UWI Pro Vice-Chancellor: No mandatory vaccination plans for staff, students

THE University of the West Indies, St Augustine, has announced that it has no plans in the works to mandate staff or students to be vaccinated against the covid19 virus.

In an e-mail sent to students and staff on Thursday, UWI Pro Vice-Chancellor and campus principal Prof Brian Copeland said the campus management had taken the position that until mandatory vaccination was “legislated and pronounced” by the courts, it will not be mandating UWI staff members nor students to vaccinate.

A release on Thursday said the only exception to UWI’s vaccination policy will be at the Halls of Residence, where only fully vaccinated students – both nationals and non-nationals – would be allowed lodging.

Copeland, however, did encourage staff and students to get fully vaccinated.

“The more members of our community who are vaccinated, the greater chance we have of suppressing the covid19 virus and the production of mutations. This is also the swiftest path to a full return to campus,” Copeland said.

“We have had to treat with the challenge of the covid19 pandemic for almost eighteen months now and the resilience that our campus has shown has been inspiring.”

Some of UWI’s plans for the upcoming 2021/22 academic year will include the continuation of online classes except in the case of labs, field exercises, research and activities that require on-campus or in-person presence.

The release said the semester is slated to start on August 29 and teaching will begin on September 6. Online course registration will begin on August 23.

The campus also unveiled a new fee pay platform this week that will allow all students to gain instantaneous financial clearance by enrolling in a payment plan.

Restrictions on visitors going to the campus will continue, the release said.

Registration information will be available at https://sta.uwi.edu/registration.