COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements
St. Francis College requires that all students, faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of coming to campus and accessing College buildings (including the residence hall) during the 2022-2023 academic year. At this time, please note that the College is also strongly encouraging students, faculty and staff who are eligible for a booster to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and upload proof; students, faculty and staff who are not eligible are strongly encouraged to get a booster dose and upload proof as soon as they become eligible.
General Guidelines for Community
Vaccine Requirements for Students
Students may seek an exemption from the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons. Students requesting an exemption due to a medical reason or because of a sincerely held religious belief must submit a completed the Proof of Vaccination and indicate their exemption request on it.
They will then need to complete a Request for Accommodation form and supporting documentation. Please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations if you have any questions.
Vaccine Requirements for Faculty & Staff
COVID-19 Booster
Students, faculty and staff who are eligible for a booster are strongly encouraged to get a booster dose and upload proof; students, faculty and staff who are not eligible are strongly encouraged to get a booster dose and upload proof as soon as they become eligible (within 7 days).
Medical or Religious Exemption Process
Students may be granted an exemption from the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement via medical exemption or religious exemption. Here is the process for requesting an exemption from this policy due to a medical reason or because of a sincerely held religious belief. Students are encouraged to begin the interactive accommodation process as soon as possible. Accommodations may be granted where they do not cause the College undue hardship or pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others.
All students requesting a COVID-19 vaccination exemption must complete the Proof of Vaccination form and indicate their exemption request on it. Once that is complete, they must follow these steps:
Medical Exemption
- Complete the Medical Exemption Request Form
- Complete and submit a Request for Accommodation form and upload the Medical Exemption Request Form (PDF). You may also email the Medical Exemption Request Form to [email protected].
Religious Exemption
- Complete the Religious Exemption Request Form
- Complete and submit a Request for Accommodation form and upload the Religious Exemption Request Form. You may also email the Religious Exemption Request Form to [email protected].
Requests for exemption from the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement will not be considered fully submitted until both the Request for Accommodation form and the applicable COVID-19 vaccine exemption request form have been received by OAA.
Please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at [email protected] with any questions regarding this process.
Confidentiality and Retention of Records
The information you provide will be used to prevent and respond to the presence of COVID-19 on campus and to comply with federal, state, local, and College public health guidelines. The information will be maintained confidentially and in accordance with all applicable laws and public health regulations.
Please note that our knowledge and understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccinations continues to evolve, and SFC will continue to monitor and rely on the most up-to-date scientific information, public health guidelines, and federal, state and local requirements available to make informed decisions about College operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I qualify for COVID-19 vaccine exemption?
Exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate may be granted to students who have a documented medical condition that prohibits them from receiving the vaccine or to students who have a sincerely held religious belief that prevents them from receiving the vaccine. All exemption requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and require documentation.
What documentation am I required to submit?
For medical exemption requests, documentation should be from a licensed medical provider and should specify the medical diagnosis and explanation for why you are ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Please ensure that documentation includes medical provider’s contact information, license number, and signature. For religious exemption requests, students should provide a written statement of at least 250 words attesting that their sincerely held religious beliefs prevent them from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Can I be approved exemption without documentation?
No. Please note that exemption requests will not be reviewed until appropriate documentation is provided.
When will I hear back about submitting exemption?
Once your request and documentation are submitted, please allow at least one week for a response. You will be contacted via email when a decision about your request has been made.
What steps can I take if exemption request denied?
If your exemption request is denied, you may appeal the decision by following the accommodation request appeals process outlined below:
If a student believes that they have not been provided with a reasonable accommodation based on access or reasonable consideration, the student should direct their concern via email to Dean Monica Michalski ([email protected]) within three weeks of notification of denial of their accommodation request. The student should provide, in writing, the nature of the concern and any other relevant information to their case.
Dean Michalski will confer with necessary stakeholders, including the student and OAA, to make a determination about the appeal. The student will be notified via email about the outcome of the appeal within ten business days of appeal submission. The determination reached by Dean Michalski at the conclusion of the appeals process is final.
How to Upload Your CDC Vaccination Card?
Students planning to come to College buildings (including the residence hall) during the 2023-24 academic year are required to provide either proof of vaccination or receive an approved exemption from the requirements.
SFC has created a process to enable students to upload proof of completed vaccination using the SFC COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Portal. Please let us know if you have been vaccinated already.
Uploads of proof of vaccination are confidentially stored in the SFC COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Portal.
How to Upload Your CDC Vaccination Card:
- Complete the Vaccination Proof Form
- Enter your SFC user ID and password (same as your SFC email)
- Fill out the form and upload a copy or picture of your vaccine card
Am I eligible for a booster if I had COVID-19?
Yes. If you have recently had a COVID-19 breakthrough infection, public health authorities recommend that you should wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine until you have completed isolation to avoid exposing others to COVID-19 and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms started. Or, if you never had symptoms, 10 days from the date you were tested.
If you are not sure whether to get a booster shot or which type of vaccine you should get for your booster, or you recently received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, talk to your health care provider.
If I had COVID-19, should I get a booster dose?
Yes, public health officials believe you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 because:
- Research has not yet shown how long you are protected from getting COVID-19 again after you recover from COVID-19.
- Vaccination helps protect you even if you’ve already had COVID-19.
- Evidence is emerging that people get better protection by being fully vaccinated compared with having had COVID-19. One study showed that unvaccinated people who already had COVID-19 are more than 2 times as likely than fully vaccinated people to get COVID-19 again.