Rowan, Stockton universities will not require COVID-19 vaccine to attend

While Rutgers University has announced that it will require all students to get the COVID-19 vaccine before returning to campus, not all institutions across the state are ready to make that mandate.

News 12 Staff

Apr 14, 2021, 10:29 PM

Updated 1,270 days ago

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While Rutgers University has announced that it will require all students to get the COVID-19 vaccine before returning to campus, not all institutions across the state are ready to make that mandate.
Stockton University students say that they are ready for the fall semester to begin when things will start to look a bit more normal on campus. The university is getting ready to move 80% of its classes back to in-person or hybrid and to bring more students on campus.
“We’re right around 2,000 students that are currently living on campus and so we’re really looking forward to being at our usual capacity for the fall…We sit around 3,500 students that live on campus typically,” says Stockton University Dean of Students Haley Baum.
Stockton will not require the COVID-19 vaccine to live on campus at this point. Neither will Rowan University.
“Everyone hasn’t had access yet and until we are certain that everyone can have access, that it does what it needs to do, we’re going to wait and see,” says Rowan University Provost Tony Lowman.
But both universities are encouraging students, faculty and staff to voluntarily get the vaccine if they are able.
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The schools will also work to make sure that the campus and classrooms are safe with extra cleaning in dorms and classrooms.
Stockton has transformed bigger open areas into lecture halls, while Rowan is relying on smaller class sizes and hoping for new guidelines from the state.
“We’re hoping that the guidance for higher [education] starts to move to the same as K-12, which is a 3-foot guidance which then allows us higher classroom density,” says Lowman.
Rowan University held a pop-up vaccination clinic for students, faculty and residents last week.
Stockton University officials say they're looking at ways to help students get the vaccine if they need it.