Duke announced earlier this week that all faculty and staff are expected to present proof of vaccination by Sept. 1.
Faculty and staff at Duke can apply for a medical or religious exemption from vaccination, though these individuals will undergo daily symptom monitoring, surveillance testing once per week, and be subject to masking indoors and “other protocols applicable to those who have not been vaccinated,” according to the email.
Duke’s vaccine mandate for faculty and staff is unique across universities in North Carolina.
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is currently not requiring faculty and staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19 but “encourage[s] members of our campus community who are eligible to receive it.” Similarly, Wake Forest University is not requiring the vaccine for faculty and staff but “strongly encourages” all members of the community to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
North Carolina State University does not currently plan to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for campus personnel.
Duke’s peer institutions have similar vaccine mandates for faculty and staff.
Brown University is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated by July 1, two months before Duke. For students and employees, exemptions to the requirement “will be granted and reasonable accommodations provided under applicable law.”
Harvard University will require all faculty, staff, and researchers to submit proof of vaccination by July 15. Those exempt from vaccination for medical or religious reasons may be subject to masking and testing “above and beyond what is required of vaccinated individuals.”
Yale University, University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University are requiring all faculty, staff, and postdoctoral and postgraduate trainees to be fully vaccinated by Aug. 1.
At Yale, individuals may apply for exemption from the requirement for medical or religious reasons or “strongly held personal belief.” Those with approved exemptions will be required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing and “abide by additional health and safety requirements.”
At UPenn, individuals who choose not to obtain vaccines or not disclose their vaccination status are required to mask indoors, and participate in daily symptom checks and weekly screening testing.
Exceptions for medical and religious reasons will be granted for individuals at Johns Hopkins. Unvaccinated faculty and staff will undergo twice-weekly testing and be required to use distanced eating spaces. Physical distancing in indoor spaces will be recommended for unvaccinated individuals.
Princeton University will require “all faculty, staff, researchers, appointed visiting faculty and researchers, temporary employees, and independent contractors (i.e., individuals working alongside with or providing services to students and employees)” to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by Aug. 1.
Princeton employees can request an exemption to the requirement because of “a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief” but will be required to mask and social distance indoors and participate in asymptomatic COVID-19 testing.
New York University and Northwestern University are similarly requiring all faculty and employees to be vaccinated by Aug. 1.
Faculty and staff at Northwestern who are not fully vaccinated or fail to report their vaccination status to the university will be required to mask indoors, complete twice-weekly COVID-19 testing and report symptoms daily. No formal exception is required until full FDA approval is obtained for a COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, unvaccinated faculty and staff at Northwestern do not qualify automatically for remote work.
Information on exemptions for NYU faculty, staff and administrators has yet to be released.
The University of Notre Dame and Columbia University are requiring faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 no later than Aug. 2. People at Columbia may apply for a medical or religious exemption.
At Notre Dame, those who apply for exemption from the requirement will be required to continue to mask indoors and undergo regular surveillance testing.
All University of Virginia faculty and staff are expected to be vaccinated before the start of the fall semester unless they have medical or religious reasons to not receive the vaccine. Those unable to provide proof of vaccination will be subject to testing once a week.
Stanford University will require all faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars on campus this fall to be fully vaccinated. Those who choose not to get vaccinated for medical, religious or other reasons as well as those who choose not to disclose their vaccination status will be required to continue regular COVID-19 testing “and, possibly, additional requirements aimed at keeping our community safe,” according to the university.
As of June 29, Cornell University is not requiring employees to be vaccinated.
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Preetha Ramachandran is a Trinity senior and diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator for The Chronicle's 118th volume. She was previously senior editor for Volume 117.