Loyola to require students to be vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall

Loyola University Chicago will require students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus this fall.

The decision came after the university announced plans last week to return to in-person classes at three of its Chicago campuses this fall for undergraduate and many graduate programs.

Columbia College and DePaul University previously announced they will require students to be vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall.

The vaccine requirement is “the most effective, efficient, and safest way to return to campus,” Jo Ann Rooney, president of Loyola, and Norberto Grzywacz, provost and chief academic officer, said in a joint statement sent to the university community Thursday.

Loyola will grant exemptions for medical or religious reasons.

Though the vaccine requirement doesn’t include faculty and staff, Loyola encouraged them to get vaccinated as soon as possible if they have not already.

A recent survey from the university indicated 94% of Loyola faculty and staff have been vaccinated or plan to be, said Anna Rozenich, a Loyola spokeswoman.

Currently, the University of Illinois at Chicago is not mandating vaccination against COVID-19.

Other area universities — including Northwestern, Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago — have not yet determined whether they will require students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated.

“We have asked Northwestern students, faculty and staff to voluntarily disclose whether they have received a vaccine. As more members of our community gain access to shots, we will revisit whether we will require vaccination,” a Northwestern spokesperson said.