UPDATE: COVID-19 Vaccination MacKenzie Riley Young | June 16, 2021

Posted: June 16, 2021 at 3:27 p.m.

To the Thomas College community,

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Thomas College has regularly and transparently updated and refined our COVID-19 protocols to follow CDC guidelines and create the safest possible environment to learn, live, and work on campus.  We would not have been able to remain together on campus without your dedication to safety and I am so grateful to everyone who made the 2020-2021 academic year a success.

The COVID-19 vaccine has finally brought the end of this terrible pandemic within sight.  But it has also raised important questions in our community.  One of the most pressing is whether Thomas College will require our students, faculty, and staff to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine before the start of the fall semester.

Last fall and spring, we proved that when we come together as one determined and caring community, we can beat daunting odds.  By collectively agreeing to put safety first,we were able to stay open and in-person while other colleges and universities could not.  And with our undiminished Terrier spirit, we will do it again this fall. 

Our journey toward another successful semester must first begin by understanding the vaccination rate within our own community.  Therefore, Thomas College is launching a 4-week voluntary vaccine record incentive program beginning the week of June 21 to encourage our community to submit their COVID-19 vaccination cards.  Once we better understand our community’s vaccination rate, we can determine the least intrusive way to safely move forward as a highly vaccinated community and reduce the threat of the virus in our shared learning, living, and working spaces.  Our singular focus is to safely and confidently return to in-person classes, host our in-person events, and enjoy a more typical collegiate experience while respecting our community of individuals.

Please be on the lookout for an email next week kicking-off our incentive program and detailing what you can win when you submit your vaccination record to the Health Center (for students) or Human Resources (for faculty and staff).  If you have already submitted your record, you are automatically entered into the program.

We are grateful for the support and resilience our community has shown throughout this pandemic.  If you have additional questions regarding the vaccine, please email [email protected].

With deep respect, 


 
Laurie G. Lachance, President 

Thomas College

Laurie G. Lachance
President
180 W River Rd, Waterville, ME 04901
wwwold.thomas.edu

P.S. Gov. Janet Mills just announced the “Don’t Miss Your Shot: Vaccinationland Sweepstakes” which will reward the winner with $1 for every person vaccinated in Maine by July 4—another great reason to get your COVID-19 shot as soon as possible!  More details on the state’s program can be found here.

For the most recent updates on Thomas College’s response to the coronavirus, please visit our COVID-19 web page.  Our COVID-19 Dashboard is updated regularly with the latest testing data.  If you have questions related to COVID-19, please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected].