UND is examining impact of federal vaccine mandate
As you may know, President Biden has issued an executive order mandating that employees of federal contractors be vaccinated for COVID-19.
UND receives more than $100 million in active federal contracts and cooperative agreements to support research and educational programs that benefit North Dakotans and the world beyond, fueling new discoveries in everything from healthy aging to energy research. Because UND receives federal funding, it is subject to requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors. These requirements do not apply to grant recipients.
In a meeting last week, the State Board of Higher Education authorized UND – and all NDUS institutions – to take reasonable steps to comply with the executive order and to certify that employees connected with federal contracts have been vaccinated. If UND does not comply, we could lose related federal funding, which is a significant portion of our budget. It would impact the University’s ability to meet the research and educational needs of our students and the citizens of North Dakota.
UND will comply with the expectations, and is working with the State of North Dakota and other entities to determine how to best move forward. The biggest issue is determining which employees are impacted and when they must be vaccinated to ensure we are meeting the federal mandate and following state guidance. UND will continue to share more information as details unfold.
In the meantime, all employees and visitors must continue to comply with masking and physical distancing requirements. UND will continue to follow CDC guidance to help lower transmission rates. Thank you, again, for your commitment to fulfilling these requirements.
With the uncertainty of federal contract renewals and scope of impacted employees, we strongly encourage you to vaccinate if you have not already done so.
Thank you for doing your part to help keep our campus community – and the greater community – healthy and safe.
Andy Armacost, President
