Schools
Loyola, DePaul, Columbia College Require COVID-19 Vaccination
The private schools are first in Chicago and among the first in the Midwest to mandate students get vaccinated before returning to campus.
CHICAGO — Loyola University Chicago announced Thursday that all students who wish to live in residence halls or attend in-person classes will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
The announcement comes a day after DePaul University announced that all students who plan to return to campus must receive a full COVID-19 vaccination by the time classes resume in the fall.
"Our goal throughout these last several months has been to help ensure the health and safety of our campus and surrounding community and to continue to provide an uninterrupted and superior academic experience for our students," Loyola's president Jo Ann Rooney said in a statement.
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DePaul's announcement from A. Gabriel Esteban, president of the university, said this new requirement applies to undergraduate, graduate and professional program students who plan to return to in-person class for the fall 2021 quarter.
The Lincoln Park-based school has not made a decision on whether professors and other employees will need to be vaccinated.
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"To help provide equitable access to our community, DePaul will host a vaccine clinic for students, faculty and staff next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Student Center in Lincoln Park," Esteban wrote in a letter to students. "Additional details and signup information will be shared in the coming days."
Columbia College Chicago also announced they would require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. While only 35 percent of Columbia College students live in campus housing, the school will still offer vaccine events open to all students over the next two weeks.
The announcements come after other universities across the country have implemented the same requirement. Rutgers University in New Jersey was the first, followed by Notre Dame in Indiana.
Other Chicago universities and colleges including Roosevelt University and the University of Chicago, have not announced a decision on requiring the vaccine.
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