[Students] Covid-19 Vaccines Will Be Required for Fall 2021

Dear Saint Mary’s Students, 

I look forward to welcoming you back on our beautiful campus to begin the 2021-22 academic year. Thanks to your vigilance, and the hard work of our faculty and staff, we as a community have done an exceptional job of preventing on-campus transmission of the virus over the past sixteen months. And as we all look forward to the light at the end of this long tunnel, it is important that we do so carefully and deliberately: a healthy and vibrant campus life in the fall will depend upon our ability as a campus community to reach herd immunity by ensuring that the vast majority of our students, faculty, and staff are fully vaccinated. 

The student vaccination requirement was announced in late April and on July 1, we rolled out a secure system for students, faculty, and staff to verify their vaccination status and to apply for religious or medical exemptions. Thanks to these efforts, we are confident that an overwhelming majority of students, faculty, and staff will be fully vaccinated by the start of the fall term.  

While the response to the Vaccine Portal has been very encouraging, SMC will need every student who plans to be on campus in the fall to submit their proof of vaccination or apply for exemption through the student Vaccine Portal by August 1. This deadline is rapidly approaching, and I want to ask you to complete it as soon as possible. 

We are on track to be able to maintain a healthy campus community. Continuation of this trend means that we can enjoy all of the great in-person social and academic experiences that make Saint Mary’s College a special place to live and learn. I am grateful for your diligence in doing your part to protect everyone in our community, your commitment to prioritize the health and wellness of our campus community, and your continued commitment to one another as we prepare for a robust start of the coming academic year. I look forward to seeing you on campus soon. 

Sincerely,

Richard Plumb, PhD
President