During a retreat at a country club, members of Mississippi’s College Board voted to prevent the state’s eight public universities from requiring coronavirus vaccinations. The meeting was not webcast as other meetings have been throughout the pandemic, and was several hours away from Jackson.
Faculties at both Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi recently voted to request a vaccine mandate on campuses in the state. Daniel Durkin, Chair of the Faculty Senate at the University of Mississippi, says faculty supported mandates to protect everyone at the university and their families. But he says this ruling takes that power away from schools.
“Obviously we were disappointed. We would like to see the IHL make a different decision than that. Especially when there were two members that are physicians that were in favor of it,” says Durkin. “But there had also been some confusion about exactly who was responsible for making the decision in the state. So in one way what the IHL did has been very helpful because they’ve cleared that up.”
Students also have shown support for vaccine mandates. At the University of Mississippi, the student body requested vaccine mandates. MSU Student Government Association Vice President Kennedy Guest says he supports the coronavirus mitigation efforts being enacted at the university. But he says some students are split on the issue.
“We have had students organize to implement a vaccine mandate, and we have had students come yell at us about having to wear masks in class,” says Guest. “And we always tell them we will absolutely take your opinion, but we don’t get to make that call we just get to advise. Whenever we are asked what’s the student opinion we always tell them the large majority of students are ready to go back to normal fully.”
Guest says he is supportive of the decision to not have vaccine mandates on campus, however, he is concerned that this could set a president of not updating vaccination policy for future diseases.
“I see where IHL is coming from a COVID-19 vaccine, and I agree with their decision to not allow it to be mandated, however, I believe they need to at some point reverse this president so that we can gain faith back in our vaccinations to perhaps stop future ailments.”
College campuses across the state are holding vaccination events and promotions to encourage students to get the vaccine.
