Oct. 18, 2021
Message from the President: Vaccination Requirement Update
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Thank you for all of the hard work, patience, and grace which has led to an exceptional start to the fall quarter. Based on the positive news we received over the past week, and based on our commitment to the health and safety of the entire university community, we expect that we will have continued success through the end of the term and into the new year.
CWU’s fall enrollment numbers are near what we expected, with more than 10,200 students enrolled. Just as important, we learned that all CWU campuses around the state have remained extremely safe this fall, with most CWU employees and a growing number of students completing the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. Observance of the face covering policy also has been high. Thank you for helping to keep others as well as yourself safe; you can track our university vaccination rate on our Vaccination webpage.
Today is the deadline the governor set for employees to meet his vaccination requirement, which includes medical or religious exemptions. At CWU, in order to maintain everyone’s health and safety, this requirement has been extended to students. With this deadline upon us, we will have to begin following the steps recommended by our Fall 2021 COVID-19 Planning Committee and endorsed by the university’s Executive Leadership Team.
For students: Today CWU will begin to place a hold on winter registration for students who have not yet reported being vaccinated or received an exemption. This notice will also go to advisors, providing the time needed to work with students to understand what is required in order to continue their studies at CWU. HR will reach out directly to unvaccinated CWU student employees to be sure that they know that they will not be able to continue in their jobs without a vaccination.
For employees: Compliance with the Governor’s vaccination requirement is very high. As of Friday, more than 97 percent of faculty and staff were in compliance. Today, employees who have neither a vaccination nor an exemption will be contacted by HR. Employees’ positions will be evaluated to determine whether it is possible for them to do their jobs masked and distanced, or with other protective measures or accommodations. If not, we will have to move forward with separation from employment at CWU, as directed by state rules.
I am greatly appreciative of the personal responsibility members of our community have taken for keeping themselves and each other safe from what, for many, is a deadly disease. Continuing to do so helps ensure that Central Washington University will thrive and that our students will have the face-to-face learning experience that makes our institution such a special place to study and learn.
Sincerely,
Jim Wohlpart
President