Nova Southeastern University: NO MASKS for Fall 2021 – Contingent Upon 80% of On-Campus Students Being Fully Vaccinated

For the first time in more than a year, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) students can see a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.

That’s because of its voluntary VaxMax program, which has students and employees self-report through an online portal if they have been fully vaccinated or not. NSU is not mandating that people get the COVID-19 vaccine; what officials are stressing is that students and employees simply log in and let us know what their status is.

If the university’s on-campus student population reaches 80% or higher being fully vaccinated by August 1, NSU will “DROP THE MASK”. That’s right – if 80% of the on-campus student population self-reports they are fully vaccinated, it’s NO MORE MASKS on campus.

Students and employees can access the self-reporting portal online (nsuvaxmax.nova.edu).

Tabulation will be done at each campus location, with NSU officials strongly encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. It is important that everyone log in and  self-report their status, even if they do not want to receive the vaccine. The goal is to make fall 2021 look like fall 2019.

It is important to note that the information provided when an on-campus student or employee self-reports will be kept private and confidential; NSU is only tracking overall numbers of students and employees, by location, to reach the 80% threshold of fully vaccinated on-campus students.

As was announced earlier this year, NSU is returning to full-time, face-to-face classes for fall 2021. That includes continuing to adhere to CDC and NSU COVID-19 protocols and guidelines – including wearing masks, physical distancing, and more – if the 80% threshold isn’t met. It is important to note that the “Return of the Sharks” to in-person campus life will take place whether or not we reach the 80% mark of on-campus students self-reporting they are fully vaccinated—it just may look a little different. The university will continue to monitor current guidelines and adjust the course as the situation evolves.

However, if an NSU campus location reaches that 80% threshold of on-campus students self-reporting they are fully vaccinated, these COVID-19 protocols will be dropped, thus allowing a RETURN TO NORMAL. The only exception – the BlendFlex hybrid instruction delivery model that was implemented last year will no longer be an option, unless the class(es) in question were already offered via online delivery prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NSU community, like communities across the globe, has gone through something no one never imagined they’d have to endure. With the advent of the COVID-19 vaccine, it is the best shot we have to return to normal, drop the masks and get fall 2021 to look more like fall 2019.