What is Stopping the Board of Trustees from Ending its Mandatory Student COVID Vaccination Policy?

— Michael Grant,

Michael Grant is the Republican Candidate for the 133rd District and operates a family-owned logistics company in Stamford.

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The following letter was sent to UConn Board of Trustees by Michael Grant, a candidate for State Representative, 133rd District, which includes Fairfield and Bridgeport
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I write to you today asking that you end the mandatory student COVID-19 vaccination policy and support an environment of choice for all current and future students. We should strive to treat all students as individuals with diverse moralities, thoughts, and beliefs. We should also empower them to assess their own personal risk and to make decisions in their own lives, without fear of exclusion or expulsion from our state’s great flagship university.

As you are undoubtedly aware, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their COVID-19 guidelines on August 11th, 2022, suggesting that all individuals follow the same precautions, regardless of their vaccination status. Furthermore, on August 10th, 2022, the Board of Regents of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU), a university system with nearly three times the amount of enrolled students as UConn, confidently ended their COVID-19 vaccine mandate for their student body, as well as their individual diagnostic testing protocol for asymptomatic students, by unanimous vote.

Perhaps most importantly, on June 1st, 2022, UConn ended the university’s mandatory workforce COVID-19 vaccination policy, ceased the weekly mandatory testing for employees, and no longer required unvaccinated new employees to apply for a religious or medical exemption.

These changes to UConn’s own employment policies begs the question: What is stopping this Board of Trustees from ending UConn’s mandatory student COVID-19 vaccination policy?

I understand that you may feel political pressure from Governor Ned Lamont, an ex-officio trustee of UConn, who appointed twelve of you to serve as voting members and make up 75% of this board. In spite of this pressure, I call on each of you to do what is right and just for the tens of thousands of students in your University system and end this mandatory student COVID-19 vaccination policy immediately.

Michael Grant
Fairfield, CT