To Our Undergraduates:
Throughout this pandemic, our top university priority has been the health and safety of our campus community.
Now that climbing vaccination rates are dramatically reducing COVID-19 cases, we can begin to look forward to a fall semester resembling the ones we had before the pandemic—that is, with in-person classes, full-capacity residence halls, and athletics and other extracurricular activities no longer limited by physical distancing requirements.
As appealing as that vision is, though, it cannot become a reality without our collective efforts. The single best way for us to reach the point where it is safe to scale back those health protocols is for a large majority of our campus community to be vaccinated.
We know that many of you have done your part—receiving COVID-19 vaccinations at our site in the Veale Recreation, Convocation and Athletic Center, elsewhere in Northeast Ohio and, for those learning remotely, at locations around the world.
But while data from the daily health attestation form indicates high rates of partial or full vaccination among students, the numbers represent a fairly modest proportion of our total student population. To understand the true proportion of those vaccinated, we need a more formal mechanism to gather information.
Thanks to tireless efforts of [U]Tech and University Health Services (UHS) staff, we now have one—and it’s within the very same system you already use for campus care: myhealthconnect.case.edu. You simply have to follow the prompts to enter dates of vaccination and upload a picture of your vaccine card; within 10 business days you will either be able to see that your submission has been verified—or, if any issues exist, you will hear directly from UHS.
Students who received their vaccinations outside the U.S. also should upload any documentation they received. All can get additional guidance about the process on this new vaccine verification webpage.
As of this date, the university is still evaluating whether to require COVID-19 vaccinations. Your assistance in giving us a more accurate picture of the extent of vaccination on campus will play a significant role in our final decision. Like you, we very much want to enjoy a campus experience free of the constraints that COVID-19 has required since the spring of last year. Please help us in achieving that goal by providing a photograph of your vaccine card as soon as possible.
We look forward to your participation, and will continue to update you as we learn more about vaccination rates on campus.
Lou Stark
Vice President for Student Affairs
Sara Lee
Executive Director, University Health and Counseling Services