June 9, 2021 – Staff: Additional guidance for university COVID-19 vaccination requirement
Dear colleagues,
As announced last month, COVID-19 vaccinations will be required for all members of the Vanderbilt University community for the fall 2021 semester. Today I am sharing additional guidance on the university’s staff COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
All Vanderbilt University-employed staff—which includes full time, part time, flex and temporary—are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the 2021–22 academic school year. The deadline to submit your full vaccination record is July 31. This requirement applies whether you are working on campus or remotely—now or in the fall.
You can request accommodations for medical or religious exemptions through the Equal Opportunity and Access office. Accommodation requests should be submitted by June 15. Please note that a request for an accommodation does not mean you automatically will be permitted to continue to work remotely. An approved accommodation means that if you are working on campus, you will be approved to have appropriate accommodations, which likely will include wearing a mask and following physical distancing guidelines wherever possible.
You must submit your vaccination record through the vaccine tracker submission form, even if you received your vaccine from Occupational Health, VUMC or a VUMC clinic. Submission of vaccination records (or an approved or in-process accommodation request) by July 31 for staff is a condition of employment. Staff who are not compliant as of that date will be subject to disciplinary action, including termination of employment.
We are working to finalize details about fall semester protocols. I will share any updates with you as they are completed.
Thank you.
Eric Kopstain