The Western Oregon University campus in Monmouth (Courtesy/Diane Stevenson/WOU)
Students and employees of Western Oregon University will be required to be vaccinated against Covid to study or work in-person in the fall.
University President Rex Fuller announced the decision Monday during a virtual student information session.
“We know our students and employees miss the vibrance of in-person campus life, and we want to return to that while also supporting the overall safety of our communities. Vaccination is an important step toward pack immunity so our Wolves can be together again,” Fuller said in a statement. “In the meantime, we’ve been doing everything we can during spring term to make vaccines accessible to members of our campus community.”
The requirement would apply to students and employees at both the Monmouth and downtown Salem campuses. The university is also offering students a $25 bookstore voucher for getting vaccinated to incentivize participation, the announcement said.
The university didn’t detail exemptions to the requirement in Monday’s announcement, but spokeswoman Lisa Catto said the university expects to offer exemptions for health and religious reasons. She said specific details would be determined in coming months.
The university joins a growing list of colleges in Oregon that have said they will require vaccines for students come fall. Willamette University made a similar decision in late April, and Oregon State University announced it would require vaccination last week.
-Rachel Alexander
