Vaccination/Testing Requirement for Students with In-Person Classes or Activities

COVID-19 Vaccination or Mandatory Weekly Testing

Students who are not required to be vaccinated but who have any in-person courses or participate in on-campus activities must either (1) be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines and report their vaccination status to the University or (2) they may be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. You are “up-to-date” with your COVID-19 vaccines when you have received all doses in the primary vaccination series and all boosters for which you are eligible.

Get Vaccinated and Avoid Mandatory Weekly Testing

Students who are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines and report their vaccination status through EMU’s Vaccine Certification system are not required to undergo mandatory regular COVID-19 testing. Students who fail to report their vaccination status to the University are presumed to be unvaccinated and may be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe, free, and effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill or being hospitalized – especially people who are boosted. There are many opportunities to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and/or booster shot, including pop-up clinics on EMU’s campus during the school year and Campus Medical Pharmacy located on EMU’s campus. You may learn more about where to obtain a free COVID-19 vaccine here.

Mandatory Weekly COVID-19 Testing for Unvaccinated Students

Students who are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines (or who fail to report their vaccination status to the University) but who have any in-person courses or participate in on-campus activities may be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

Although there are limited exemptions to this requirement (see the “Limited Exemptions” section, below), there are no accommodations available from this weekly testing requirement based on medical necessity or sincerely-held religious belief because students who are required to test have chosen to do so in lieu of vaccination.

Students subject to regular COVID-19 testing will be notified of their testing requirement through their EMU e-mail. Free testing is available at EMU’s on-campus testing center or students may upload test results received from an outside entity (EMU will not pay for testing that occurs off-campus). 

Some student populations may be required to undergo more frequent testing if they participate in an activity with a higher risk of transmitting COVID-19. Those students will be notified of their additional testing requirement through their EMU email account. 

Limited Exemptions to the Student Vaccine/Testing Requirement

There are rare cases in which unvaccinated students are exempt from the mandatory weekly testing requirement:

• Students are not required to be vaccinated or test weekly if they are not enrolled in any EMU courses with an in-person on-campus component and are not subject to a vaccination mandate as part of another University program. This exemption is limited. For example, students who live in on-campus housing must be vaccinated against COVID-19 even if they are enrolled in exclusively online courses.
  
  
• Students who have a verifiable case of COVID-19 within the last 90 days will not be subject to testing under this program for 90 days from the date of their positive test. The prior COVID-19 test must be verified by EMU Telehealth. At the end of the 90-day period, we hope that you will choose to be vaccinated but, if not, you will need to resume weekly testing.

Please note that there are no accommodations available from this weekly testing requirement based on medical necessity or sincerely-held religious belief because students who are required to test have chosen to do so in lieu of vaccination.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is the University requiring all students to be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing?

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  The University is committed to the health and safety of our campus. Requiring students with an in-person course or other on-campus activities to be vaccinated or be subject to weekly testing will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 on our campus, in combination with other EMU Safe policies, such as mandatory vaccination of students living in on-campus housing, and our wastewater testing system. 

• Where can I receive a COVID-19 vaccine?

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  There are many opportunities to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, including pop-up clinics that the University periodically holds on campus. You may learn more here about where to obtain a free COVID-19 vaccine. 

• If I am subject to regular Covid-19 testing, where may I receive a COVID-19 test?

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  Testing is available at EMU’s on-campus testing center or students may upload test results received from an outside entity (e.g., pharmacy, doctor’s office) to the University’s secure and confidential testing portal. 

  Please note that some student populations may be required to undergo more frequent testing if they participate in certain activities. Those students will be notified if they are required to undergo more frequent testing. 

   

• What if I am only enrolled in fully-online courses?

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  Students are exempt from the vaccine/testing program if they are not enrolled in any EMU courses with an in-person component and are not subject to a vaccination mandate as part of another University program. This is a narrow exemption. For example, students who live in on-campus housing, participate in Marching Band, or participate in intercollegiate sports must be vaccinated against COVID-19 even if they are enrolled in exclusively online courses. Similarly, unvaccinated students enrolled in an off-campus in-person credit-bearing practicum or internship are required to undergo weekly testing even if they have no in-person classes on EMU’s campus.

• How do I prove that I have been vaccinated?

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  Students must attest that they have been vaccinated through EMU’s Vaccine Certification system in order to avoid the weekly testing requirement.