Menu TOGETHER WE WILL Home FAQS FAQs Michigan State University is requiring students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19, with limited medical and religious exemptions. Additionally, all individuals are required to wear a mask indoors on any MSU property. Our goal with this requirement is simple: Protect students, faculty and staff, as well as our surrounding communities. Health and safety remain our top priority, and this is the best path to the fall we all seek – living and learning on campus. Below are answers to questions about these requirements as well as general FAQs. General What do I do if I am feeling ill or test positive for COVID-19? Where can I get a vaccine? What about for my child? How do I get tested for COVID-19? Is MSU practicing physical distancing? Who must isolate or quarantine? Is MSU tracking the amount of cases on campus and the percentage of people vaccinated? How are buildings being kept clean? What is the COVID-19 Early Detection Program? Who must participate in the Early Detection Program for Fall 2021? I’m not near campus, but I need to participate in EDP. What should I do? For mandatory EDP participants, what do I need to do to stay compliant? What are the COVID-19 protocols at the Wharton Center? COVID-19 vaccine mandate What is considered fully vaccinated? What about booster shots? Why did MSU institute a vaccine mandate? How will I provide proof that I have been vaccinated? I received an email telling me I was noncompliant with the mandate, but I already filled it out. Who do I contact? Can I change my form if I make an error or need to add my second dose? Can those under the age of 18 receive the COVID-19 vaccine at MSU? How do I request an exemption from the vaccine mandate? Who will have access to the verification and exemption information submitted by students, faculty and staff? What are the consequences for not complying with the vaccine or mask requirement? If I qualify for a medical or religious exemption, will I be required to participate in the Early Detection Program? I have had COVID-19 in the past and have laboratory evidence of antibodies. Do I need to be vaccinated? Will MSU recognize international vaccines? What if I received a COVID-19 vaccine outside of the United States that is not approved or authorized by the FDA or WHO? If I received my first dose somewhere other than campus, can I receive my second dose on campus? Will guests and volunteers at the Spartan Stadium, MSU Pavilion, museums, or other public venues on campus need to be vaccinated? Do people with adjunct appointments only (such as unpaid or volunteer appointments; clinical faculty) need to be vaccinated? Do visiting scholars need to be vaccinated? Can outside entities hosting events at MSU require masks or ask about vaccination status? How can MSU legally mandate a vaccine? Why should I get a vaccine if the delta variant breaks through with the current vaccines? Will emeriti working in MSU buildings on campus need to be vaccinated? Are they considered faculty and academic staff under the vaccine mandate? Will there be an app or some other technology that people will show as they enter buildings to prove that they have been vaccinated or that they have an exemption and accommodations? Who will need to determine whether faculty, staff and students in offices are vaccinated? Who will that fall to? What happens if it is learned – through some established process or accidentally – that an employee or student has attested to being vaccinated when in fact the person was not actually vaccinated? Can students have visitors who are unvaccinated? Why am I required to participate in the Early Detection Program if I am vaccinated? Federal mandate on proof of vaccination Who is required to provide proof of vaccination? What is the deadline to provide proof of vaccination? Who will have access to my vaccination records that I upload? How is this mandate different than the vaccine mandate MSU instituted before the beginning of the fall 2021 semester? Do students need to upload proof of vaccination? What constitutes “proof” of vaccination? I can’t find my vaccination card. What should I do? I got my vaccine overseas. What should I do? I have an approved exemption to the vaccine mandate. How does this affect me? Does this apply to boosters? What happens if I don’t provide proof of vaccination? Why does this requirement apply to MSU? Is the executive order requiring federal contractors to be vaccinated different than the executive order recently put on hold in federal court? Vaccine exemptions How do I apply for a medical exemption? If I applied for an exemption do I still need to fill out the attestation form? How do I attach the form to the email? What is the turnaround time for getting a response? Is there be an appeal process if denied? Who is on the exemption review committee? Where do my form and documentation go? Is the information I submit in my exemption request confidential? Can I apply for both a religious and medical exemption? I would prefer to send the form to a mail-in address, rather than attaching it to an email. Can I do that? I received my vaccine in another country and the vaccine was not FDA-authorized or WHO-approved. My doctor says that getting another vaccine at this point may not be safe. What should I do? Face coverings Do students need to wear masks in their residence hall rooms? Do visitors to rooms in the residence halls need to wear a mask? Do employees need to wear masks in MSU vehicles? How about wearing masks in the dining halls? How do students and employees get access to personal accommodations, such as clear face coverings? Do I need to wear a mask to ride the CATA bus? Do I need to wear a mask while working out on campus? Are family members or significant others required to wear a mask in my dorm room with me? What are the rules for masks at Spartan Stadium and other athletic venues? How does the mask mandate impact MSU-sponsored activities off campus? Students Can a student remain enrolled at MSU without being vaccinated if they take only online courses? Can I choose to be unvaccinated and just participate in the Early Detection Program? If a student is not comfortable attending their in-person classes until they are fully vaccinated, what should they do? What if a student enrolled in an in-person course requests to be remote/online because of their circumstances (e.g., health, international)? What happens if a faculty member/instructor becomes ill? Is MSU providing space for quarantining/isolating students, or do they need to have their own action plan? Do students need to inform a faculty member, academic adviser, or residence hall adviser of their vaccination status? Can students still participate in in-person activities and classes if they are not fully vaccinated but are participating in the Early Detection Program? If I have friends visiting me in my residence hall room or apartment, or have family helping me move onto campus, do they need to be vaccinated? Can I receive a full tuition refund if I withdraw from the university? Can I receive a full refund if I cancel my housing contract at this time? Will there be restrictions on how many people can be in a dorm room? Are visitors allowed to stay the night in the residence halls? What happens to financial aid for students who do not comply with the vaccine mandate or receive an approved exemption? Faculty and staff Do employees need to inform their supervisor of their vaccination status? Can I choose to be unvaccinated and just participate in the Early Detection Program? Can an employee remain employed at MSU without being vaccinated if they are working remotely? Should units who are still working remotely continue to do so with cases on the rise? What is the updated return-to-campus plan? I am represented by a labor organization. What role does that play in connection with this policy? Will all courses need to have a remote/Zoom option to accommodate unvaccinated students? What are the expectations for instructors when determining whether to accommodate requests for remote learning from students who are concerned about COVID? Will faculty be informed about positive cases in their classrooms? How do I respond if a student refuses to wear a mask? Will we need to have a mask on while teaching? Will face shields substitute for a mask? Will faculty be informed about the vaccination status of everyone in their class (vaccinated or have an appropriate exemption)? Does the campus mask requirement apply to individuals when they are alone in private offices? 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