Union COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

for Faculty and Staff

As previously announced, staff will return to campus at a 50% workweek beginning August 2, 2021. This will increase to a 100% in-person workweek at the beginning of October. If you’ve not yet been vaccinated but plan to, please begin the process immediately so that it can be completed before Sep 1^st. Any incomplete vaccination will require additional safety precautions (wearing masks, social distance). During the month before the Fall semester begins, effective September 1, faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (defined as being two weeks or more past the administration of the last dose of an FDA-authorized or WHO-authorized COVID-19 vaccine) to enter Union’s campus.

Faculty and Staff should email proof of vaccination to covid19@uts.columbia.edu as soon as possible and no later than August 13. No other medical information should be submitted in service of this vaccination requirement. All information will be maintained by Union in compliance with relevant privacy regulations.

Individuals may request an exemption from the vaccination requirement on substantiated medical or religious grounds. Exemption requests should be made as soon as possible and no later than August 13 in order to comply with this requirement.

Exemption requests are carefully considered but will only be granted if sufficient justification can be demonstrated. Exemption requests should be emailed to Diana Torres-Petrilli, Chief Human Resources Officer at dipetrilli@uts.columbia.edu, who oversees the submission of appropriate documentation. Any exemptions granted under this process may be revisited from time to time to determine whether the exemption continues to be warranted.

Any individual granted an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement must follow federal, state, and Union guidelines for unvaccinated persons while on campus. Approved exemptions are for the COVID-19 vaccination only; return to campus for work is still required. If granted an exemption, employees are required to visit Columbia Health for a weekly PCR test. These guidelines include, but are not limited to, wearing an appropriate face mask at all times and maintaining social distance.

Faculty and staff who fail to meet the August 13 deadline and have not received an institutional COVID-19 vaccination exemption must meet with Diana. An alternative of working remotely rather than complying with this COVID-19 vaccination requirement is not permitted.