Student vaccination requirement for fall and employee update

To Faculty and Staff,

The JMU President’s Cabinet, in consultation with leadership from the University Health Center, has examined the latest options related to vaccines and determined that vaccinations will be required of students enrolled for in-person classes in Fall 2021. This decision was made to ensure the successful on-campus operations of the university and for the safety and long-term security of each member of the JMU community.

Mask Usage

Faculty and staff who are vaccinated are not required to wear masks indoors or outdoors at this time, except on public transit and in health care facilities. They may wear masks at any time in any location. Individuals who are not vaccinated are strongly encouraged to wear masks in all indoor and outdoor settings. Those who find themselves uncomfortable in a given setting should feel free to practice the proven preventive measures that have been in place for the last several months due to the pandemic. More information can be found in the JMU Summer Operational Plan.

Faculty and staff vaccinations

We strongly encourage those who have not yet been vaccinated to obtain a vaccination as they are readily available to anyone over 12 years of age. However, vaccines for staff and faculty are not required at this time.

Vaccinations are currently available, and locations can be found here. It is a personal choice to be vaccinated and wear a mask. Please respect all individual choices without judgment and refrain from making assumptions about others’ vaccination status or choice to wear a mask.

Reporting Vaccination to the University Health Center (UHC)

For those who are vaccinated, it is important to report your vaccination status to the UHC. This allows the university to ensure informed campus-wide decision-making and the ability to respond to questions from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) or State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) about aggregate vaccination rates. UHC follows all state and federal privacy laws, including HIPAA. Personal medical information will not be released without your written permission to do so.

Faculty and staff can submit their documentation by doing one of the following:

• Sending an email with attached copies of their vaccination record to healthctr@jmu.edu
• Faxing both sides of their vaccination record to 540-568-6176
• Placing a copy in the immunization drop box outside of the UHC second floor entrance
• Uploading images of their vaccination record to MyJMUChart. Follow the steps required to upload completed vaccination information into MyJMUChart online.

All documentation submitted must be legible and include your name, birthdate and a copy of the vaccination record.

The Easiest Way to Send a Vaccination Record to the UHC

The easiest and quickest way to send a COVID vaccination record is by email. To do this, complete the following steps:

1. Scan or photograph both sides of the COVID vaccination record and draft an email to healthctr@jmu.edu
2. Attach the scanned or photographed images to the email
3. Include the name and birthdate in the body of the email
4. Send the email

For More Information

Visit JMU's Employee COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ site or call the UHC at 540-568-6249 for general information about vaccines.

We hope you find this information helpful. Your continued support through the next phase of the pandemic will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all you have done and continue do to ensure the future success of the JMU community.

Sincerely,
Rick Larson
AVP for HR, Training and Performance