Coronavirus vaccination will be optional for students and staff returning to University of Minnesota campuses this fall.
President Joan Gabel said in a message Monday the U will ensure vaccines are readily available and encourage people to get them.
“This approach is very similar to our M Test approach from last fall, which proved that clear messaging can be as effective, if not more effective, than mandatory policies,” she said, referring to the U’s coronavirus testing initiative.
A May survey of Twin Cities students, faculty and staff found 84 percent were fully vaccinated and 96 percent had at least one shot or planned to get vaccinated.
“This is a great start that I hope spreads across all our campus communities, and is also an important factor in assessing our safety and the safety of those we care for,” Gabel said.
Gabel also said staff and their spouses who get vaccinated will be rewarded with points they can accumulate to reduce what they pay for health insurance in 2023.
Five private colleges in Minnesota — Carleton, Gustavus Adolphus, Macalester, St. Olaf and Mitchell Hamline School of Law — are requiring students and/or staff to get vaccinated before fall, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, which has identified 494 U.S. colleges with such mandates.