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Yonkers, NY. June 2, 2021 — Today, Sarah Lawrence College joined President Biden, the Department of Education, and colleges across the nation in the COVID-19 College Challenge – an initiative to engage students, staff, and faculty about the powerful benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine and the importance of getting vaccinated to help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the Challenge, Sarah Lawrence pledges to:
- Work directly with its community to ensure students, faculty, and staff know they are eligible for the vaccine
- Help share reliable information regarding COVID-19 vaccines, with campus leaders encouraging the community to make a plan to get their shot if they haven’t yet already
- Facilitate opportunities for the Sarah Lawrence community to easily receive the vaccination on campus and in the local area
“Sarah Lawrence is proud to join the White House’s COVID-19 College Challenge and to play a role in support of the Biden administration’s goal for 160 million Americans vaccinated by the Fourth of July,” said Danielle Coscia, Vice President for Human Resources & Organizational Development, who will lead this initiative for the College alongside Mary Hartnett, RN, Director of Medical Services. “As a member of the Bronxville and Yonkers communities,” Coscia continued, “the College takes seriously its responsibility to support our region’s health. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective and will help save lives and end the pandemic.”
Already, the Sarah Lawrence community has a high vaccination rate and students, faculty, and staff have been overwhelmingly proactive about getting their shot. The College’s Health & Wellness Center administered vaccines for interested members of the college community during the spring semester and in April Sarah Lawrence announced that all students who will be on campus and/or commuting to campus during the 2021-22 academic year must be vaccinated prior to the start of the fall semester. The vaccination rate for faculty and staff (those who are fully vaccinated) exceeds 60%—higher than the averages for the state and country—and climbs every week as more community members complete their vaccination series.
Demonstrating the Sarah Lawrence community’s dedication to one another and to its collective health and safety, the College experienced a less than 1% positivity rate for the 2020-21 academic year, which concluded in May, and is planning on an in-person and fully residential 2021-22 academic year.