Editor’s note: This story was edited to remove a reference to “medical professionals” as the only individuals who will review medical/disability accommodation requests, as requests also will be reviewed by other pertinent offices at the University as needed.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In compliance with an executive order from President Joe Biden, Penn State is requiring all employees — including Extension, graduate and undergraduate students supported on wage payroll, and students supported on graduate assistantships — at University Park and eight Commonwealth Campuses to upload proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8, unless they are granted an accommodation for medical/disability- or religious-related reasons.
All employees, as well as undergraduate and graduate students supported on wage payroll, who have a disability or medical condition that they believe prevents them from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine can now request accommodations by completing an online request form on or before Friday, Nov. 12. The University encourages individuals to submit their accommodation requests as early as possible. Each completed form must be submitted electronically to Occupational Medicine. All requests will be carefully reviewed and those requesting accommodations will be notified in writing if their request is granted or denied, or if more information is needed. The University will process accommodation requests on a rolling basis and respond to the individual requestor as soon as possible once a determination has been made. Please contact [email protected] if you need an alternative format of this form.
Students supported on graduate assistantships must submit this form to University Health Services on or before Friday, Nov. 12. Graduate assistants can log into myUHS and click on “Immunization Upload” to upload an image of their completed request form. All requests will be carefully reviewed, and graduate assistants will receive a message through myUHS with the decision regarding their request. The University will process accommodation requests on a rolling basis and respond to the individual requestor as soon as possible once a determination has been made. Please contact [email protected] if you need an alternative format of this form.
Please read the submission form carefully and provide all requested information. Importantly, the second part of the form must be completed and signed by the individual’s health care provider before submission to Occupational Medicine or University Health Services. Please note that this includes submitting a recently obtained letter from a health care provider.
The online form for requesting disability/medical-related accommodations asks individuals to explain the disability or medical condition that they believe prevents them from getting vaccinated and asks several other standard questions to gather sufficient information to consider such requests.
If an accommodation is granted, it will be temporary in nature, as future vaccine types, ingredients, and/or COVID-19 variants may change the assessment.
As part of any approved accommodation, unvaccinated individuals will be required, at a minimum, to comply with all other University COVID-19 policies and protocols designed to mitigate the spread of the virus and safeguard community health and safety, including, but not limited to, weekly COVID-19 testing, masking, and other preventive measures applicable to unvaccinated employees and others.
The University previously announced the process for requesting religious accommodations for the vaccine mandate, which can be submitted online to the Office of Affirmative Action through Friday, Nov. 5.
