Illinois community college presidents issue vaccination statement

While not explicitly saying they will require COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff on their campuses, the presidents of five community colleges in Southern Illinois say they are "unified" in their "adherence to state and federal guidance and orders regarding vaccination and testing."

In a joint release issued Monday morning, the community college presidents said their campuses "are working hard to develop and operationalize mitigation protocols" in response to the "dangerously high transmission rate of COVID-19" in Southern Illinois.

"While each of our campuses will implement procedures that best fit our campus communities, it is essential to recognize that we are unified in our message and our adherence to state and federal guidance and orders regarding vaccination and testing," according to the statement.

The four-paragraph statement was issued on behalf of the following school presidents -- Tim Taylor at Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Terry Wilkerson at Rend Lake College in Ina, George Evans at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Kirk Overstreet at John A. Logan College in Carterville and Jonah Rice at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg.

"We, as presidents, are in agreement that the best and safest way for our campuses to continue providing face-to-face learning and services is for our communities to get vaccinated against this virus," the statement continued.

All five community colleges, the statement said, have held vaccination clinics and have worked with county health departments and the medical community to promote and provide vaccinations.

"The vaccines have been shown to successfully mitigate the virus and the duration and severity of the virus in rare breakthrough cases," according to the joint statement. "We, as a collective, believe that the science behind the vaccines and the widespread vaccination efforts will allow us to stay face-to-face on our campuses and in our communities."

The presidents said their pro-vaccination message is not meant to be political.

"We are educators," they said, "and our ultimate goal is to ensure our students succeed while also keeping everyone safe."

If people choose not to be vaccinated, the school presidents said coronavirus testing is "essential" for the "good of public health and serving the interest of helping others stay safe."

The statement went on to say vaccinations and testing is necessary "to help reduce the spread (of COVID-19) and save our health care system from imploding."

While not specifically referencing the announcement by President Joe Biden last week vaccinations will be mandated for all businesses with more than 100 employees, the statement said "per both the United States President's order and the Illinois Governor's order, we will continue to test those individuals who cannot take the vaccination for various reasons."

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