and employees must have received both doses of the vaccine
    to meet the requirement. Proof of vaccination will also be required for anyone
    with a prior diagnosis of COVID‑19. WSU will work with any international
    students and employees who may have received a vaccine that is not approved
    for use in the United States.

The University reserves the right to modify this policy at any time in
accordance with changing public health guidance or directives, best practices,
and/or university needs.

Additional information about the requirement process will be made available
this summer. For employee-related questions, please contact Human Resources
Services at [email protected] or 509‑335‑4521. For student-related questions and
all other inquiries, please email covid‑[email protected].



Source link