With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on the rise in Pennsylvania and across the nation, Penn State is urging its community to continue to take health precautions and follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep themselves and others healthy.
As it has from the beginning of the pandemic, Penn State will continue to follow CDC guidance on COVID-19, and university officials urge all members of the Penn State community to take recommended preventative steps to keep themselves and others healthy.
As students plan their return to Penn State campuses for the fall 2022 semester, the University continues to provide resources to help individuals stay safe and healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Enrolled students who are noncompliant with the weekly required testing will lose access to Canvas until they become compliant. Continued noncompliance will result in additional disciplinary sanctions, up to and including conduct suspension upon the completion of a formal student conduct process.
In alignment with the recent announcement from the White House on federal vaccination requirements, all Penn State employees at all locations are now subject to a federal COVID-19 vaccination requirement. The deadline for employees to receive their final dose of a vaccine is Jan. 4, 2022
After a careful review of President Joe Biden’s executive order mandating vaccines for federal contractors and guidance issued by the federal Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, Penn State has determined that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate already in place at seven campuses must be extended to two additional campuses — Berks and Schuylkill. The vaccine mandate also applies to all Penn State Extension employees across the commonwealth.
All employees, as well as undergraduate and graduate students supported on wage payroll, who have a disability or medical condition that they believe prevents them from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine can now request accommodations by completing an online request form on or before Friday, Nov. 12.
Individuals covered by the federal vaccination mandate currently impacting nine Penn State campuses who believe that their sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances prevent them from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, may complete an online accommodation request form on or before Nov. 5.
Penn State students, faculty and staff who are not vaccinated for COVID-19 and those who have not shared with the University that they are fully vaccinated will be required to test weekly for COVID-19 throughout the fall semester, or until they share with the University that they have been fully vaccinated.
In a move designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 on Penn State campuses, the union representing about 2,600 technical service employees, has agreed to follow University requirements for mask-wearing, regardless of vaccination status. The agreement goes into effect immediately.