SMITHFIELD – A month after Bryant University reopened its campus to 100% capacity, the university announced Wednesday that students who wish to return to campus for the upcoming fall semester must be vaccinated for COVID-19.
Bryant joins a long list of local colleges, including Brown University, the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island, where students will be mandated to be vaccinated for the coronavirus before fall classes commence. Currently, Bryant students have to take all summer courses online.
Bryant President Ross Gittell, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Inge-Lise Ameer, Associate Provost Wendy Samter and Vice President for Human Resources Tim Paige said in a joint letter Wednesday that students, along with being vaccinated, must email their vaccination confirmation to the university’s health services by Aug. 10.
For students who receive vaccines outside of the U.S., the university will accept COVID-19 vaccine documentation for which the World Health Organization has issued an emergency use listing.
Like other colleges, Bryant officials said the university will grant medical, religious and other exemptions for the vaccination requirement. Students seeking an exemption must request a student vaccine exemption request form and submit it to student affairs by Aug. 10.
Mask wearing will not be required for those fully vaccinated, in line with the policies that Bryant announced back in May. Students who are not fully vaccinated will be required to continue wearing masks on campus and will be subject to health and safety measures, the Bryant administration said.
The university said a COVID-19 vaccine hold will become active Aug. 1 for students who have not satisfied the vaccine requirement or obtained an exemption. Students in this hold cannot receive their residential room keys, the administration said, and first-year students will not be able to receive university-issued laptops. Other commuter students who are in the vaccine hold will be handled on a case-by-case basis, the Bryant administration 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.
