Vaccine Mandate FAQs

as of Sept. 4, 2021

PROOF OF VACCINATION

Vaccinated SUNY Orange students can upload proof of vaccination here.

Deadlines related to the SUNY-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate are rapidly approaching, which means time is running out for those unvaccinated students who are enrolled in on-campus, in-person classes or expecting to access on-campus services. We have communicated with you often this summer about the potential of a vaccine mandate, and recently, following the FDA’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine, we’ve shared these important deadlines and the consequences of not meeting those deadlines.

More Info

The deadline to comply with the SUNY vaccine mandate for students is 11:59 p.m., Monday, Sept. 27, giving you 35 days from the Aug. 23 announcement to complete the necessary steps. Here’s what you should know:

Key Deadlines

11:59 p.m., Friday, Sept. 3: Last date to submit online medical or religious exemption forms for consideration
11:59 p.m., Monday, Sept. 27: Last date to complete two-dose vaccine regimen (Pfizer or Moderna) or one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine AND provide proof of vaccination

Things to Know

Students who have not provided proof of vaccination to the College by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 27, will be automatically withdrawn from their in-person courses. To fulfill the requirement, you must have completed the online proof of vaccinationsubmission form (indicating you have received two doses of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) or been granted a medical or religious exemption by the Sept. 27 deadline.
For those who believe the College won’t remove you from in-person classes if you haven’t been vaccinated, that line of thinking is wrong (refer to our online vaccine mandate FAQs below).
We want you to be able to safely and confidently finish what you’ve started this Fall, whether you are in person or remote, but we are obligated to enforce the SUNY mandate as of Sept. 28, meaning you WILL be withdrawn from in-person classes if you have not submitted proof of vaccination, prohibited from returning to those in-person classes and ineligible for a refund of tuition or fees for those in-person classes at that time.
Monday, Sept. 6, is the last day you can get a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and still meet the deadline (since most providers adhere to three weeks, or 21 days, between doses). We are hearing from our healthcare partners that it is tremendously difficult to locate a one-shot J&J vaccine, and the window for the Moderna vaccine has closed (because it requires 28 days between doses).
The College will not adjust its course “add/drop” deadlines (which have now passed, as outlined on the Fall 2021 Registration Calendar) or tuition refund dates/policies (Refund FAQs here) because of the SUNY mandate. The Fall 2021 refund schedule is in the table below. You should also know that there may be financial aid impacts if you are automatically withdrawn from your courses for non-compliance of the SUNY mandate.

Fall 2021 Refund Dates		Full-semester class	8-week class*
	Refund Deadline	Refund rate	Refund rate
During first week	5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 27	75% of tuition	25% of tuition
During second week	5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 3	50% of tuition	0%
During third week	5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 10	25% of tuition	0%
After the third week	Beginning 5:01 p.m., Friday, Sept. 10	0%	0%
*Applies to eight-week courses beginning at the start of the semester. Students will be required to be vaccinated in order to participate in any eight-week courses starting at the midpoint of the Fall semester.

Vaccination Dose Timelines to Consider

Vaccination Timelines	Action required
Monday, Aug. 30	Last possible date to get first dose of two-dose Moderna vaccine (assuming 28 days between doses) in order to receive second dose and have the ability to provide proof of vaccination by deadline of Sept. 27
Wednesday, Sept. 1	SPECIAL EXEMPTION: By joint approval of SUNY and SUNY Orange, in appreciation of Orange County bringing a special vaccine pod to the Middletown campus for our students, those who receive a first dose of the Moderna vaccine at this site (between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) ON THIS DAY ONLY, will be allowed to accept their second dose at an on-campus clinic on Sept. 29, and will be considered to have met the vaccine deadline.
Thursday, Sept. 2	SPECIAL EXEMPTION: By joint approval of SUNY and SUNY Orange, in appreciation of Orange County bringing a special vaccine pod to the Newburgh campus for our students, those who receive a first dose of the Moderna vaccine at this site (between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) ON THIS DAY ONLY, will be allowed to accept their second dose at an on-campus clinic on Sept. 30, and will be considered to have met the vaccine deadline.
Monday, Sept. 6	Last possible date to get first dose of two-dose Pfizer vaccine (assuming 21 days between doses) in order to receive second dose and have the ability to provide proof of vaccination by deadline of Sept. 27
Monday, Sept. 27	Last possible date to receive the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in order to upload proof of vaccination by deadline of Sept. 27

Below are some FAQs that supply more details about the SUNY vaccine mandate and how it will apply at SUNY Orange.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I have to be vaccinated to be on campus?

Now that the FDA has formally approved the Pfizer vaccine, SUNY Orange students will have until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 27 to complete the vaccine series and provide proof of vaccination to the College. Students who choose not to get vaccinated within this time period (or provide proof of vaccination in this time window) will be unable to access either SUNY Orange campus to attend in-person, on-campus classes or to come to campus for any purpose (i.e. to visit the library, attend an event, or access in-person services), and will be automatically withdrawn from their on-campus, in-person classes.

Can I attend my on-campus class if I have only received my first vaccine dose?

Yes. Please upload proof of your vaccine if you have not already done so AND remember to submit proof of your second dose so that you can satisfy the vaccine mandate.

Can I get an exemption to the vaccine mandate?

Students seeking a medical exemption or religious exemption must complete the online form no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3. Any exemption forms, letters, emails, phone calls or other submissions given to the College prior to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 24 will not be accepted. To have your exemption request considered, you must use the appropriate form (medical exemption form, religious exemption form) and it must be submitted between 6 p.m. on Aug. 24 and 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 3. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the College will issue a response within five business days.

Can I submit antibody test results in place of providing proof of vaccination? Or can I use antibody test results to support a medical exemption?

No. Serological tests are not acceptable for the purposes of compliance with the SUNY COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

Must I be vaccinated to participate in off-campus clinicals, internships or other experiential learning opportunities?

Students participating in applied learning experiences will be required to comply with their host site's policies. This includes all levels of clinical and allied health training and educator preparation.

Will this vaccine mandate only apply for the Fall 2021 semester?

The SUNY policy is will begin for the Fall 2021 semester and will continue for the foreseeable future.

If I receive a COVID-19 vaccine exemption from SUNY Orange, does that apply to my off-campus clinical, practicum or experiential learning site?

No. Students participating in applied learning experiences will be required to comply with their host site's policies. This includes all levels of clinical and allied health training and educator preparation.

Can I get a refund if I can’t continue my in-person courses?

The College will not adjust its course add/drop deadlines (as outlined on the Fall 2021 Registration Calendar) or tuition refund dates/policies (Refund FAQs here) because of the SUNY mandate. The Fall 2021 refund schedule is in the table below. You should also know that there may be financial aid impacts if you are automatically withdrawn from your courses for non-compliance of the SUNY mandate. More information on refunds can be found on the Student Accounts web site.

Fall 2021		Full-semester class	8-week class*
	Refund Deadline	Refund rate	Refund rate
During first week	5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 27	75% of tuition	25% of tuition
During second week	5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 3	50% of tuition	0%
During third week	5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 10	25% of tuition	0%
After the third week	Beginning 5:01 p.m., Friday, Sept. 10	0%	0%
*Applies to eight-week courses beginning at the start of the semester. Students will be required to be vaccinated in order to participate in any eight-week courses starting at the midpoint of the Fall semester.

Will my financial aid be impacted?

It could be. Your financial aid package may need to be adjusted if you are automatically withdrawn from courses during the semester. A grade of “W” will also have an impact on your SAP (satisfactory academic progress).

Can I attend my in-person classes remotely if I choose not to be vaccinated?

No. On-campus classes will not offer a remote option to accommodate students who choose not to get vaccinated or who fail to provide proof of vaccination.

I am already vaccinated. How do I submit proof of vaccination?

Students can upload proof of vaccination here.

I am an undocumented student. Can I receive the COVID-19 vaccine?

Yes. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that vaccines are available to anyone, including undocumented students, regardless of their immigration status.

Must I participate in weekly surveillance testing if I am unvaccinated?

You must continue to participate in COVID-19 surveillance testing if you are unvaccinated or have not submitted your proof of vaccination. Students who complete the vaccine series between now and the mandate deadline of Sept. 27, but are not yet fully vaccinated by Sept 27, will be subject to pooled surveillance testing until 14 days after your final dose. Students who fail to participate will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. SUNY Orange may need to adjust testing protocols and requirements based upon new information or guidance from the CDC, New York State DOH, SUNY and/or Orange County Department of Health.

The weekly Fall 2021 semester pooled testing schedule (effective Monday, Aug. 30 and continuing through the end of the semester) is as follows:

Newburgh campus (Orange Bank and Trust Great Room, Kaplan Hall): Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Middletown campus (Lower Level, Shepard Student Center): Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For the week of Sept. 6-10, the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday testing hours at Middletown will be held as scheduled. Because the Newburgh site will be closed on Monday, Sept. 6 (Labor Day), the Friday testing window that is normally held in Middletown will be MOVED to the Newburgh campus for that week only. The hours of Friday testing (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) will remain the same, just the testing location will change.

Must I participate in weekly surveillance testing if I am the process of acquiring a vaccine?

The weekly Fall 2021 semester pooled testing schedule (effective Monday, Aug. 30 and continuing through the end of the semester) is as follows:

Newburgh campus (Orange Bank and Trust Great Room, Kaplan Hall): Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Middletown campus (Lower Level, Shepard Student Center): Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

I am tested for COVID every week at my job. Do I have to participate in surveillance testing on campus?

No. You do not need to participate in on-campus testing, but you must submit proof of your COVID test results to the Wellness Center each week.

All of my courses are remote but I may need to come to campus during the semester. Do I have to be vaccinated to access a campus?

Yes. The SUNY vaccine mandate covers all students who need to come to a campus for any reason. In order to access on-campus classes or services, students must submit proof of their full COVID-19 vaccination.

What does “fully vaccinated” mean?

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, or two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

I was vaccinated overseas with a vaccine other than Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. Am I considered fully vaccinated?

Contact the SUNY Orange Wellness Center (wellnesscenter@sunyorange.edu).

Do I have to be tested before the semester begins if I am taking in-person classes?

Yes. ALL students who have not uploaded proof of vaccination prior to Aug. 23 are required to submit proof of a negative COVID test administered on or after Aug. 18, before returning to either campus. Please submit your test results online.