The Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) member institutions – Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College and the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library – will require all students and members of their faculties and staffs to be fully vaccinated by the beginning of the 2021 fall semester.
AUCC Presidents sent out a statement saying in part:
“We continue to operate with the safety and well-being of our AUCC community at the forefront of our decision making. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines guidance encouraging citizens to understand the importance of getting vaccinated to protect oneself and others as we combat the threat of COVID-19 spreading and producing new variants. The AUCC member institutions align with this science-based guidance in putting forth this notice.”
They continued on saying the AUCC member institutions will plan for summer programming and the fall semester, using the latest scientific data to implement vaccination protocols as the next step in keeping the community safe.
Vaccination of our community members is critical to continue meeting our highest priority—maintaining the safety and wellbeing of our constituents. The CDC lists several benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine including but not limited to:
· Getting a COVID-19 vaccine will help prevent serious illness even for those who contract the virus.
· Individuals getting vaccinated may also protect others, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness, including older adults, those who are pregnant and those with medical conditions. Being fully vaccinated means two or more weeks have passed since receipt of the second dose in a two-dose series, or two or more weeks have passed since receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine.
There will be opportunities for employees and students to receive vaccinations at the AUCC Student Health and Wellness Center, as well as on campuses. Each institution will share specific guidance with their constituents in forthcoming communications regarding the processes and schedules to receive and provide confirmation of vaccinations. AUCC schools are developing processes by which exemptions from vaccination will be considered. These processes may vary by institution.
“We take pride in our community, which rallied over the last year to maintain a safe environment for teaching and learning.” They stated. “Our institutions collaborated to support students, faculty and staff via numerous academic, co-curricular, physical and mental health initiatives and programs to address the challenges brought on by needing to remain primarily in a virtual environment.”
The schools plan to continue their AUCC partnership as they administer vaccinations in the campus communities and beyond to prioritize and sustain safety in the environment.
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