Dear Loggers,

The White House and the U.S. Department of Education have invited University of Puget Sound and colleges and universities across the country to join forces to bring the pandemic to an end.

I am pleased to announce that we have joined the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge, which calls us to make sure that all members of our community know about their eligibility for the vaccine; implement a plan to get as many people vaccinated as possible; and make it easy to find vaccine sites this summer.

As you know we are doing all this and more to keep our campus community healthy and resume campus life more fully over the coming months and especially as we welcome everyone to campus this fall. At this time:

  • For Students: COVID-19 vaccines have been added to vaccination requirements for all students (with medical and religious exemptions available if needed). See Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services for more information.
  • For Faculty and Staff: Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to share vaccination status confidentially with Human Resources so that we can make health and safety plans accordingly. Our goal is a fully vaccinated campus (allowing for medical and religious exemptions) so that everyone can fully participate in campus life. All faculty and staff who submit proof of vaccination by June 23 will qualify for a July 1 drawing for multiple prizes, including an overnight stay at Salish Lodge, $100 Logger Store gift basket, and a made-to-order breakfast or lunch from the Diner.
  • Vaccine appointments are now widely available throughout the country, including in Washington state and throughout Tacoma and Pierce County.

Seattle was recently recognized as the first large city in the U.S. to meet the threshold of 70% of residents vaccinated by July 4. We can do our part here in Tacoma/Pierce County to improve vaccination rates, especially for the young people who are currently and disproportionately affected by COVID-19 diagnoses and hospitalizations.

More information about the university’s response to the pandemic can be found at pugetsound.edu/coronavirus.

Thank you for doing everything you can to keep yourselves and all members of our campus community safe this summer and in the months to come.

Sincerely,

Isiaah
Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President