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- Nov. 15, 2021 | We Continue to Wait for Vaccine...
- Title:
- Nov. 15, 2021 | We Continue to Wait for Vaccine Mandate Guidance
- Date:
- 2021-11-15
- Category:
- Presidential Memos
- Harvested from:
- https://perma.cc/MET4-JTEW
- Type:
- text
- Digital Format:
- text/html
- Reference Link:
- https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/fridayletter/letters/president_memo_2021-11-15.html
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Nov. 15, 2021 | We Continue to Wait for Vaccine Mandate Guidance
TO: University of Idaho Students, Faculty and Staff
FROM: Scott Green, President
Torrey Lawrence, Provost and Executive Vice President
DATE: Nov. 15, 2021
SUBJECT: We Continue to Wait for Vaccine Mandate Guidance
The headlines are filled with news about the federal vaccine mandates and lawsuits opposing them. This could impact all university employees and students employed by the university. We continue to track these topics as they unfold and are working with our sister institutions and other impacted state agencies to decipher what this means for our university.
While the state of Idaho and the Idaho State Board of Education are parties to a lawsuit filed by the state of Georgia claiming federal overreach in the mandates and are asking for a quick decision on a stay, we are also facing a looming Jan. 4 deadline for vaccines for federal contractors. The university averages about $22 million in non-grant federal contracts each year. Given the continued uncertainty surrounding the situation, the university has not imposed a vaccination mandate. But President Biden’s mandate requires the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer be administered on or before Jan. 4 — and the proof submitted. Johnson & Johnson is one dose, therefore could be administered Jan. 4, but it can be more difficult to find. All vaccines are free and many pharmacies administer them. We continue to hold vaccine clinics weekly on the Moscow campus. We will continue to report on any progress, whether from the federal government, the state of Idaho or the courts.
This week we will draw the final student names for the vaccine incentive rewards. Most recently, Nickolas Buonarati, a civil engineering major from Meridian, and Kally Arnzen, a molecular biology and biotechnology major from Grangeville, each won a $1,000 tuition credit. We will announce the final $1,000 and $5,000 winners next week.
We recognize that the COVID-19 safety protocols are growing tiresome, yet you continue to do a great job keeping our classrooms safe. We have only four students in quarantine, zero students in our isolation facility and we still have zero cases traced back to contact in a classroom. But, the end of the semester is within reach and our local healthcare providers need us to continue our vigilance and follow the Healthy Vandal Pledge — this includes wearing a face mask in all university buildings.
As we head into Fall Break, we wish you well. If you are spending time with friends and family, please travel safely – and come back healthy and ready to finish the semester strong.
Keep Calm and Vandal On.
Scott Green
President
president@uidaho.edu
uidaho.edu/president
Torrey Lawrence
Provost and Executive Vice President
provost@uidaho.edu
uidaho.edu/provost