(Hartford Courant, June 24, 2021) — Joining other colleges in the state, including Yale, the University of Hartford and UConn, the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system will require all students to be vaccinated for the fall semester.

“The vaccines that are currently authorized in the United States are safe, effective, and critical to resuming normal operations at our campuses this fall,” said Dr. Jane Gates, interim president of CSCU, in a statement released Thursday. “Now is the time for students planning on attending college this fall to get vaccinated. With more infectious, more severe variants becoming more and more prevalent, getting your shot is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and our communities.”

First Lady Jill Biden comforts Christian Lyles, 13, who expressed his fear of needles as he received a vaccination from nurse Maggie Bass, center, during Biden’s visit to a COVID-19 vaccination site at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. on Tuesday. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)

The Board of Regents for Higher Education approved the mandate Thursday morning. The new policy does not require all employees to be vaccinated, but it gives the CSCU president authority to impose one if necessary.

The CSCU decision comes after UHart acted earlier this week, joining UConn, Wesleyan University and Yale University. As the state and the nation push to reach President Joe Biden’s vaccination goal of 70% of all adults by July 4, younger people have been harder to convince. About 70% of Americans age 30 and above have received at least one shot.

“Having a fully vaccinated student body will a give us the best chance to return to a more typical college experience, with in-person services and activities, and fewer restrictions in the residential neighborhoods and in the classroom,” UHart said in a statement this week.

Interim UConn President Andrew Agwunobi has called vaccinations the “single most important step” in ensuring a safe return to campus.

— By Rick Green, Hartford Courant Staff Writer

The original article can be found here: “Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system will require vaccination for all students this fall”