North Central College will not require students, faculty or staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19 before the fall semester begins next month.
Troy Hammond, president of the Naperville-based school, said in a letter to students that college officials are “strongly encouraging” everyone to get the vaccine. There will be a system in place through which fully vaccinated people will submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status, he said.
Unvaccinated students will be required to submit proof of a negative coronavirus test before arriving on campus and will be mandated to participate in virus testing throughout the semester, Hammond said in his letter.
Anyone who is unvaccinated and comes in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has showed symptoms will be required to follow quarantine protocols, he said.
North Central, like every other college in the country, has had to decide if they will require everyone to be vaccinated before the fall semester starts.
Consultations were done with the NCC’s Institutional Response Team, cabinet and president’s council and feedback obtained from the campus community before a decision was made, Hammond said.
Masks will no longer be required outside and anyone who is vaccinated can also go mask-free inside buildings, Hammond wrote in his letter. Others will be strongly encouraged, but not mandated, to wear one, he said.
Other than for the rules in place, the fall semester should be similar to those prior to the pandemic, with in-person classes starting Aug. 25, a two-day fall break in October, a Thanksgiving break and final exams completed by Dec. 17, Hammond said in his letter.
“I am very much looking forward to the year ahead and the return to our usual vibrant campus life,” Hammond wrote.
The college’s facilities, dorms and dining hall services will return to pre-pandemic operations this fall and all athletics programs and facilities will return to normal competition/practice schedules, hours and operations, he said.
However, the athletics department is waiting for further guidance from the NCAA regarding vaccinations, testing requirements and policies for spectators at competitions, he said.
Meetings, conferences, and social gatherings no longer have capacity restrictions but safety guidance and procedures will remain in place, according to the letter.
Plans for the fall semester at other area schools vary.
College of DuPage has said it won’t require vaccinations and only 50% of the classes offered will be held in person. Vaccinated people will not be required to wear masks but those who are unvaccinated will, according to information posted online.
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Symptom screenings will no longer be conducted and all college doors will be unlocked from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. on days the school is open.
Lewis University in Romeoville and Aurora University have announced they will require all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated prior to the fall semester start.
Illinois Department of Public Health data shows nearly 57% of the DuPage County population and about 47% of those who live in Will County are fully vaccinated. Nearly 70% of people ages 16 to 64 have been partially vaccinated in DuPage and 60% are the same in Will, data shows.