Eastern Kentucky University President David McFaddin said there are no plans to require students to be vaccinated for the start of the fall semester. And McFaddin said that position is not expected to change over the summer months.
The EKU president noted legislation passed in 2021 gives a wide-open exit for students who don’t want to get vaccinated. “We feel like if a student has opted not to get the vaccination despite the encouragement and the education and the opportunity to do so, they’ve already made an election to opt out of the vaccination for whatever the reason that they’ve chosen to do so,” said McFaddin.
McFaddin said university administrators at Eastern don’t know what percentage of the student body went home for summer break already vaccinated. McFaddin said there is not mandatory reporting in that area, but there is the option to voluntarily report in the fall.
David McFaddin noted it’s difficult to say if the higher education community will learn more this year about state spending of federal coronavirus stimulus dollars.
Governor Beshear could call lawmakers into special session between now and January to consider how to divvy up COVID related monies. But, McFaddin said that’s not high on his radar right now. “At this point institutionally we’re kind of focused on recruitment and retention throughout the summer, this incoming freshmen class and being out connecting with students and telling them we are prepared to really move to the next normal,” explained McFaddin.
The Kentucky General Assembly is next scheduled to go into session in early January of next year.
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