Hartwick College to Require COVID-19 Vaccines for Fall 2021

Hartwick College will require all students and employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the start of the Fall 2021 semester, the College announced today. The deadline of August 1, 2021 applies to all who will live, study, or work on campus.

“Vaccination is currently the best weapon we have against the evolving COVID-19 virus, and the best tool we have to reclaim the fully residential experience that is so important to how we educate at Hartwick,” said President Margaret L. Drugovich. “Vaccination will be the key to our safe and full return in the fall.”

The decision was announced by the College’s Strategic Response Team, a group that advises the President on matters related to the pandemic. The Team is comprised of the Senior Leadership Team, and faculty and staff from across the College.

Nearly 400 colleges and universities across the country have announced their plans to require vaccinations of students before fall semester begins. Hartwick is among those that will also require it of faculty and staff.

“This decision to require vaccinations of all members of our community was built upon our community’s strength as OneWick,” Drugovich said. “It is a statement that we truly are better together. That principle has guided how we have successfully managed COVID to date and it continues to guide us. We are choosing the path that will lead to the best experience possible, for the greatest number of people.”

Any vaccine approved by the FDA or authorized by the FDA for emergency use in the U.S. (currently, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson) is acceptable under Hartwick’s policy. Individuals must submit proof of full vaccination by August 1.

Accommodations will be considered for those for whom a COVID-19 vaccine may be medically contraindicated. Individuals who adhere to a sincerely held religious belief that conflicts with COVID-19 vaccination may also apply for an accommodation.

“Our weekly testing program for all students and employees, along with the many other safety measures we have taken, enabled us to support an in-person residential experience throughout this academic year,” Drugovich said. “Nearly 90 percent of classes were conducted in person or in a hybrid format in the spring semester.”

Adjustments to the policy will be made as necessary based on factors such as the future course of the COVID-19 pandemic and guidance from local, state, and federal agencies.

For more information on the vaccination policy and Hartwick’s response to the Coronavirus, visit its COVID-19 information and resource webpage.