By Kelsey Braun ’22, Editor in Chief

St. John Fisher College will now require a COVID-19 vaccination before returning to campus in the fall.

In an email to the campus, Fisher President Gerard Rooney said the school is implementing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all students and employees, as well as temporary workers and independent contractors, for the 2021-2022 academic year. All members who will be on campus for the upcoming academic year must be fully vaccinated by Aug. 1, 2021.

In addition, there will no longer be accommodations for remote learning, as there were in the spring. Fisher aims to give students an in-person face-to-face class experience this coming fall.

The decision for required vaccines was made by the Spring 2021 COVID-19 Advisory Team upon reviewing recommendations from the Center for Disease Control, Monroe County Department of Health and public health council:

“We feel strongly that this is the most effective public health approach the College can take to help the continued mitigation of community transmission, and is in the best interest of the entire campus and broader communities.”

Students will be required to show proof of vaccination on the patient portal site by July 19. Anybody with religious or medical exemption must send a request to the Health and Wellness Center before June 30.

More information can be found here.