Penn State students and faculty will holt another rally outside of Old Main to encourage the university to require COVID-19 vaccines.
From 3 to 4 p.m. on Friday, attendees will rally to “support a COVID-19 vaccine mandate and other safety measures.” The event is organized by the Coalition for a Just University, which has routinely organized protests and published letters in support of stronger action by Penn State in response to the pandemic.
According to the group’s website, all attendees should wear a mask and socially distance. They’re also encouraged to bring signs that “send a clear message” to President Eric Barron and other administrators.
“We want to create space for expressions of support for a vaccine mandate at Penn State and expressions of concern about our unsafe conditions for teaching and learning,” the group wrote.
The Coalition for a Just University held a similar pro-vaccination-mandate rally earlier in August.
To date, Penn State has not required COVID-19 vaccines for students and employees. On Wednesday, the university confirmed full approval of Pfizer’s vaccine wouldn’t change that.
Penn State students who aren’t vaccinated (or haven’t submitted proof of vaccination to the university) are required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing this fall. Punishments for noncompliance include conduct referrals, suspensions, and bans from campus events, including football games.
In its latest estimate, Penn State reported about 82% of the 13,428 students living on campus are fully vaccinated. Additionally, according to the university, administrators and academic personnel are 94% and 82% vaccinated, respectively. Full-time staff sit at about 72% vaccinated.
Earlier this month, Barron implied political pressure from Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled General Assembly served as a roadblock to requiring vaccines. In an open letter, he noted that approving the university’s state-funded appropriation “requires a two-thirds vote of the Pennsylvania legislature.”
Penn State faculty have outspokenly voiced concerns about Penn State’s lack of a vaccine requirement so far. A number of professors, organized by the Coalition for a Just University, taught online in protest earlier this week.
Nine of 14 Big Ten schools, including Ohio State on Monday, have announced requirements for COVID-19 vaccinations in one way or another. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, nearly 800 universities nationwide have vaccine mandates in place.
