Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed an executive order barring the state’s public universities and community colleges from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for students.
Under the new order, students will not be required to take the vaccine or submit vaccination documents to take in-person classes. Additionally, schools cannot mandate students get tested or wear masks to stay on campus.
In Arizona, getting the #COVID19 vaccine is a choice – not a requirement.
Today, I issued an Executive Order protecting access to Arizona’s public universities and community colleges for all students. 1/
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) June 15, 2021
Colleges and universities, however, can encourage students to take the vaccine or use masks voluntarily in a manner that is consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.
Governor Ducey included an exemption for students working in medical or clinical training, such as hospitals, nursing homes, or group homes, saying those facilities can require proof of vaccination.
‘It Is a Choice’
“The vaccine works, and we encourage Arizonans to take it. But it is a choice and we need to keep it that way,” Governor Ducey said.
Schools such as Arizona State University (ASU) that had asked students to get the jab have also complied with the executive order and dispelled all notion of a vaccine mandate.
“We did not communicate a vaccine mandate. We reiterated our message that we expect students to get vaccinated given the health benefits, but also offered students a choice in the matter,” ASU spokesperson Katie Paquet told AZ Central.
Desperate to reopen, colleges fear upsetting conservative state governments, especially at a time when their revenues are in the red.
“If you are a public college president, getting on the wrong side of a governor or state legislature can be a career-ending action,” senior vice president at the American Council on Education, Terry W. Hartle, told The New York Times.
Arizona now joins a growing list of Republican-led states such as Utah, Kansas, and Mississippi that are either lifting vaccine mandates or making broad exceptions, rendering such mandates meaningless.
