RIT to Require COVID-19 Vaccination for Students by Start of Fall Semester

Dear RIT community,

This coming fall, we plan to return to a robust campus experience, including a high level of in-person instruction and a more vibrant set of on-campus activities. Accordingly, in order to provide the safest possible learning and living environment, RIT will require full COVID-19 vaccination for undergraduate and graduate students prior to coming to the Henrietta campus for Fall 2021.

This decision was made in accordance with the recommendation of the American College Health Association (ACHA) and following discussions with national, state, and local health officials as well as student, staff, and faculty representatives.

More detailed information will be forthcoming later this month and over the course of the summer, including how students will show proof of their vaccination. Please note that, as in the case with other required immunizations, we will have a process for accommodating medical and religious exemptions. 

Vaccines.gov is an excellent resource for locating a vaccine near you. RIT students struggling with the logistics of scheduling a COVID-19 vaccination, including locating available appointments and/or obtaining transportation, can contact Case Management for support at casemanagement@rit.edu.

More information on vaccines, including FAQs, can be found on the RIT Ready website.

We know that many of our faculty and staff already have been vaccinated. We strongly recommend that all RIT staff and faculty members receive COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. RIT is asking faculty and staff to voluntarily report their vaccine status via the RIT Oracle Employee Self-Service portal as we further study a possible requirement for faculty and staff.

Throughout this pandemic, we all have faced challenges and overcome major obstacles. Vaccination is our ticket to the future. Vaccination will allow us to achieve a level of normalcy that has been missing from our lives for more than a year. In addition, the well-being of our community is a shared responsibility. Vaccination helps not only you; it helps to protect all in our community. During this pandemic, we have achieved much as a community working together. Let’s maintain that same Tiger resolve to ultimately defeat COVID.

Sincerely,

Dave Munson, RIT President

Ellen Granberg, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Wendy Gelbard, MD, Associate Vice President, Wellness Student Affairs

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