Beginning Monday, App State will require all employees to upload their vaccination cards, shifting away from the current attestation form that faculty and staff fill out, the university announced in an update Friday. 

Vaccinated students on campus are currently required to submit their vaccination status or undergo weekly testing. Vaccinated students living off campus are strongly encouraged to submit their vaccination status as well. Vaccinated faculty must submit their results by Oct. 29. 

Before, faculty and staff submitted an attestation form where they would be prompted to provide either a “yes” or “no” in regards to their vaccination status. Chancellor Everts said she collaborated with university leaders representing faculty senate, department chairs, deans, staff senate and SGA to make the decision. 

“These constituent groups would like to see faculty and staff take the next step, and move from attesting their vaccine status to providing the same level of vaccine documentation we are requiring from students,” Everts said in the update. 

As of Oct. 15, 64% of students and 94% of staff are vaccinated against COVID-19. In the past week, 2.3% of COVID-19 tests have been positive. No members of the App State community are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19.

Everts said testing clinics remain open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for anyone who may need a COVID-19 test. University testing fulfills requirements for unvaccinated students who are required to submit weekly tests. 

The chancellor thanked students and staff for their diligence.

“Our COVID response continues in earnest, and while we did see an increase in positivity rates this week, case counts remain low while our student vaccination rates continue to steadily increase,” Everts said.