NMT Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or COVID-19 Surveillance Testing
President's Directive/Interim Policy
Effective August 31, 2021
Purpose
In accordance with New Mexico Tech’s duty to provide and maintain a healthy workplace and educational environment, this interim policy is adopted to reduce the risks of COVID-19 to our employees, students, their families, our visitors, and the Socorro Community at large from COVID-19; those risks may be reduced significantly by vaccinations. This interim policy will comply with and be interpreted consistent with applicable federal and state laws and is based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Governor Lujan Grisham's Executive Orders and the State of NM Department of Health (NMDOH), as applicable.
Scope
All NMT employees and students will have a choice to provide either (i) satisfactory documentation of full vaccination using a vaccine authorized by FDA License, under an FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), or that is approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, or (ii) satisfactory proof of a weekly negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test. Full vaccination is currently defined as, and for the purposes of this interim policy will mean that, 14 days have passed since an individual’s second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 14 days have passed since a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine.
Except as provided in the immediately following paragraph, this interim policy applies to all NMT employees and students who access any NMT owned facility, including, but not limited to, office buildings, library, classrooms, dormitories, research labs, off-campus research centers, athletic facilities, and all university owned vehicles.
All NMT employees working at the NMT Daycare Center or the NMT Health Care Center will be required to be fully vaccinated to protect the health and well-being of minor children who cannot be fully vaccinated. In addition, this will help protect their parents and immediate family members, who are faculty, students, and Socorro community members. Requests for exceptions will be approved only for satisfactorily documented medical conditions or bona fide religious beliefs that prevent an employee from receiving a full vaccination.
Per the CDC, NMDOH, and National Institutes of Health (NIH), NMT does not currently recognize post-COVID-19 infection immunity (sometimes called “natural” or “acquired” immunity) as equivalent to and a substitute for COVID-19 full vaccine immunity. As a result, individuals who believe they were infected with COVID-19 or who tested positive for COVID-19 are not exempt from complying with this interim policy, including providing full vaccination documentation or weekly negative COVID-19 testing results.
The NMT Human Resources Department will work with each Division VP/Director to identify the appropriate direct supervisors who will enforce this interim policy for NMT employees. Employees not in compliance with this interim policy will be placed on unpaid administrative leave consistent with NMT policies until a determination is made regarding compliance in cooperation with the employee’s manager and the NMT Human Resources Department.
The NMT Dean of Students and Graduate Dean will enforce this interim policy for all NMT students. NMT students deemed not in compliance with this interim policy may have no or limited access to campus facilities and activities and may be subject to disciplinary action.
This interim policy supplements, and does not replace, existing guidelines requiring all faculty, staff, and students to observe other COVID-19 safe practices, including appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and face coverings/masks, physical distancing as appropriate, frequent hand washing, proper cleaning, and surveillance testing.
This interim policy may be modified to address future changes to the pandemic conditions at New Mexico Tech, in the City of Socorro, Socorro County or in New Mexico, including the possibility of requiring a full vaccination for all NMT employees and students, excluding those individuals with satisfactorily documented medical conditions or bona fide religious beliefs that prevent an individual from receiving a full vaccination..
The Office of the President and NMT Human Resources Department shall adopt the appropriate administrative procedures to implement this interim policy and will be provided to all NMT employees and students.
Approved this 10th day of August, 2021.