TUCSON, Ariz. — All three of Arizona's public universities are complying with federal regulations requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, officials announced Friday.
Officials with the Arizona Board of Regents released a statement Friday saying all public universities are complying with President Biden’s Executive Order requiring institutions that contract with the federal government to comply with guidance from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force.
In an email to employees Friday, University of Arizona President Dr. Robert Robbins said the move is a reaction to an executive order from President Joe Biden. The order requires organizations that contract with the federal government — including the university — must require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
"The University has hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracts, funding critical research, employment, and educational efforts, and already has received amended federal contracts that include this requirement," the email from Robbins says.
Robbins says UArizona employees must submit documentation proving they are fully vaccinated by Dec. 8. Employees can also request medical or religious exemptions to the mandate.
Officials with Arizona State University released the following statement:
ASU receives hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding through grants and contracts every year. Continued receipt of these funds is essential to ASU’s mission as a comprehensive public research university as well as to the Arizona economy. Under the recent executive order issued by President Biden requiring all employees of federal contractors to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, ASU is required to ensure that every university employee by December 8 either shows proof that they were vaccinated for COVID-19 or requested an accommodation on medical or religious grounds.
A statement from Northern Arizona University stated the following: To continue critical research, employment, and educational efforts provided under federal contracts with NAU, we must comply with requirements from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force. To this end, all Northern Arizona University employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by December 8, 2021. This includes undergraduate and graduate student employees. We respect individual opinions regarding the vaccine and will permit religious and disability or medical accommodations as allowed by federal law.
With hundreds of millions of federal dollars at stake, the announcement Friday by the Arizona Board of Regents and the state’s three universities was not unexpected.
“The universities are communicating with their employees regarding the vaccination requirement and how to upload their vaccine documentation,” Julie Newburg with the Board of Regents said. “The universities offer vaccinations on campus and resources to find alternative vaccination sites.”
Governor Doug Ducey, who supports people getting vaccinated, said in a statement released by his office, that he is opposed to mandates and getting vaccinated should be a personal choice.
To ensure compliance, all employees must upload vaccine documentation by December 8, 2021, showing proof of their fully vaccinated status or a waiver because of either medical or religious reasons. Employees who have already submitted their documentation or who received their vaccine at Campus Health Services do not have to resubmit.
Employees can be vaccinated at the NAU Fieldhouse and at Campus Health Services. Alternatively, you can use Vaccine Finder to find another location close to you.