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Here's my take on universities mandating vaccines:
Administrators have been afraid that requiring the vaccine would jeopardize enrollment. They thought students would refuse to come to campus if they had to get a shot, which would subsequently hurt revenue.
Administrators have been afraid that requiring the vaccine would jeopardize enrollment. They thought students would refuse to come to campus if they had to get a shot, which would subsequently hurt revenue.
This explains why so many of the institutions issuing mandates early on have been private schools that have stable enrollment. They can afford to turn away unvaccinated people and still have a full first-year class.
As for why administrators thought mandating a vaccine would hurt enrollment? I think that's been driven by this persistent media narrative around "vaccine hesitancy." I don't buy that narrative, though, and think the vaccine delays are largely issues of access, not willingness.
And with vaccine availability where it is now, universities are starting to see that NOT requiring the shot is going to keep students away. Lots of prospective students don't want to hang out in a dorm or library or classroom with someone who can get a shot, but refuses.
So that's the calculation that every public university enrollment manager is making right now: Do we lose more students by mandating the vaccine? Or by NOT mandating it?
I think the answer is "B," and more schools will get there in the very near future.
I think the answer is "B," and more schools will get there in the very near future.
There's also the issue of courage. I know Rutgers went first, but I think another public university system in a progressive state (Cal? Washington?) will announce their mandate within a week. That move will give everyone else cover, and we'll see the floodgates open.
I know lots of Chancellor-types are non-committal right now and using talking points like "you can't mandate an EUA vaccine" but that's just stalling. This decision is going to be driven by what attracts the most tuition-paying students.
LOL while I was tweeting this thread, this happened: https://twitter.com/ElissaNadworny/status/1385359075634987016
