Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is ramping up its punishments for faculty, staff, and students who refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to one report, those faculty, staff and students will be removed from campus completely if they do not take the vaccine or submit to regular COVID-19 testing. The stricter policies come after VCU’s American Association of University Professors (AAUP) chapter wrote a letter to the school demanding that the administration take a stronger stance against the unvaccinated.
Students were told they must get vaccinated or obtain an exemption from the mandate by July 15. Those who did not take the vaccine are required to submit to regular COVID-19 testing. Students who have failed to comply with these rules have already had their student accounts put on hold. Those accounts will remain on hold for now, but according to the report, if unvaccinated students miss their required COVID-19 testing twice, they will be automatically withdrawn from the university.
There are about 1500 students reportedly in this position.
For faculty and staff, the situation is similar.
They must submit their proof of vaccination or receive an exemption before September 15. Those faculty and staff members who fail to adhere to this mandate will also be required to submit to regular testing.
Those who miss two tests in a row will face 30 days of unpaid leave.
Upon missing a third test, faculty and staff members could be terminated.
The report said that more than 97 percent of students and almost 90 percent of faculty and staff have complied with the COVID-19 requirements.
Other schools in Virginia are similarly requiring students to be vaccinated or take regular tests.
Norfolk State University (NSU) is attempting to get students and faculty vaccinated by offering them cash incentives instead of threatening punishment.
“All validated students who are fully vaccinated and have provided proper proof of vaccination by September 20, 2021, will receive a $500 incentive,” the school said last week. “All Faculty/Staff who are fully vaccinated and have provided proper proof of vaccination by September 20, 2021, will receive a $1000 incentive.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
