![]() Category:
Hospitals / Clinical Services Student Affairs Responsible Office:
|
Policy Title:
COVID-19 Vaccination Policy Document Number:
3100 Effective Date:
September 27, 2021
This policy item applies to:
Community Colleges
State-Operated Campuses |
This policy adopts the State of New York directive that public colleges and universities mandate that all students who intend to engage in-person at a SUNY campus or facility must receive a COVID-19 vaccination, pending final approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). This policy describes the COVID-19 Vaccination requirements in place to protect the health and safety of the SUNY campus communities, including its students, faculty, staff, and others who engage in-person at any SUNY Facility.
This policy requires all students accessing SUNY Facilities in-person to receive a COVID-19 Vaccination, with limited exception. This requirement will take effect upon at least one COVID-19 Vaccination receiving full FDA approval (granting of a biologics license pursuant to 21 CFR 600 - 680) and reasonable availability of any COVID-19 Vaccination to all students who request a vaccine.
Though this New York State directive does not apply to faculty and staff, all SUNY faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. However, certain employees, students, and volunteers at SUNY's healthcare facilities may be subject to mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination pursuant to the recently enacted emergency regulation "Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission by Covered Entities" (10 NYCRR 2.61) issued by the NYS Department of Health on August 26, 2021. Likewise, regardless of the student mandate in effect being subject to full FDA approval, it is strongly recommended that all students get vaccinated.
For the purposes of this policy, "students" are defined as any individual matriculated or otherwise enrolled full-time or part-time at SUNY Facilities as well as visiting, auditing, exchange, continuing education, and international students taking in-person courses at SUNY. The definition of students does not include high school students in concurrent enrollment courses offered by a SUNY campus and located at the student’s high school or other third-party location. Instead, such high school students must follow the health and safety guidelines and protocols of the physical location where they receive instruction. If the course is delivered at their high school or a third-party location, they must follow the local school district guidelines or the guidelines of the third party. However, if a student takes a course in a SUNY facility, they must follow the applicable SUNY Facility guidelines, including this policy. If a high school student is granted an Exemption as defined herein, they must abide by the applicable COVID-19 related health and safety restrictions for the SUNY Facility where they receive instruction (e.g., appropriate face coverings, social distancing, and surveillance testing). Any student enrolled in a course at a SUNY facility under the age for which at least one COVID-19 Vaccination has received full FDA approval is still subject to this policy but may request a temporary medical accommodation pursuant to Section III(A)(2) below.
This policy is subject to change based upon guidance from governmental authorities or if new federal and/or NYS COVID-19 related requirements are imposed.
All students attending a SUNY institution in the Fall 2021 term and thereafter will be provided with information about the COVID-19 Vaccination and must either: (i) receive a COVID-19 Vaccination; or (ii) obtain an approved Exemption as further described below.
International students who obtained a COVID-19 Vaccination may provide documentation signed by a healthcare provider duly licensed to practice medicine in the United States or a foreign country, and such documentation must include the dates of vaccination and name of the COVID-19 Vaccination given. International students who have received COVID-19 vaccines not licensed or under an EUA by the FDA in the United States, or not authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization ("WHO") (e.g., AstraZeneca/Oxford) may apply for a medical accommodation, as discussed below, which will be addressed in accordance with NYS guidance by each campus on a case-by-case basis. In general, campuses will designate these students as partially vaccinated and they will therefore be subject to the conditions of the medical accommodation until further notice.
International students and COVID-19 unvaccinated students who are traveling abroad and arrive in the United States to enter SUNY Facilities may be subject to additional quarantine restrictions as determined by the SUNY Facility.
Students who are unable to obtain a COVID-19 Vaccination in their hometown or country of embarkment will have an opportunity to be vaccinated when they arrive in New York State. These students must begin the vaccination process as soon as possible and either: (1) quarantine for at least ten (10) days upon arrival; (2) submit an attestation to the campus that they have quarantined for at least ten (10) days prior to arrival; or, (3) provide evidence of a negative result on an approved COVID-19 test within the past (5) days. Any such student must also abide by all COVID-19 related health and safety restrictions for all applicable SUNY Facilities (e.g., face coverings, social distancing, and surveillance testing) until Fully Vaccinated.
Campuses will be responsible for determining and implementing appropriate COVID-19-related health and safety protocols in the event that FDA approval occurs after the Fall 2021 term begins. If FDA approval is subsequently given mid-term, all students must comply with this Policy, including the Grace Period requirements set out in Section III.B.
Campuses have the discretion to impose additional health and safety restrictions as they deem appropriate for their Campus Communities in accordance with the "Final COVID Protocols for the 2021 Summer and Fall Semester" issued by the Chancellor on July 7, 2021 (as updated on July 8, 2021). The campus must work with campus stakeholders in the development of any additional changes and broadly communicate the restrictions to the entire college community.
Starting on September 28, 2021, campuses will begin the unenrollment process for students taking in-person courses and/or utilizing in-person services who are not in compliance with this policy. A student is compliant if they have either: (1) been Fully Vaccinated; (2) had at least one vaccine dose and been granted a temporary accommodation to complete any vaccine series; or (3) been granted an exemption as outlined in Section III(A) above. The campus may build in a period of not more than 10 calendar days after the September 28, 2021 deadline to work with students on an individual basis to ensure compliance with this policy, which may include placing students on a temporary leave of absence. Campuses shall follow their published refund schedule for tuition and other campus fees, including for residence halls and apartments.
Campus Community(s): Students and faculty, campus-related organization staff, vendors, visitors, and guests who regularly or periodically occupy and/or utilize the facilities of the campus. Campus-related organizations include one or all of the entities associated with the SUNY facility including, without limitation: Auxiliary Services Corporations, Alumni Associations, Faculty-Student Associations, and SUNY Foundations.
COVID-19: A primarily respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
COVID-19 Vaccination: Any COVID-19 vaccine administered under (i) an FDA Biologics License or an Emergency Use Authorization ("EUA") and approved for use by the New York State Department of Health or (ii) authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Facility(s): Any SUNY owned, leased, licensed, or operated space, facility, property, grounds, equipment, motor vehicle, or buildings.
Fully Vaccinated: People are considered fully vaccinated: (1) two weeks after receiving the second dose in a two dose COVID-19 vaccine series or (2) two weeks after receiving a single dose COVID-19 vaccine.
New York State COVID-19 Department of Health Information
State University of New York COVID-19 Information
State University of New York: Know Your Vax
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: COVID-19 Vaccines
There are no procedures relevant to this policy.
There are no forms relevant to this policy.
The following links to FindLaw's New York State Laws are provided for users' convenience; it is not the official site for the State of New York laws.
NYS Education Law § 355(2)(h) (Authority of the SUNY Board of Trustees to regulate the operation and administration of State-operated SUNY campuses).
NYS Education Law § 355(1)(c) (Authority of the SUNY Board of Trustees to regulate the operation of community colleges operating under the program of the State University of New York).
In case of questions, readers are advised to refer to the New York State Legislature site for the menu of New York State Consolidated.
On September 27, 2021, Section IV (Unenrollment Process) was added to the policy.
On September 02, 2021, this policy was updated to reflect minor technical clarifications.
State University of New York Board of Trustees Resolution 21-24 adopted June 23, 2021.
There are no appendices relevant to this policy.