In a letter sent to UT employees on Oct. 21, President Randy Boyd announced that, due to an executive order from the Biden administration, an undetermined number of employees of the university system will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8.
The reason for the ambiguity surrounding the mandate is that it applies to employees working under federal contracts, as well as those who work in connection with or at the same location as employees who work under federal contracts.
In his letter, Boyd said the university holds more than 1,900 contracts that may fall under the mandate, which are collectively valued at over $750 million in federal funding to the UT system.
Boyd said that UT employees can expect the mandate to apply broadly, though each campus in the UT system will have the power to determine which employees and locations will be subject to the requirement.
“We are closely reviewing the executive order and the guidance to determine how these new requirements will apply to UT employees at all campuses, institutes, extension offices and other locations and what processes need to be implemented in order to demonstrate compliance,” Boyd said.
“In the meantime, I am strongly urging all UT employees who have not been vaccinated to once again consider getting vaccinated.”
Though UT has communicated to employees that they are reviewing the order to determine which employees must be vaccinated, there is not much time left for those who have not yet been vaccinated to meet the Dec. 8 deadline.
Employees who plan to get the Moderna vaccine must get their first shot by Oct. 27 to meet the deadline. Even those receiving the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine must get it by Nov. 24. That is, if the mandate applies to them.
The executive order, titled “Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors,” does not allow for a testing alternative to the vaccine, though employees may be legally entitled to an exemption for medical or religious reasons.
“I recognize that this is a very sensitive topic and that there are a wide variety of strongly held feelings about COVID-19 mitigation measures,” Boyd said. “We are in unchartered territory, but we are doing everything within our control to thoughtfully consider how best to address this latest federal mandate.”
To learn more about the vaccine mandate and the UT system’s evolving response to it, visit the COVID-19 vaccine requirement FAQ page on the UT website.
“Thank you, in advance, for your patience and understanding as we navigate our path forward through another unprecedented situation,” Boyd said. “We will provide more information regarding our plans and processes as it is available.”
