UW System to follow federal vaccine mandate for employees

Rory Linnane
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

University of Wisconsin campuses will mandate vaccines for employees to comply with a Biden administration order for federal contractors, UW System President Tommy Thompson said Wednesday.

“We cannot afford to jeopardize millions of dollars in federal contracts, which are integral to our academic and research missions," Thompson said in a statement. "Therefore, we intend to be in compliance with the federal executive order on vaccine mandates.”

A spokesperson for UW System did not immediately return calls to clarify which employees will be covered under the mandate. 

Under a September order by President Joe Biden and subsequent rules, colleges and universities that have federal contracts must have vaccine mandates for faculty and staff, including student workers, according to guidance from the American Council on Education. 

UW System President Tommy Thompson speak during a news conference at a vaccination clinic Monday, March 22, 2021 at UW-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wis. Behind him is Gov. Tony Evers.

Related:Who is covered by Biden's new vaccine mandates and when do they go into effect? Here's what we know.

Related:Some businesses welcome Biden's vaccination mandate while others worry about the costs, effects on worker shortages

The federal guidelines do allow for exceptions based on disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs. They set a deadline of Dec. 8. 

Many other universities have already implemented these mandates in response to the federal rules, to avoid losing federal contracts. 

Thompson, who previously opposed vaccine mandates, had said in August that he didn't want to be "locked into any position" should the pandemic's circumstances change. 

Most UW staff have already been vaccinated. Some campuses have dashboards with employee vaccination rates, including UW-Madison at 95%, River Falls at 87%, Milwaukee at 82%, Green Bay at 79% and Oshkosh at 77%.

Vaccines are not required for students. UW leaders set a goal of getting 70% of students vaccinated. As of Oct. 20, nine campuses had hit or passed the goal while four were behind

In August Thompson clashed with Republican state lawmakers who contended the UW System needed legislative approval for campus COVID-19 rules. Thompson defied lawmakers and said he was confident UW could prevail in court if challenged. Legislative leaders have not pursued further action.

Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @RoryLinnane