Maine Maritime Academy Announces Student Vaccine Requirement for Fall 2021
CASTINE – Maine Maritime Academy will begin welcoming students back to campus later this month and the college’s faculty and staff are preparing for a busy semester. In addition to a continued focus on academic excellence and hands-on, minds-on learning, health and safety remain a key priority in planning for what many hope to be a normalized campus experience this fall.
“We were very much hoping to have a return to campus that resembled a traditional ‘back to school’ experience,” explains President William J. Brennan. “Unfortunately, the emergence of the Delta variant has complicated our plans and required continual adjustments in how we think, learn, and work.”
Despite the challenges, President Brennan notes that the campus community has responded to the ongoing challenges with creativity and resolve.
“The sense of responsibility we have towards one another is profound,” he says. “Since the beginning, our students, faculty, and staff have been committed to ensuring the health and safety of our community and their dedication never lagged. The endurance is remarkable.”
Today, the college announced a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for students this fall. Students will be required to complete the vaccination process by October 1, 2021.
“Over the past many months, our stance has been to strongly encourage vaccination. So far, we’ve had great luck in getting folks on board with the vaccines and we’re truly very grateful for that. Still, the situation has changed, and we now feel that a vaccine requirement is a necessary next step in our fight against COVID-19.”
For many students at the academy, vaccinations were already required by host companies as part of their summer training experiences. Similarly, over 80% of MMA employees have already verified their vaccination status.
For those who are not yet vaccinated, the school will host a Community Vaccine Clinic on August 27. Students who participate in the clinic will be automatically entered into the college’s Vaccine Lottery, a series of weekly giveaways designed to promote vaccinations and generate excitement for the upcoming school year.
The upcoming clinic is designed to help students meet the new vaccine requirements, but it will be open to all members of the campus community and the public as well. Both the Johnson & Johnson and the Pfizer vaccine will be available. A follow-up clinic for those needing a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be scheduled later this fall.
While today’s announcement relates only to students, President Brennan acknowledges that the school’s position might soon change in regard to employees. “We are currently evaluating contractual obligations, but it is my hope that our employees recognize their responsibility to our community – and to our students in particular – and make their decision to get vaccinated without an employer or government mandate.”
Additional information about the upcoming semester can be found on Maine Maritime Academy’s Fall 2021 page.
Edit: The Community Vaccine Clinic on August 27 will only include the Pfizer vaccine. For information about off-campus sites that will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, please visit the Maine CDC website.
Latest MMA News
- MMA Students and Faculty Participate in Keel Laying Ceremony for New Training Ship State of MainePHILADELPHIA, PA – Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), one of the United States’ foremost maritime universities offering degrees in engineering, science, management, and transportation, this week celebrated the first significant milestone in the life of the ship that will ultimately become the Academy’s new training vessel. The keel laying ceremony was held at the Philadelphia Shipyard […]
- Maine Maritime Academy to Host Second Annual Climate Symposium on March 27Participants to Include Senator Angus King (ME) and leaders in the Maritime Industry CASTINE, Maine – Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) one of the United States’ foremost maritime universities offering degrees in engineering, science, management, and transportation will host the second annual Maritime Academy Climate Symposium (MACS) on March 27, 2023 from 3-6pm. This year’s theme […]
- Maine Maritime Academy to Reinstate Football ProgramCASTINE, Maine – Maine Maritime Academy reinstated its NCAA Division III Football Program with varsity competition set to begin in 2025. The decision was announced by Maine Maritime President Jerry Paul ’89 on Monday. The Academy also announced that it will compete in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) beginning in 2025. The Mariners will begin […]
- Senator Collins Meets with MMA President Jerry PaulWashington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Ranking Member of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, met with the President of Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), Jerry Paul, in her Washington, D.C., office. During their meeting, Senator Collins and President Paul spoke about some of the shoreside infrastructure improvements that are needed in preparation for MMA to receive its […]
- Pulitzer-Nominated Naval and Maritime Historian to Speak at Maine Maritime AcademyCastine, ME – On Thursday, November 3, 2022, Dr. Larrie D. Ferreiro, Professor of History and Engineering at George Mason University, will be presenting “The Search for Speed Under Power, 1800 until Today” at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, ME, sponsored by the Harold Alfond School of Engineering. This keynote address will headline the New […]
- Maine Maritime Academy Announces the Creation of Chief Operating Officer Position; Welcomes Industry Veteran Craig Johnson to Fill RoleCastine, ME September 26, 2022 – Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), one of the United States’ foremost maritime academies offering degrees in engineering, science, management, and transportation announced that Craig Johnson has been hired to fill the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Johnson joins MMA from Flagship Management a professional services firm which […]