University of New Mexico (UNM) students who do not adhere to the vaccine mandate or refuse to be regularly tested will be expelled. School officials issued the directive to remind enrolled students — whether online or in-person — to comply with the policy, as reported by KUNM.
The mandatory vaccine deadline for all UNM students and employees is on Thursday. Regular testing will take place every week for those who cannot provide proof of vaccination. Students who refuse either of these options will be disenrolled on November 5.
UNM also disclosed that disenrollment will affect, even terminate, financial aid such as scholarships, loans, grants, and student employment, including graduate student contracts.
Students Versus Vaccines
Vaccine mandates have become a controversial and divisive topic within higher education. Many students perceive these mandates as a violation of their freedom.
A survey conducted by Intelligent.com found that one out of five college students in the US would willingly transfer to another college or university that does not have a vaccine mandate if their current school requires them to be inoculated.
This is because 25 percent of opposed students believe that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine should be a choice, and another 15 percent are convinced that that the vaccine isn’t safe.
Another survey by the online magazine showed that the majority of unvaccinated students lie about their status to circumvent strict vaccination mandates.
55 percent of the respondents admitted to lying, explaining that it was to attend in-person classes despite not being inoculated. Another 46 percent also shared that they bought fake vaccination cards to show if school officials ask.
