By Kiersten Hacker

University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay A. Perman and the Board of Regents announced on April 23 that all eligible students, faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to return to USM campuses this fall. 

A USM working group composed of university-based experts in public health, infectious disease and emergency management recommended the mandate. Advice from all 12 university presidents, the presidents’ cabinets, and the university system’s shared governance councils was also considered, according to a campus wide email from University of Maryland President Darryll Pines. 

UMD will comply with federal and state laws to exempt individuals from the vaccine mandate due to health or religious reasons.

“I was honestly kind of glad about it [the mandate] because I feel like it will take away the stress and the worry when we’re all moving back on campus after months of everyone being able to basically do what they want, not having to get tested really,” said Rishita Sharan, a freshman psychology student. “I feel like it will also help with the restrictions too.”

Though following the 4Maryland COVID-19 guidelines and getting tested every two weeks are required for students to remain on campus, some do not always follow the restrictions. The UMD Office of Student Conduct received over 100 referrals in both the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters for COVID-19 noncompliance, some resulting in sanctions.

With the mandate of the COVID-19 vaccine for the fall, some restrictions may be lifted and a sense of normality is expected to return, likely bringing fewer referrals to the Office of Student Conduct. 

However, some students, faculty and staff may still face certain barriers to receiving their vaccine even though it has become increasingly more accessible. 

“I feel like Maryland has really opened it up, but I’m worried about some other states where people aren’t as encouraged to go get the vaccine or where it hasn’t really been spread yet,” freshman bioengineering student Louisa Ellison said. “We have people coming in from a ton of different states so it’s kind of hard to mandate when we also have international students too.”

Ellison also said she is excited for more in-person opportunities and lifted restrictions for the upcoming academic year after everything has been online. She said she has had some difficulties learning through a screen as she considers herself a “hands-on” learner. Ellison is looking forward to in-person instruction and club meetings so she can become involved on campus. 

Freshman students like Ellison have not been able to experience college under normal circumstances, so many look forward to the return of the typical environment others always speak about. 

“I’m so ready to go back to how it should be, like the real college experience. I feel like we got half of it, so I’m excited,” Sharan said. 

But as life may become more normal with the vaccine mandate, students, faculty and staff will need to adjust after working in a virtual environment for an extended period of time. Malec Fahmy, a freshman business student, said he is excited for in-person instruction in the fall, but recognizes that he will need to adapt to a new schedule.

“After a year of being locked up and restricted, it will take a long time to regain the stamina of a normal day but also getting used to the daily interactions that we have all missed,” Fahmy said. 

With the announcement of the vaccine mandate, UMD also announced its partnership with Safeway Pharmacy to deliver vaccines to students, faculty and staff from April 26 to 28 in the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. Family members of the students, faculty and staff can schedule vaccination appointments at the Safeway Pharmacy clinic. 

The Maryland Higher Education Commission has also worked with the Maryland Department of Health to establish “University Days” at different mass vaccination sites in the state. On the designated “University Days,” opportunities are only open to campus community members, and students, faculty and staff must show their University ID at their appointment. Incoming students can also qualify as long as they show an acceptance letter or proof of fall registration. 

Even with all eligible members of the campus community vaccinated in order to return to campus, Ellison said that UMD should continue to offer the vaccine on campus as a convenient, useful option for those in the community who still need it. 

“If you are mandating it, it’s good to say ‘We have a place to get vaccinated nearby,’ so it makes sense to back up what they’re saying with the mandate,” Ellison said. 

Featured image: Pascaline Moffor vaccinates a student at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. Photo by Joel Lev-Tov.