Colleges prepare for fall semester with varying consequences for COVID protocol infractions

STUDENTS THAT TRY to skirt the COVID-19 vaccination requirement at Rhode Island College risk having their credits withheld, school officials said. Colleges and universities around the state have varying degrees of consequences for students that flout health protocols during the upcoming fall semester. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE

PROVIDENCE As students head back to college, many local higher education institutions say they will strictly uphold vaccination requirements and crack down on COVID-19-related policy violations.

With most area colleges and universities reporting near or upwards of 90% of students are vaccinated against COVID-19, guidelines prohibiting unvaccinated students from in-person classes and other on-campus activities will impact only a small portion of students.

This statistic, combined with “very high compliance rates” for public safety measures last year, should give colleges and universities reason to feel optimistic that widespread violations won’t occur, said Daniel Egan, president of the Association of Independent & Private Universities of Rhode Island.

All colleges and universities in Rhode Island have implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students.

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“We as a sector are highly vaccinated,” Egan said. “The vaccination requirement for students was generally positively received, and by the vaccination rates, you can see it’s a positive step for repopulating the campuses this fall semester.”

AICU represents Brown, Bryant, Johnson & Wales, Roger Williams and Salve Regina universities, as well as the New England Institute of Technology, Providence College and the Rhode Island School of Design — all of which have implemented a vaccination requirement for students on campus, according to Egan, though some may allow unvaccinated students on campus if they take additional safety measures.

All AICI institutions have also implemented an indoor masking policy regardless of vaccination status, and most require vaccination for staff and faculty in addition to students.

While restrictions for the unvaccinated would apply to only a small percentage of students, many institutions are cautioning students that coming to campus unvaccinated, or violating other COVID-19 public health protocols, will result in consequences that can range from a warning to suspension or expulsion, depending on the severity of the infraction.

Colleges and universities set policies

At Johnson & Wales University, an initial violation “may result in an educational conversation to engage the student and familiarize them with our health and safety protocols,” said campus spokesman Ryan Crowley. But additional violations can come with more serious consequences, with continuous or “egregious” offenses possibly resulting in suspension.

Around 87% of JWU students returning to campus were vaccinated as of Aug. 23, according to Crowley, and about 12% were granted an exemption.

Unvaccinated students were required to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival to campus, and unvaccinated students, faculty and staff must participate in sentinel testing.

Brown required all students who planned to come to campus or attend any in-person instruction to receive their full COVID-19 vaccine by July 1. Like JWU, penalties for violating COVID-19 protocols vary with the severity of the infraction.

Some violations may only warrant a reminder letter or educational activity, while others will be referred to a dean’s review meeting, according to Brown’s conduct code. Based on evidence presented at that meeting, the university may issue a suspension or expulsion and restrict the student from campus.

Rhode Island School of Design “will take swift action” to address any violations of its public health protocols, said campus spokeswoman Danielle Mancuso, whether these violations occur among students or employees.

The school expects that all students will soon be vaccinated or eligible for an exemption, according to Mancuso. If students do not fall into either of these categories, RISD will not allow them to remain enrolled.

“We are confident that our community members feel a strong sense of personal responsibility for the wellbeing and safety of each other,” Mancuso said, “and, therefore, will continue to be diligent about following our public health protocols.”

Unvaccinated students at the Community College of Rhode Island “may be subject to automatic withdrawal from classes,” said spokeswoman Amy Kempe, though the college will work with students to reach compliance or offer them the option of participating in online classes.

Students who try to skirt the vaccination requirement at Rhode Island College risk having their credits withheld, said spokesman John Taraborelli.

“Students will not receive grades or credits for any in-person classes” until they comply with the vaccine mandate, according to Taraborelli.

While unvaccinated RIC students who weren’t granted a medical or religious exemption can enroll in fully remote classes, they are not permitted to come to campus for any reason.

Others are still solidifying their policies: Representatives from Providence College and the New England Institute of Technology, for instance, said earlier in the week that these protocols are still in development.

Not all institutions immediately responded to inquiries about their latest policies, though some have previously cautioned students that serious violations of COVID-19 policies can come with significant penalties: Under the University of Rhode Island’s spring 2021 conduct code, “intentional and egregious” violations, such as hosting a party that exceeded state gathering limits, could result in suspension or expulsion.

Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.

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