Dear Faculty and Staff,

As you know we are committed to the health and safety of our entire campus and have been working on a new vaccination policy for employees. Attached and linked for your reference is the new Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Employees, finalized this week. This policy requires employees to report their vaccination status by January 4, 2022, and complete the vaccination process by January 18, 2022.

Given the circumstances and fast-changing nature of the worldwide pandemic, the policy is an important step in maintaining a healthy and safe work environment, and applies to all employees immediately.  However, we are continuing to negotiate with both UA and AFT over the impact to their members. While these discussions continue, existing policies and collective bargaining agreements will apply to UA and AFT members with respect to any portions of the policy where we have not reached agreement. United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers (UE) and the Teamsters have agreed to the policy, and we appreciate their efforts to address this urgent topic.

The majority of employees (over 80%) have already provided proof of vaccination or requested an exemption, and we thank everyone for their willingness to help in these efforts. If you have not already done so, we urge you to login to Peoplesoft to submit proof of vaccination or request an exemption as soon as possible.

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday, and a restful winter break!

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Patricia A. Prelock, Provost and Senior Vice President
Richard H. Cate, Vice President for Administration & Finance