PSU professors urge university officials in no confidence vote
Faculty Senate calls for vaccine requirement
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Penn State's Faculty Senate passed a no confidence vote Friday over the university's COVID-19 planning for the fall semester.
The senate voted 109-57 on the no confidence resolution and 128-32 on a resolution urging the university to take stronger action against COVID-19, including a vaccination mandate.
On May 12, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution calling for Penn State to require COVID-19 vaccinations before the start of the fall 2021 semester. The university failed to do that, the senate said.
While the resolutions are non-binding, the vote indicates that a majority of the faculty are unhappy the university is not mandating vaccines for students, faculty and staff.
In a special meeting Friday afternoon, senators accused the Penn State administration of not being fully transparent nor inclusive concerning COVID-19 planning and decisions.
In addition, the senate called for "an immediate vaccination mandate for eligible Penn State students, faculty and staff." Until that time, the resolutions seek universal mask mandates, twice weekly COVID-19 testing for individuals without proof of vaccination and adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and/or restrictions for all Penn State students, faculty and staff -- including gatherings on university-managed property and at university-sponsored activities.
The no confidence resolution also seeks to allow instructors to choose remote options for any campus activity, including office hours, graduate student exams and meetings, as well as class delivery modes.
In response, Penn State President Eric J. Barron said in a statement that while the university is not currently mandating vaccinations, "the data indicate our shared goal of achieving high vaccination rates is making strong progress in surveys and in the number of individuals who are uploading their vaccination status with the university."
Barron said Penn State will continue to monitor developments and may adjust plans when circumstances change.
The board of trustees also released a statement saying it has "full confidence in President Barron and the administration's approach to address the evolving pandemic."
In an open letter released Thursday, Barron said the final results of the university's COVID-19 vaccination survey show that, among both undergraduate and graduate student respondents, 88% of University Park respondents, 73% of Commonwealth Campus respondents and 84% of World Campus respondents report being partially or fully vaccinated. As of Thursday, more than 73.5% of students entering residence halls have already uploaded their proof of vaccination, and the numbers are growing on a daily basis.
"Vaccination uploads by academic personnel are slightly lower at 69%, and unfortunately there has been little growth in academic uploads since early July," Barron wrote.
The highest vaccination rate is for administrators, which is currently at 86%, he said.
Students in university housing who do not show proof of vaccination will be tested on arrival and all students who have not uploaded their proof of vaccination, regardless of housing, will be tested weekly, Barron said.
"The consequences for failure to test are significant -- including suspension if individuals ignore repeated requests," his letter stated.
Two Penn State students have died from COVID-19.