Mitchell Hamline School of Law joins list of colleges requiring COVID-19 vaccinations

Mitchell Hamline School of Law and Macalester College in St. Paul and Carleton College in Northfield have all announced COVID-19 vaccination mandates come fall.

Macalester and Carleton have both announced they’ll take requests for limited exemptions, but for students and staff at Mitchell Hamline, the mandate means if you’re not vaccinated you will not be allowed on campus starting Aug. 1.

"The primary goal here is that we open up for in-person, on-campus activities and classes and others in the safest way possible," said Chris Szaj, vice president of institutional management at Mitchell Hamline.

The college acknowledges this move may not please everyone, and says how they verify the vaccinations is still being discussed.

"We anticipate not asking people to submit their vaccination cards or whatever," she said. "We also believe that if our students — and employees, for that matter — attest that they have been fully vaccinated, that will be sufficient for us."

"It’s concerning for me, and I think it’s concerning for some of my colleagues," said one student we talked with who did not want to be identified.

He said he wants to be on campus in class come fall and while he is not opposed to vaccinations, he has concerns about the COVID-19 vaccination and feels the college should offer an exemption for students like him.

"Suddenly these are being mandated just for us to sit in a class and there’s no other option," he said. "We can’t as a student be willing to wear a mask and be willing to social distance, I’m willing to do all the other COVID-19 rules that we’ve had in the last year if I can just be in the class, but it’s you take the vaccine or you stay home," he described.

He questioned the timing of the announcement, stating most students have made their college decisions already, and it’s late in the game to switch. He also wonders about the legality of the mandate under Minnesota Statute 135-A, which codifies exemptions for certain immunizations.

"I think that’s the most important thing here. To me, it’s not a vaccine issue as much as it is a legal issue," he said.

The college, however, feels it is acting within its legal right.

"We believe we are acting within the law," Szaj said.

The school sent a letter to students, faculty and staff last week outlining options if someone is unable to be on campus due to a vaccination concern. It reads in part, "Students unable to come to campus will be able to take required courses (and many electives) online or in HyFlex classes and have access to student services, academic support, and other important services. Employees who are not vaccinated can arrange a remote work plan with their manager. Visitors who have not been vaccinated may be allowed on campus, but guidelines for this are being developed."

As of now, the school says the mandate will last through the end of December. It has not been determined if it will continue into next year.