SPR s Doug Nadvornick reports.
The pandemic has required Inland Northwest school districts and universities to be flexible this spring in designing commencement ceremonies.
This week, Gonzaga is celebrating in-person, while Washington State University Spokane has combined virtual and in-person events.
“What it came down to is what can we do as close to being in person for these students to receive the recognition and create than fanfare and celebration for them, but also do it safely and in an environment Covid and the pandemic and also abiding by state regulations as to where we are currently as a county, said Heather Byrd, the campus events and community relations manager.
Gonzaga president ‘not yet convinced’ on mandatory COVID-19 vaccines By Greg Mason, The Spokesman-Review
Published: April 30, 2021, 7:35am
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SPOKANE Gonzaga University President Thayne McCulloh said Thursday he is “not yet convinced” on the idea of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy for the university.
McCulloh outlined his thoughts in a memo to the Gonzaga community Thursday morning, one day after Washington State University announced a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for the upcoming school year.
As part of WSU’s policy, students, volunteers and employees partaking in activities at a university campus or location will need proof of vaccination or an exemption. WSU will allow personal exemptions, meaning those who do not want to get the vaccine don’t have to as long as they obtain approval from the university.
KXLY
April 29, 2021 3:18 PM Maher Kawash
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That’s why universities like Washington State are not taking any chances.
“It’s really clear that the way we’re gonna get the pandemic behind us is to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” WSU VP of Communications Phil Weiler said.
The school is confident the FDA will give full approval to these vaccines by then, but even if that doesn’t happen, requiring vaccines for students, staff and volunteers is still legal.
“The attorneys for all the public universities have been looking at this question really for the last several months, and I think have come to the conclusion that moving forward we believe the emergency use authorization would be legal,” Weiler said.
KXLY
April 29, 2021 8:50 AM Erin Robinson
SPOKANE, Wash. Gonzaga University President Thayne McCulloh said he has not yet made a decision on whether to require students and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the fall semester.
In an email sent Thursday, McCulloh said he is “not yet convinced that introducing a ‘mandatory requirement’ regarding the COVID-19 vaccine is the place to begin,” but added there may be a point where university officials make vaccination compulsory.
In recent weeks, Gonzaga has collaborated with Providence to offer vaccines at a clinic on campus and McCulloh said a large portion of the university community has chosen to get vaccinated.
More colleges are requiring students to get COVID-19 vaccines By Greg Mason, The Spokesman-Review
Published: April 26, 2021, 7:56am
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SPOKANE A number of colleges and universities throughout the U.S., including Cornell and Duke universities, have announced they will require students to get the COVID-19 vaccine to attend during the upcoming fall semester.
Meanwhile, institutions across the Eastern Washington area are either undecided on a requirement or forgoing a mandatory vaccine policy.
Even though coronavirus vaccines only have emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there is no legal reason colleges could not require COVID-19 vaccinations, said Harvard Law professor Glenn Cohen, though there are also no federal guidelines explicitly permitting such mandates.