Private University In Austin Among The First In Nation To Require Vaccine

St. Edward's University in Austin is requiring students and staff members to get the COVID-19 vaccine before returning to campus in the fall.

The private university with about 4,300 students is one of the first in the nation to require the vaccine, the Texas Tribune reported.

Students will have to show the school their vaccination record card before September 1 or else they won't be allowed to live on campus, attend on-campus activities, and be limited in what classes they can attend.

Previously, the university allowed students and staff to opt out of receiving the shot for religious, medical, or personal concerns, and get a notarized exemption document. St. Edward's changed that requirement on Tuesday, April 6, to comply with an executive mandate signed by Gov. Greg Abbott that bans "vaccine passports."

State government agencies, public universities, and private colleges receiving public funding cannot force someone to show proof of vaccination under the mandate.

“In compliance with the Governor of Texas’ Executive Order GA-35, issued April 5, 2021, the university’s policy will not deny services to those submitting documentation for a qualifying exemption,” according to a statement released by St. Edward's.

Only a handful of other universities across the United States have announced similar requirements. The other schools are Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island; Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado; and Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Inside Higher Ed reported.

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