Brown vaccination rates close to July 1 goal as plans for normal campus life unfold

BROWN UNIVERSITY'S vaccination rate is getting close to the university's goal of 90%, but still many employees and students still need to be vaccinated by Brown's July 1 deadline. / AP FILE PHOTO/STEVEN SENNE

PROVIDENCE – As its hard July 1 vaccination deadline approaches, Brown University’s COVID-19 vaccine rates for students, faculty and staff are getting close to the levels that the Ivy League university has set in order for a healthy return to campus this fall.

However, with about a week left until the deadline, there is still a bit of work for Brown to do to get its community fully vaccinated.

Based on health experts and medical personnel, Brown is seeking 90% or greater vaccination against the coronavirus that has limited campus activity since March 2020. As part of that goal, Brown has required all students and faculty to be fully vaccinated and submit their completed vaccination cards by July 1.

“People who are vaccinated are much less likely to get COVID-19. They are also less likely to become seriously ill or spread the illness to others if they do contract the virus,” Brown President Christina H. Paxson said in a May 20 letter to the campus community. “For these reasons, the sooner we can achieve near-universal vaccination, the sooner we’ll be able to lift public health restrictions on campus and return to a more normal environment for teaching and research, with full confidence that the health of the community is being protected.”

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According to Brown’s campus vaccination rate webpage, the rates vary depending on overall populations for students, and faculty and the students and faculty that are currently on campus. The rates are also determined by who has submitted their completed vaccination cards to the university.

The latest data, posted as of June 18, said that 74.1% of Brown’s total employee population has been vaccinated and 75.4% of employees currently on campus are fully vaccinated. As for students, 67% of the overall population are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 87.9% of students currently on campus are vaccinated.

However, that still leaves approximately 1,220 employees at Brown and about 3,283 students, based on the 2020-21 student population, that are required to get vaccinated by July 1.

Brown spokesperson Brian Clark told Providence Business News Tuesday that the university has not shared any data on those who have been granted exemptions because the exemption process is still ongoing and the university is providing confidentiality for students and faculty. Those exemptions, if granted, would be good for the 2022 fiscal year – or the entire 2021-22 academic year – through June 30, 2022, Clark said.

There are also no figures available as to how many students and employees at Brown have not yet responded as to whether or not they will be vaccinated, according to Brown spokesperson Maggie Spear in an email Wednesday. She noted that the university is “very pleased” with the response it got for the vaccine requirement.

“Members of the Brown community fully understand and support the health benefits of vaccination, and we are confident that we will attain near universal vaccination rates. We have received minimal concerns regarding the vaccination requirement from students, faculty and staff,” Spear said.

While Brown is granting medical and religious exemptions for students and faculty, the university has noted that those who are not vaccinated cannot return to campus.

Brown previously said that students who do not get vaccinated will be required to file a petition to the university to study remotely or take a leave of absence from Brown. The university will also look into what courses can be effectively implemented in an online or hybrid model to accommodate students who cannot come back to campus this fall because of health concerns, travel restrictions or other hardships.

For employees, Clark previously told PBN that they would have to either have to be placed on leave without pay, apply for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act or take paid time off if they are not vaccinated by July 1. In the event that Brown will have a workforce shortage, Clark said Tuesday that the need to account for vacancies, whether short-or long-term, planned or unexpected, is a consideration that department leaders face for a wide variety of reasons, including before the pandemic.

Clark said Brown would launch a search process, hire freelancers, work with vendors, bring in temporary help, and prioritize mission-critical work, as well as other steps when there is a vacancy.

“We’d determine the best way to address any specific gap based on the specific operational needs of the department,” Clark said. “If there were a vacancy created by a leave, we’d use the right combination of approaches just as we would for leaves or vacancies of any other kind. Many faculty at Brown teach more than one course in typical semesters but only consistent with standard teaching loads.”

Brown said Wednesday that it is planning for a return to near normalcy on campus. Brown Executive Vice President of Planning and Policy Russell C. Carey outlined in a letter to the campus community updated plans and protocols for campus life come the start of the 2021 fall semester.

Carey said that once the campus reaches 90% vaccination levels among students and employees, fully vaccinated individuals will have the option to wear a mask if they choose and not be required to wear masks indoors, except for on university shuttles and while visiting both health services and COVID-19 testing sites. Those exempted from vaccines will receive instructions that they must follow, but will “in most cases” be required to wear masks and practice social distancing, Carey said.

Carey also said that Brown later this summer will remove fully vaccinated individuals from the COVID-19 testing program and will receive direct communication as to when they can stop being tested. By September, Brown will end routine community-wide asymptomatic testing, Carey said.

There will also be no restrictions on capacity for classes, labs, libraries and events – including sporting events – on campus, Carey said.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.

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