President Bob Iuliano announced on May 20 that the college will be returning to a residential, in-person experience in the fall and that all students will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 before returning to campus for the 2021-22 academic year, with some exceptions for medical or religious reasons.
Iuliano said that when the campus is fully vaccinated it will be possible to eliminate restrictions on gatherings and the needs for testing and enforcement. “A vaccinated student body will permit us to eliminate as many of these constraints as possible, and it will allow you—our students—to have a more normal college experience,” he said.
Iuliano said the decision followed guidance from the American College Health Association (ACHA) and that many institutions of higher education were creating similar policies.
“Broad student vaccination is an important way to reduce the risk. We will also be doing our part to protect vulnerable residents of the Borough and Adams County,” Iuliano said.
Iuliano said students who choose to defer a decision about vaccination will be granted a leave of absence but that the college does not anticipate offering a remote curriculum next year.