Having accurate information about how many people are vaccinated is critical to establishing appropriate health and safety protocols for our WVU campus community going forward. It will guide decision-making on what aspects of our campus we can reopen. While many have received their COVID-19 vaccine through the University’s clinics, several students, faculty and staff have been vaccinated elsewhere in a community clinic or at their local pharmacy.
WVU has launched a COVID-19 Vaccine Verification System for students, faculty and staff. All students, faculty and staff who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 must verify their vaccination with the University by Aug. 1. Those who do not complete the verification process will be considered unvaccinated this fall.
You can access the Vaccine Verification System and complete the acknowledgment form via StarRez (WVU’s housing portal): myhousing.wvu.edu. View full instructions on the Return to Campus website. There will be a page that shows the current vaccination rate of the campus community. The page will be updated every Tuesday.
In addition to the health benefits, if you are fully vaccinated and let us know that you are, the following will apply:
immunized individuals will not be required to undergo campus re-entry testing in the fall;
immunized individuals will not be required to undergo surveillance testing during the semester;
immunized individuals will not be required to quarantine if they are exposed to someone else with COVID; and
immunized individuals will not be required to quarantine following travel.
Additionally, the more students and employees are vaccinated and the closer we get to community immunity, the more likely it is we keep our rates of infection low and we can continue reducing the COVID-19 protocols in place and have more activity on campus, beginning Sept. 1.
Once 50% of our students and employees become fully vaccinated (either with one dose of Johnson & Johnson or two doses of Pfizer and Moderna) and have verified that vaccination to the University, we plan to take these steps:
the Rec Center will be open at 50% capacity with reservations;
Up All Night will be open at 50% capacity;
concerts, shows, and plays will be open at 50% capacity; and
the PRT will run with a maximum of six passengers.
Once 60% of our students and employees become fully vaccinated (either with one dose of Johnson & Johnson or two doses of Pfizer and Moderna) and have verified that vaccination to the University, we plan to take these steps:
the Rec Center will be open at 75% capacity with reservations;
Up All Night will be open at 75% capacity; and
concerts, shows and plays will be open at 75% capacity;
the PRT will run with a maximum of eight passengers;
non-contact intramural sports will resume;
outdoor sports activities like volleyball and basketball will resume;
Fall Family Weekend will be conducted in person;
student organizations will have the ability to host social events such as blood drives and community service;
visitation in the residence halls will be open to all WVU students;
groups of 10 or less may congregate outdoors without masks on University property; and
fraternities and sororities may host in-person recruitment.
Once 75% of our students and employees become fully vaccinated (either with one dose of Johnson & Johnson or two doses of Pfizer and Moderna) and have verified that vaccination to the University, we plan to take these steps:
the Rec Center will be open at 100%;
Up All Night will be open at full capacity;
concerts, shows and plays will be open at full capacity;
the PRT will run with a maximum of 12 passengers;
contact intramural sports will resume;
all sports activities will resume;
residence hall fitness centers will open;
plexiglass dividers will largely be removed from dining halls;
Homecoming activities will be conducted in person; and
Welcome Week activities will be held in larger groups.
WVU will host a vaccine clinic on Friday, May 7 from 1-4 p.m. at the Student Rec Center in the upper gym. Anyone interested in receiving a Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer or Moderna vaccine may walk in on a first-come, first-served basis. Both first and second doses will be offered for Pfizer and Moderna.
The University will also continue to partner with the state to offer COVID-19 vaccines on campus throughout the summer.
We also understand there are those who may be hesitant. We strongly urge those who have concerns to speak to a health care provider to learn more about the vaccine. There is a lot of misinformation circulating, particularly on social media, and the best way to address concerns is by speaking to a medical professional.
The campus community is invited to join a Return to Campus Conversation tomorrow (May 6) from 10-11:30 a.m. to hear from administrators and public health experts and ask them questions.
Questions also can be submitted, or email returntocampus@mail.wvu.edu for more information.
Visit https://www.wvu.edu/return-to-campus for the latest information, including COVID-19 dashboards, which are updated weekly.