Penn State’s Faculty Senate on Wednesday afternoon passed a resolution recommending the university mandate COVID-19 vaccines for students and employees before returning to campus for the fall 2021 semester.
After nearly two hours of deliberations, the Faculty Senate voted 113-31 in favor of the resolution, which can be
viewed in full here. The measure, which also notes exceptions for medical conditions and religious beliefs, reflects support for a mandate from the university’s faculty representation but it would be up to university administration to implement.
Provost and Executive Vice President Nick Jones said during a question-and-answer period that university administration has no intention at this time to require vaccines. Instead, he said, Penn State will focus on making the vaccine widely available to the university community and offering incentives to those who get it.