Southern New Hampshire University joins a list of colleges across the nation requiring students to receive a COVID-19 vaccination to return to campus in the fall.
In a “vaccination update” posted on its website, the college said students will need to provide proof of vaccination for COVID-19, or proof of medical or religious exemption to attend classes on its campus for the fall 2021 semester.
President Paul LeBlanc said the college formed a task force at the beginning of the pandemic made up of health professionals and campus life representatives. It has followed public health policy and what colleges and universities are doing.
“We were looking at the question of, ‘How do we bring people back to campus in the most safe fashion possible in the fall?’” he said on Sunday.
The campus has been closed for the 2020-2021 school year. The campus will reopen in the fall, “barring the catastrophic,” LeBlanc said.
“We really, really would like to get everybody back on campus if we could, and as close to normal as we can,” he said. The campus typically has about 3,000 people.