IT’S unclear if students and staff will be mandated to be vaccinated before they return to SuniTAFE’s Swan Hill and Mildura campuses.
It comes after La Trobe University announced a proposed plan which would require all staff and students at the university to be fully vaccinated by December in order work and study on campus.
A SuniTAFE spokeswoman said the pandemic response team, together with the Education and Training Department, were confirming more details on the regional Victoria roadmap out of lockdown.
“Ultimately we want staff and students to be able to get back on campus as soon as possible and hope to have more information ahead of the start of term four,” she said.
“To confirm, we have no clear direction whether there will be a policy for mandating vaccinations.”
Between now and the end of November, La Trobe University will encourage its community to get their jabs, including by offering vaccination leave for staff and opening a vaccination hub at its main campus in Melbourne.
From early December, anyone attending a La Trobe campus – including visitors – will be expected to be fully vaccinated, unless they have a valid medical or other legally-recognised exemption.
La Trobe Student Association governing board chair Brody Tanner said the plan had the support of the student representative body.
“The La Trobe Student Association fully supports the university’s plan,” he said.
“We believe that everyone who’s eligible and is able to should get a vaccine. At the end of the day it’s about protecting their community and families, and ideally gets all La Trobe students back to campus as soon as possible.”
Despite the lifting of stay-at-home restrictions in regional Victoria, SuniTAFE campuses remain closed.
