Deakin University reveals plan for return to face-to-face learning, include Covid vaccine mandate

Deakin University will require all staff, students and visitors to be fully vaccinated to attend its campuses after revealing a plan to resume face-to-face learning.

Deakin University will require all staff, students and visitors to be fully vaccinated to attend its campuses from November 5 after revealing a three-step plan to resume face-to-face learning.

Aligned with the state government’s road map, the plan is set to have students back in the classroom by the end of January to begin semester 1 for 2022.

The aim is to have many classes, seminars and hands-on learning activities delivered in person while also using Deakin’s digital learning.

The first step in the university’s road map is for all staff and students attending the campuses

as essential workers or students to have evidence of having at least one dose of a Covid vaccine from October 15 as per the state government’s mandatory public health order.

Deakin said it will reissue all existing essential worker permits to confirm proof of vaccination has been sighted.

Visitors to Deakin University will need to be fully vaccinated from November 5. Picture: Mitch Bear

Step two will only allow fully vaccinated staff, students or visitors (or those with an ATAGI-approved reason for exemption) to attend campus from November 5.

Students will continue their studies online for the remainder of 2021, with on-campus pracs and labs scheduled for fully vaccinated students from December.

Vice-chancellor Professor Iain Martin said the plan recognised the need to provide certainty to students and staff for the rest of 2021 while charting a course forward for 2022.

“From the outset of the pandemic, we have worked within the framework set out by the state and federal governments, and it is now clear that public spaces will increasingly be open only to people who are fully vaccinated,” Prof Martin said.

The move has been widely supported and a survey of 2000 people from the university community found 77 per cent of respondents somewhat or strongly agreeing with the need for staff to be fully vaccinated and 74 per cent somewhat or strongly agreeing with the need for students to be fully vaccinated.

The Deakin survey also revealed a strong vaccine uptake, with 85 per cent of those surveyed having had at least on dose and 62 per cent indicating they were fully vaccinated.

The university said requests for exemptions to the plan will be considered case-by-case, including for students and staff with medical exemptions and, for the time between November 5 and January 31, for those people who have not completed their vaccination protocols.

“It is important to be aware that some areas of the campus – for example, cafes and some other public spaces – will be inaccessible to those who are not fully vaccinated but do not hold a valid medical exemption,” Prof Martin said. “Regulations in the Victorian government’s road map make this clear.

The university is awaiting further information from the government on how vaccination status will be recorded.

Deakin will also continue with other recommended measures such as mask-wearing, density limits and the availability of hand sanitiser to minimise Covid transmission on-campus.

Prof Martin called on all Deakin students and staff to get vaccinated.

“We want our campuses to be as inclusive and as safe as possible, and that requires having our students and staff as close to full vaccination as possible,” he said.

“So I urge everyone to make a booking or visit a walk-up clinic and get your jab as soon as you can.”

Originally published as Deakin University reveals plan for return to face-to-face learning, include Covid vaccine mandate