A Letter to Parents from NYU President Andrew Hamilton

Date: July 29, 2021
TO: NYU Parents
FROM: NYU President Andrew Hamilton

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Loved Ones,

I hope your summer is going well and that you have been able to spend some relaxing time with your NYU student.

As the Fall 2021 semester draws closer, I want to raise an important issue with you and ask for your help.

As you know, NYU, like hundreds of other colleges and universities, is requiring students to be fully vaccinated before their arrival for the fall semester (as well as faculty and other employees). And to ensure that everyone follows through, all members of the NYU community are also required to upload proof of their vaccination. We set a deadline of July 19 for students to have completed the uploading of their proof.

I am glad to report that a large majority have met our requirements. However, I am writing to you today about the remainder.   

Vaccination is the single most important action a person can take to safeguard his or her own health and to keep friends, classmates, and colleagues safe. At NYU, we consider a high rate of vaccination by the start of the fall semester vital to resuming the activities that we missed so much last year: in-person classes as the norm; participating in athletic competition and using the gym; and attending performances and events, to name but a few.

So, here’s my request: would you please check with your student to ensure they have properly complied with our vaccination and uploading requirements?

If they have been vaccinated and uploaded proof of their vaccination, thank you, and we’re sorry for bringing up an issue they have already addressed.

However, if they have not, it’s not too late. As we noted in this recent communication to students who missed the deadline, there is still time to take action to avoid the serious consequences that may follow, up to and including de-enrollment. We do not want to see that happen to any student, but this is a matter of public health, and we must take the steps necessary to safeguard the well-being of our University community and the neighborhood around us.

I appreciate your touching base with your student on this issue.

We are so looking forward to seeing the full complement of our students back on campus for the fall. We can’t wait to welcome those who are joining us for the first time and to welcome back our returning students, whether they were here last year or studying remotely.

We’re excited to be getting back together again.

Sincerely,

Andrew Hamilton
President
New York University

P.S. If you are looking for a good read for the summer, why don’t you join us in reading the NYU Reads selection for the summer, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer? My wife Jennie and I will be reading it over the summer with the rest of the NYU community, and look forward to a lively set of events discussing it in the fall.

P.P.S. We recently put together an informal “infographic” about COVID and the past year. I thought you might enjoy seeing it.

AN UNPRECEDENTED YEAR: NYU AND COVID-19