Salem State Pushes Students To Provide Vaccination Confirmation

SALEM, MA — Salem State University is pushing students to get on board with the state college coronavirus vaccination mandate and is offering some pricey incentives to upload their vaccination status before they arrive back on campus.

Students who upload proof of vaccination by Monday at 5 p.m. will be eligible to win $2,000 in credit toward their tuition, a Follet book of scholarships worth $500 or $250 in Clipper Cash as part of the university's Vaccinated Viking Contest.

There will be one $2,000 tuition credit grand prize and four each of the other two prizes awarded.

"With move-in just a couple of weeks away we're encouraging our students to show us that they have complied with this public health and safety requirement that is so important to a safe in-person return this fall," said Elisa Castillo, associate dean of students for wellness. "Students who have not followed our vaccine mandate or received an approved exemption could face restrictions when it comes to moving in and accessing some campus facilities, and we are hopeful that this contest will prompt them to get squared away so that when they return, they can focus on academics and the excitement of being back."

Students who are fully vaccinated and students who have received exemptions are eligible and can upload their information in the health portal here. The prizes are taxable and will be awarded based on a random selection from eligible entries.

Salem State will review and attempt to confirm potential winner information and eligibility prior to declaring an official winner for each prize. Verification of all information and eligibility criteria must be established to the sole satisfaction of Salem State before a potential winner is named an official winner or entitled to claim any prize.

Winners will be notified on Friday, Aug. 27.

Salem State joined the other eight schools in the Massachusetts State University system requiring all students returning to campus this fall to be fully inoculated against the coronavirus.

All students attending in-person classes, conducting research on campus or participating in campus life activities will need to have an approved COVID-19 vaccine prior to returning to school.

"From the start of the pandemic, Salem State University has put the safety of our campus first," Salem State President John Keenan said in a statement to Patch at the time. "As part of our ongoing efforts, we are proud to join our sister universities in the decision to require COVID-19 vaccination for our students before returning to campus this fall."

Salem State said last week that all non-unionized staff will also be required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1, while the school said it is working with its three unions on an agreement to make staff vaccination mandates universal on campus.

Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)