Deputy Chancellor / Acting Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Mark Preble provides an update on vaccination requirements
Dear UMass Dartmouth Students,
I hope this note finds you well and enjoying your summer.
Consistent with most public high education institutions across the country, UMass Dartmouth is requiring all residential and commuter students who will attend in-person classes or use any campus facility to be fully vaccinated and upload the record of vaccination to the Health Services Patient Portal before the start of the fall semester. For more information on vaccinations, visit the Commonwealth’s vaccine informational website.
Vaccines are now readily available free of charge (although you may be asked for health insurance information) at most local pharmacies. For help finding a vaccination location, visit the Massachusetts VaxFinder website.
For information on how to upload your vaccination record to the Health Services Patient Portal, please review our upload guide. And, don’t forget to register for the Massachusetts VaxMillions Giveaway for a chance to win a million dollars!
Please note that the University will accommodate medical or religious exemptions pursuant to state and federal law. To submit a request for an exemption, please log in to the Health Services Patient Portal, click Upload and choose "Immunization Documentation." For exemption on religious grounds, your upload should be a personal statement as to why receiving this vaccine is against your religious beliefs. Medical exemption documentation must be from a healthcare provider. You will receive confirmation of receipt from Health Services via secure message within a week. If the exemption is granted, you will need to sign an acknowledgment form indicating that if there is spread of COVID-19 on campus, you will follow guidelines as advised by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Remember, you may need two doses of a vaccine to be fully vaccinated, so do not wait—get your first shot now! Students who do not have complete vaccination records on file by August 28, 2021, risk losing their selected classes and schedules. Vaccination against COVID is safe, effective and our best prevention against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Get vaccinated to protect yourself and the campus community! If you have any questions, please contact corona.virus@umassd.edu.
I look forward to seeing you back on campus soon.
Sincerely,
Mark Preble
Deputy Chancellor / Acting Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs