Immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), tetanus/diphtheria, and COVID-19 must be up to date for students to participate in in-person programming at Maine’s public universities this summer and fall
Orono, Maine — The University of Maine System is extending its indoor face coverings requirement through April 1 to maintain protection as students, staff and faculty return from spring break and resume classes on Monday, March 21. The requirement applies to everyone regardless of vaccination status.
The System will revisit the face covering requirement and post new guidance before April 1 with the potential of easing aspects of the mandate if community and campus conditions continue on positive trends following the return from the March 14-18 spring break. The most recent face covering guidance was posted March 14, 2022.
Up-to-Date Status for In-Person Learning
To study or participate in in-person activities at UMS universities in summer and fall 2022, students will be required to be up to date with their state-mandated immunizations (PDF) and COVID-19 vaccinations as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (External site). Students may request a narrowly defined exemption from the vaccination policy in keeping with UMS guidance posted on the Together for Maine website.
Being up-to-date according to the U.S. CDC includes receiving a booster when eligible. Proof of vaccination must be uploaded to the UMS PointnClick portal.
“Our new guidance prioritizes public health and is crucial for maintaining safe, in-person learning,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “I urge everyone to get their booster as soon as they are eligible, test as needed, and remain committed to public and personal health practices to help keep us all safe together.”
System officials will continue monitoring the latest public health guidance and data and will revise COVID-19 health protocols as needed.
“We update our guidance to reflect the latest science and adjust to changes in the pandemic,” said University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, chair of the UMS Science Advisory Board. “Ensuring that we can keep our communities healthy and safe will require not only commitment to this guidance, but also individual and collective contributions to community well-being through masking, vaccination and testing.”
About the University of Maine System
Established in 1968, the University of Maine System (UMS) unites seven Maine’s distinctive public universities, comprising 10 campuses and numerous centers, in the common purpose of providing quality higher education while delivering on its traditional tripartite mission of teaching, research, and public service.
In 2020 UMS became the first and only statewide enterprise of public higher education in the country to transition to a unified accreditation for the system. Much different than a merger or consolidation, unified accreditation is a new operating model for the University of Maine System that removes the primary barrier to inter-institutional collaboration.
A comprehensive public institution of higher education, UMS serves more than 30,000 students annually and is supported by the efforts of more than 2,000 full-time and part-time faculty, more than 3,000 regular full-time and part-time staff, and a complement of part-time temporary (adjunct) faculty.
Reaching more than 500,000 people annually through educational and cultural offerings, the University of Maine System also benefits from more than two-thirds of its alumni population residing within the state; more than 123,000 individuals.
The System consists of seven main campuses: The University of Maine (UMaine), including its regional campus the University of Maine at Machias (UMM); the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA); the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF); the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK), the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI); and the University of Southern Maine (USM). The System also includes a UMA campus in Bangor, USM campuses in Gorham and Lewiston-Auburn, the University of Maine School of Law, and the University of Maine Graduate and Professional Center.
Please follow these links to the UMS Logo, UMS and individual university style guides and an image and biographical information for Chancellor Malloy.
