Rutgers Faculty Union Head Responds To Students' Vaccine Mandate

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — The president of the Rutgers faculty union said the school never approached the union about requiring its members receive the coronavirus vaccine — although he said he would "welcome" such a conversation.

"The university never reached out to us," Todd Wolfson, a Rutgers professor and president of the faculty union, told Patch on Friday. "However, we would welcome a conversation on this front. We want a safe campus."

There are about 6,600 professors and staff in the Rutgers' faculty union, the RUAAUP.

Rutgers is continuing its mandate, announced March 25, that all students who wish to return to in-person classes this fall show proof they have received the coronavirus vaccine.

Gov. Murphy has previously said that the state Dept. of Education would not be requiring New Jersey teachers get the vaccine.

Colleges such as Cornell and Notre Dame have since followed Rutgers' lead. Notre Dame's policy is similar to Rutgers, and only requires students get the shot. On April 2, Cornell announced it is requiring all students get the vaccine, but is mulling whether to extend that requirement to professors as well.

"At this time, Cornell is still discussing whether to mandate vaccination for employees and no determination has been made," Abby Butler, a spokeswoman for the Ivy League school, told Patch.

There was some outcry when Rutgers said it is not forcing teachers get the shot. Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso said she is continuing to push her bill that would take away state funding from any NJ college or university that requires its students get the coronavirus vaccine.

"It's not that I don't believe in the vaccine; I got the vaccine," said the Republican lawmaker. "I just don't believe we should mandate people to get it, especially kids."

According to Wolfson, there is nothing in the Rutgers union bylaws that specifically prevent the university from requiring teachers receive a vaccination.

Wolfson said he personally "would like all teaching faculty, anyone in the classroom to be vaccinated. I think that's the appropriate way forward. We strongly urge our members to be vaccinated."

Wolfson said should Rutgers approach its unionized teaching staff about being vaccinated, "We would sit down and have a serious conversation," he continued. "There are issues that have to be worked out. For example, what sort of exemptions would be allowed, what sort of religious exemptions? What would happen if a teacher chose not to be vaccinated. How would they be disciplined? And so on."

Dory Devlin, a Rutgers spokeswoman, told Patch that Rutgers made the decision to mandate the vaccine for students — and not teachers — because, currently, young people in their 20s have been testing positive at higher rates than other age groups. And also because college kids interact with each constantly such as in dorms, house parties and in group settings, she said.

"The Rutgers data clearly reflects that students have a 60 percent to 70 percent higher positivity rate than faculty and staff. This is to be expected since they are highly mobile and highly interactive," she said. "Given that students are easily identified as a cohort creating transmission and infection, we chose to concentrate on them. Further, this is the community that goes back to their extended families and communities, and we believe that by concentrating on them we will make New Jersey safer."

Devlin also said on Friday the school is not aware of any lawsuits that have been filed challenging the legality of its mandate.

Wolfson said he would not answer when asked if he thought it was "fair" of Rutgers to require students get the vaccine, and not teachers.

"I'm not going to reflect on the university's decision, how they've approved this," he said. "As president of the faculty union, again what we want is a safe campus."

Ongoing Patch reporting on this topic: GOP Lawmaker Said She Plans To Fight Rutgers' Vaccine Mandate (March 29)

Rutgers Will Require COVID-19 Vaccines For All Students (March 25)

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