Important message for full- and part-time employees regarding federal mandate

Dear UMaine and UMaine Machias faculty and staff members,

Across the University of Maine System, 88% of full- and part-time employees are either fully vaccinated or have a medical or religious exemption. At our campuses, 88% of all University of Maine employees and 81% of University of Maine at Machias employees have reported being fully vaccinated or have a confirmed medical or religious exemption, and we continue to work with our employee unions in accordance with the vaccine protocol memoranda of understanding to increase compliance.

We now have a Dec. 8 deadline that we must meet to get all our full- and part-time faculty, staff and student employees in full compliance with a federal legal mandate.

All University of Maine System full- and part-time employees — faculty, staff, student employees, on-site and remote — must be in compliance with President Biden’s Executive Order 14042: Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors. By Dec. 8, all employees of a federal contractor must be either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or seek a legally recognized exemption from vaccination for medical reasons or a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. The Chancellor’s message on this was sent earlier today.

Meeting this mandate is incredibly important for UMaine, the state’s research university, and UMaine Machias, which receive federal funding and research grants to conduct our multidisciplinary work to benefit Maine and beyond. As recipients of federal funding, we are considered a federal contractor.

Throughout November, our Human Resources and labor partners will work to get every employee into full compliance, using the PointnClick portal for status documentation, to meet the federal mandate and as part of our ongoing community health and safety efforts.

Appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations are available from health care centers in the community, including Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC), Walgreens and Northern Light Health. We have reached out to our community partners, UMaine School of Nursing and PCHC, for on-campus COVID-19 vaccination clinics in November, and we will notify the campus community when dates are confirmed.

For questions or assistance, please contact your Human Resources partner.

Thank you for continuing to do your part.

Joan Ferrini-Mundy
President