On April 5, it was announced to Binghamton University students that there would be COVID-19 vaccines available at a new on-campus site. Emails were sent out to students identified as eligible, encouraging them to either sign up for a two-dose shot at an off campus New York state site or register on campus for a single-dose vaccine. A total of 7,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been reserved and students can sign up for appointments on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also a page on the BU website that provides information on registering for a vaccine at multiple nearby sites.

With a hopeful starting point of 500 doses this week, this BU-specific plan to vaccinate the student body is a very good start toward ensuring that as many students as possible are vaccinated by the end of the semester. For those who have been able to secure an appointment, vaccines are available in the University Union, the same space currently being used for COVID-19 testing. While this may be some cause for concern at first, it is worth noting that testing in the Mandela Room is not available for symptomatic students.

There also appears to be a waitlist for faculty and staff who haven’t yet gotten the vaccine, which still helps those needing protection while overall prioritizing students.

With vaccines being more readily available to students, the question of next semester arises. While a more detailed plan has yet to be announced, the administration has made it clear that they are planning on having all in-person operations for the fall. If this best case scenario goes well, it’s a very real possibility that students may be required, by either BU or the SUNY system, to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations before either returning to or living on campus.

While there is no current federal standard for vaccinating college students, the Excelsior Pass, a unique digital proof of vaccination, is currently being implemented throughout New York. The free app may soon find itself on students phones alongside their usual cache of helpful school year content.

For those unable to receive the vaccine for either medical or religious reasons, there must be a clear path to obtaining documentation that demonstrates exempt, as well as personal documents so that students understand the risks they are facing in attending in person classes without a vaccine. That being said, the correct implementation of herd immunity would help support these individuals, if as many eligible students are vaccinated as possible. All students, regardless of vaccine status, deserve careful consideration in the upcoming semesters. Vaccines must also be included in student health insurance plans, to ensure that no student’s financial situation will affect their ability to receive a vaccine.

Out-of-state and international students may face even more hurdles, as there is no standard for vaccine rollout across the nation, and those living throughout the world are utilizing entirely different vaccine systems. If the vaccines are made mandatory in order to return to BU come the fall, the administration should take care to support those who may not have the same access and opportunities that those in-state may have. Whether it be through opening the school prior to the start of classes or providing a brief digital only period at the start of the fall semester, vaccines should also be provided come next August to ensure the safety of the student body.

It is likely that this decision will come from the SUNY administration, and given that SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras is currently under investigation after being accused of working with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to cover up COVID-19-related deaths, it would be wise to hope that he and the SUNY system will be doing everything they can to promote strict, transparent regulations across state campuses. Should Malatras end up resigning his position as a result of this investigations and its findings, it is imperative that whoever leads SUNY schools forward must move forward to support all students.

Even with vaccines and clear guidelines, many may still be hesitant to return to campus and for good reason. Vaccines, while effective at reducing the risk of catching the virus, are not a panacea. There will still be members of the community struggling with compromised immune systems, health conditions, many have lost jobs or loved ones, others have been working throughout everything and plenty are still struggling with the trauma that comes with surviving a global pandemic — not to mention, you still may act as a carrier for the virus even while vaccinated. Prevention and in-person classes will help solve a great deal of issues facing students today, but after our entire lives have been uprooted, the path back to “normalcy” won’t be simple.

Mental health support should expand and flexibility for students must continue and professors must be understanding as the difficult transition back to in person life continues. Zoom options should not be tossed aside entirely, as they may provide a way for students to keep up with work if they should contract the virus or any other of the plethora of illnesses that accompany back to school season. Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) funding should continue be used to help students affected by the pandemic financially, and there is still a responsibility on both students and the administration to keep the community safe. The campus culture must also change, as wearing masks on campus for any reason at all, be it illness or personal protection, must be as commonplace as extra hand-washing during flu season. Current resources, such as quarantine housing, may be reduced with more students vaccinated, but still must remain an option in the event of a worst-case scenario. It is better to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best rather than assume that we will leave this pandemic without any hiccups.

It’s safe to say that our lives will never be the same following this pandemic. In order to move on from the last year safely, we must protect as many students as possible while avoiding a reduction in the quality of the education they receive. While of course, responsibility does lie on individuals to continue with recommended practices to slow the spread of the virus, the administration must keep the momentum of the semester going. The fall cannot be a time where vaccine rollout, transparency, student support and diligence let up. The BU administration must ensure that all students are taken care of. As of right now, the plan for vaccine roll out is an optimistic one, and not entirely unrealistic. More will definitely come to light once a detailed plan for the fall semester, along with significant backups, is released and we think we speak for everyone when we say that we hope the light at the end of this tunnel is an attainable one.