With Phase I Registration in full swing, there are still students who have not provided proper documentation of their immunization status to Stamps Health Services. The immunizations are required for students to register for courses, and all students without proper documentation will have a block on their OSCAR account, preventing them from registering. As of Monday, Oct. 29, the number of students with unsatisfactory records was 320.
In previous years, Stamps had required students to update their immunization records before registering for fall classes. According to Senior Director of Stamps Dr. Gregory Moore, a combination of complaints from incoming freshmen and their parents motivated Stamps to postpone the deadline to before registration for spring classes this year.
“We dropped the requirement to have [forms] in before FASET this year. A lot of incoming students felt stressed juggling all the things you have to do, like registering for classes, learning about the campus and moving in,” Moore said. “We decided to postpone the deadline until October.”
This decision, however, led to several students neglecting to submit their immunization information. By the time Fall registration had ended, a record number of roughly 1500 students, mostly freshmen, had unsatisfactory immunization records that has the potential to prevent them from registering.
“I don’t know [why so many students haven’t submitted their forms],” Moore said. “Maybe it’s just laziness, or maybe it’s because we pushed back the deadline.”
“I think that it’s definitely a hassle to submit immunization forms. To juggle that around with moving in and getting my classes was just too much to think about, so I just forgot,” said first-year ME major Jonathan Cleckner.
Moore, however, insisted that Stamps actively tried to counter this sentiment.
“For the past month we have sent weekly emails to students who have not satisfied the immunization requirements,” Moore said.
The emails, each marked “URGENT” in the subject line, asked each student to submit his or her forms and warned them of account holds that could potentially prevent registration.
“Lots of people really do have their immunizations; they are required for every level of schooling, even before college,” Moore said. “They just need to get their forms in so that we have proof.”
Stamps is currently trying to handle the increased number of students coming in for immunizations and to validate their documents.
“We have put a few extra nurses on call, but there really is no way we can handle three hundred students asking for immunizations,” Moore said.
The week before registration began on Monday, there were still 375 students who had not turned in their immunization forms. Holds were placed on these students’ accounts, and they were prevented from registering until they cleared their holds.
“Unless they’re good in our system, we really can’t do anything,” Moore said. “Once we have the proper documentation, however, the holds will be lifted, and the students can register.”