Whereas the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a threat to the health and safety of everyone at Rutgers,

Whereas this threat can be substantially reduced by universal vaccination against the virus,

Whereas vaccination can protect against mutation and the creation of more potent variants,

Be it resolved, the AAUP-BHSNJ Council makes the following statement concerning vaccination:

We welcome the announcement that Rutgers students and RBHS patient-facing employees will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We endorse a similar requirement for all other faculty, postdocs, and staff, to work on campus, provided all legal and medical exemptions are recognized and accommodated, and enough vaccine is available far enough in advance.

We also respect any Rutgers union’s legal right to bargain over such a policy prior to implementation.

We call more broadly upon all members of the community to be fully vaccinated within an expedited timeframe, and we reiterate our support for all efforts to make the vaccine as widely available as possible at Rutgers and throughout the communities we serve. We call upon Rutgers to take all necessary steps to this effect.