In Response to Federal Order, UVA Requires All Employees to Be Vaccinated by Dec. 8

In an email to members of the University of Virginia community on Thursday, Provost Liz Magill and Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis announced that all University faculty and staff must be vaccinated by Dec. 8 as part of UVA’s plan to comply with an executive order signed by President Joe Biden.

Executive Order 14042 requires employees of organizations that hold certain federal contracts to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. University leaders, along with legal and public health experts, conducted a careful review of the order and determined that the new vaccination requirement is a necessary step.

“Like many other institutions around the country, we have determined that compliance with President Biden’s executive order is vital to ensure that we do not risk losing millions in federal contract dollars that support important research and education work here at UVA,” Magill and Davis wrote.

The new requirement includes all full- and part-time employees, including employees who are currently working remotely in the United States. Employees will no longer be permitted to elect not to be vaccinated or to test as an alternative to vaccination.

After Dec. 8, anyone who is not in compliance, either by being vaccinated or receiving a University-approved religious or medical exemption, will be subject to disciplinary action consistent with the University’s policies, up to and including unpaid leave or termination.

More than 95% of University faculty and staff are already fully vaccinated, meaning the overwhelming majority of UVA employees have already satisfied the requirements of this new policy.

In addition, UVA Health already requires its team members to be fully vaccinated in accordance UVA Health Policy OCH-002, which applies to employees working in the Medical Center, School of Medicine, University Physicians Group, Health Sciences Library, and Community Medicine, regardless of their employer.

For the remaining UVA employees who are not yet fully vaccinated, or who have not reported their vaccination status, University Human Resources will provide additional information about how to comply with this updated vaccine requirement and how to request a medical or religious exemption by Oct. 28.

Magill and Davis encouraged all employees to take action as soon as possible to comply with the new order, writing, “If you do not intend to apply for an exemption and are not yet vaccinated, we encourage you to make your appointment for a vaccine as soon as possible in order to ensure that you meet the deadline.”