Touro College COVID-19 Plans 2021-2022
We are excited to return to campus for the Fall 2021 semester!
Vaccination Policy
It is the belief of the scientific and medical communities, as well as the Touro College and University System, that the safest and most effective way to curtail COVID-19 and return our campuses to the closest degree of normalcy is to mandate vaccinations. The overwhelming majority of our campus community is in favor of a vaccination mandate.
As of August 15, 2021, Touro College will have a Vaccine Mandate for all medical and health-related programs. This mandate will apply to all those who attend on-campus didactic courses, as well as externship rotations at health and medical facilities. In addition, for any program that interacts via field placements and clerkships with members of the outside community (e.g., social work, law and graduate education), those enrolled in rotations that are public facing will share this mandate. There will be limited medical or religious exemptions granted. Exempted individuals will be required to mask, social distance, and get tested for COVID, as described below. Additionally, exempted students may be unable to participate in externship rotations, field placements, or clerkships, since these sites largely insist upon full vaccination. Consequently, Touro cannot guarantee you a site if you are unvaccinated, which may impact your ability to meet programmatic requirements and graduate on time.
All others who attend or work at Touro College schools and seek full access to our campuses and the campus community are asked to register evidence of vaccination. After registering, you will receive a special sticker to affix to your Touro ID card that will give you access without restrictions. Those who do not upload proof of vaccination, and whose ID card does not contain the special sticker:
- will be required to mask while on campus;
- must maintain at least 3-feet of social distance from all others;
- may not be able to participate in one-on-one or close-quarter labs;
- will have to test for COVID and present to specially assigned safety and security staff upon entering any Touro building proof of negative lab results up to twice each week (a test must be within 3 days of the day one enters the building). Testing will be the responsibility of each individual and will not be reimbursed by Touro.
During this initial period, we will accept laboratory-certified existence of Neutralizing Antibodies to Spike Proteins to avoid the above-stated restrictions (lab reports must state neutralizing antibodies).
This vaccine mandate should be viewed as a transitionary policy. Once one of the COVID vaccines receives permanent-use authorization, there will be a full vaccine mandate at every Touro College school and office. A protocol for visitors (e.g., interviewees, guest lecturers) will be customized, and coordinated for implementation by the college.
Touro’s decision is based upon current best practices and available data. We reserve the right, based on developing circumstances and new data, to update our policies and impose stricter guidelines if COVID circumstances become more severe.
From the beginning, Touro’s goal has been to create a safe, secure and friendly environment for our collective academic community. Adherence to our policies has gone a long way toward protecting everyone in the Touro community during this past, difficult year and will further allow us to continue to achieve and succeed in the upcoming academic year. We thank you for your continued cooperation.
If you have any questions of concerns, please speak to your dean, program director, supervisor, or email evptouro@touro.edu.
