Vaccines Required, Masks Strongly Encouraged: Stevens Officials

Hoboken NJ

11 August, 2021

10:03 AM

Description

HOBOKEN, NJ —Classes begin at Stevens Institute of Technology on Aug. 30, and on Wednesday, school officials announced vaccination and masking guidelines for the beginning of the school year. Stevens had announced in April that it is requiring all students and staff to be vaccinated. In a letter to students, faculty and staff, Louis Mayer, CFO, vice president for finance and treasurer and Warren Petty, vice president for human resources, reminded students that Monday, Aug. 16, is the deadline to submit evidence of a vaccine. If a student does not submit vaccine documentation or receive an authorized exemption, they will be unenrolled from fall courses and residential students will not be permitted to live in Stevens housing. Students who currently have the first dose of the vaccine or are working toward a vaccine, and international students who cannot find a vaccine or who have received a vaccine not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or World Health Organization (WHO), must inform the school of their status, and show their intent to comply with the COVID-19 requirement. Students, faculty and staff who have an approved exemption from the vaccination requirement are required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result before returning to campus. The test must be taken within five days of their return to campus. Any vaccine-exempt students or staff going to campus regularly also must participate in weekly COVID testing, which takes place every Wednesday on campus. The school said it also has arranged with the Bergen New Bridge Medical Center to offer vaccines at the Student Center for members of the Stevens community through mid-September. Employees were expected to submit evidence of a vaccination by August 1. In the letter, Stevens officials said all faculty, staff, students and visitors are strongly encouraged to wear masks in all indoor, public campus spaces, regardless of vaccination status. Faculty and staff may request that masks are worn for meetings in their private offices. If an individual does not wish to wear a mask, the meeting may be held virtually, the school said. School officials said that going forward, masking rules will be based on local COVID-19 transmission rates as reported by the Hoboken Health Department. Stevens also has announced that in the fall, third-party usage of campus facilities will not be permitted. According to the letter, between Aug. 3 and Aug 10, one Stevens staff member tested positive for COVID-19, though the staff member had not been on campus. Between Aug. 2 and Aug. 6, the school received 14 test results from on-campus testing, and there were no positive results. School officials concluded the letter by reminding students, faculty and staff that anyone who experiences COVID symptoms, tests positive for COVID or has close contact with someone who has tested positive is expected to isolate and immediately contact Stevens Student Health Services.