Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette December 17, 2021
Spring semester rule for students, staff comes as colleges brace for omicron-driven spike in cases
Carnegie Mellon University announced late Thursday that it will require COVID-19 booster shots for its thousands of students and employees for the spring semester and will provide additional information in the coming days.
The school joins a small but growing number of campuses nationally that have announced a booster requirement.
”Earlier today Carnegie Mellon issued a COVID-19 update regarding ongoing mitigation efforts as a new semester begins in 2022,” read a statement from the university just after 5 p.m. (Read it here).
“This guidance is subject to change as CMU tracks the progress of the pandemic and in particular the impact of the Omicron variant. Jesse BunchPresence of omicron could change look of spring semester
“Carnegie Mellon will be requiring booster shots for all CMU community members and in January will provide further information on the timing of that requirement, how to enter that data into the university’s HealthConnect system and the exemption request processes,” it read. “This information is being shared now to enable everyone eligible to take advantage of scheduling their booster shots during the upcoming break.”
The move comes amid increasing concern nationally about the emerging omicron variant on top of the delta variant. On many campuses, finals are wrapping up this week, but some schools seeing a spike in cases have moved tests online, among them Cornell University. New York University and Fordham University have made similar announcements.
Another major campus in the city, the University of Pittsburgh, earlier this month began requiring that students and employees be vaccinated for the spring semester. The university has not altered its fall semester finals or event schedules and has not announced a booster shot requirement for the spring.
Said Pitt spokesman David Seldin:“The University’s Healthcare Advisory Group and COVID-19 Medical Response Office are carefully monitoring the rise in cases nationally and locally, as well as emerging data on the Omicron variant.”
He added:
“As reported in last week’s (Covid-19 Medical Response Office report), there was slight increase in case numbers on the Pittsburgh campus, but to date we’ve not seen anything that would cause us to change our plans for next term. We will continue to monitor the situation during Winter Recess and make adjustments if necessary consistent with public health and expert guidance.”
In Pennsylvania, Bucknell University is requiring that its students have a booster shot by Jan. 7, according to the school’s website. Bill SchacknerCarnegie Mellon ordered all on campus to get vaccinated in May, and now 98% have
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, in other states booster shots are being added as requirements at schools, a sampling of which include, American University, Amherst College, Bentley University, Boston College, Boston University, Bowdoin College, Brown University, Carleton College, Emerson College, Emory University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Harvard University, Princeton University and Syracuse.
Earlier this month, indoor mask requirements were extended into the spring at several area campuses, including Penn State University and West Virginia University.
“West Virginia University’s spring 2022 semester will begin Monday, Jan. 10, with many of the current COVID-19 campus health and safety protocols remaining in place as health officials monitor the emerging omicron variant,” read a statement from WVU in part.
“With the identification of the omicron coronavirus variant and experts predicting the number of COVID-19 cases to rise over the winter months, Penn State’s indoor masking policy will remain in effect into the spring 2022 semester. University officials will continue to monitor the evolution of the pandemic and the spread of various coronavirus variants and will adjust Penn State’s masking policy when it is safe to do so,” Penn State said in its statement.
At Carnegie Mellon, a message Thursday to campus from Provost Jim Garrett, Dean of Students Gina Casalegno and Daryl Weinert, Vice President for Operations, noted that facial covering requirements will remain as spring semester begins on that campus, too.
They cited the importance that those on campus receive the vaccine.
’Vaccinations have proven to be safe and highly effective in reducing the severity of symptoms and risk of hospitalization, and preliminary indications are that boosters will prove to be an effective defense against severe symptoms with the Omicron variant as well,” they wrote.