University of St. Thomas will not require COVID-19 shots for students

Minnesota's largest private college will not require its students and employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus this fall.

The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul announced its decision Wednesday, following other state institutions such as the University of Minnesota that have opted to encourage vaccination rather than mandate it.

Though hundreds of U.S. colleges have announced vaccination requirements for the coming fall semester, just a handful of private institutions in Minnesota have followed suit. They include Macalester College, Carleton College, St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College and the Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

The Minnesota State system's 30 community colleges and seven universities are only encouraging vaccination, as are most other private colleges in the state.

St. Thomas will launch a vaccination-incentive program for students and employees in hopes of increasing its campus immunization rate. Incentives for students will include gift cards, and tuition and study abroad discounts, while faculty and staff could get professional development money or extra time off. All students and employees, even those already vaccinated, will be eligible for the incentives.

The university also will increase its supply of COVID-19 vaccines and require students and employees to confidentially report their immunization status by Aug. 1. School officials will use that data to make decisions including whether to require social distancing and masks.

"The COVID-19 vaccines represent our best chance for a return to normal. We want as many of our community members as possible to get their shots!" St. Thomas leaders wrote in an e-mail to students.

St. Thomas plans to return to pre-pandemic operations this fall.

Ryan Faircloth • 612-673-4234

Twitter: @ryanfaircloth