PFW Professor pushes back against University Leader's decision not to pursue a COVID-19 vaccine mandate - Fort Wayne's NBC

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Fort Wayne’s NBC) — Purdue Fort Wayne officials announced last week the school will not pursue a vaccine mandate on campus next spring.

In a release, PFW leadership says after careful consideration, a vaccine mandate is "simply not feasible", and that such a major policy change would cause a disruption in the middle of an academic year.

"Our decision was also based on recommendations from the PFW Ready Committee, which we have relied on during the pandemic for expert guidance related to campus safety protocols, logistics, and operations," the release says. "Our mitigation efforts have proven very effective, most notably the mask requirement that has been in effect during most of the pandemic. We have had no outbreaks of the virus on campus, and campus infection rates continue to decline."

Fort Wayne's NBC Anchor Tom Powell talks with PFW Associate Professor Ann Livschiz

This week outside the building on campus where Ann Livschiz works, where signs remind pfwPFW students of the school's policy to mask up inside, we sat down to discuss her concerns about covid. "Pretending that everything is fine is not going to solve the problem on campus," she says.

She had hoped the university would follow the PFW Faculty Senate's recommendation to mandate vaccines. She says university officials are abdicating a leadership opportunity in a crisis by opting not to pursue a mandate. "We need to think about what our responsibilities are as an institution of higher learning, in modern society and in our community," she says. "We are not helping contribute to the solution. We are just treading water and hoping that someone else will do the hard work. I am concerned about my own safety and my family, of course,  but it's not the main reason I am speaking out. I think that we have a responsibility to our community."

She points to the "Chronicle of Higher Education's" list of more than one thousand campuses that require at least some students or employees to be vaccinated, including Indiana University Notre Dame and Butler.

Looking beyond the mandate debate she says the university should do more to encourage vaccines. "I think it would make sense for us to see what other universities are doing including many in the state of Indiana, where there are different ways to try and encourage vaccination even though it falls short of specifically a mandate."

I asked PFW officials for a list of ways they have encouraged the university community to get vaccinated and specific plans going forward. A spokesperson pointed me to the letter about their vaccine decision.

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PFW Professor pushes back against University Leader's decision not to pursue a COVID-19 vaccine mandate - Fort Wayne's NBC
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