Mun Choi, UM System president and MU chancellor, along with the chancellors of all UM System schools, sent an email Nov. 2 to all university students and faculty that said university employees “may be affected” by new vaccine and masking requirements by Dec. 8.

President Joe Biden outlined these new requirements in Executive Order 14042, which requires that “adequate COVID-19 safety protocols,” including vaccine mandates, are provided in all “workplaces with individuals working in on or in connection with a Federal Government contract.” Many universities, including the University of Florida, have already rolled out vaccine mandates for their employees. Colleges and universities with many types of federal contracts will be included in the executive order. The email made it clear that students not employed by the university are not included under the order.

“This announcement comes before many key details have been determined and is intended to notify employees of the evolving situation to provide time to seek vaccination if you have not already,” the chancellors wrote in the email. 

MU freshman and student employee KJ Byrd said they believe the vaccine is “the way to get through the pandemic.” Byrd has worked at the Bookmark Café and Potential Energy Café for about a month.

“I’m touching people’s food and their drinks and everything,” Byrd said. “We’re all sick of this [pandemic], and the best way to keep both the employees and the customers safe is to get vaccinated.”

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined 20 other attorney generals of predominantly Republican states in a letter to President Biden, urging him to halt implementation of the executive order.

“All citizens — including federal contractors — should have the right to make their own decision about whether to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” the letter read. 

The attorney generals from 10 states, including Missouri, also filed a lawsuit against President Biden, the U.S. government and some members of Biden’s Safer Federal Workforce Task Force. The task force is a White House team that ensures pandemic safety in federal workplaces.

The lawsuit calls the executive order a “power grab” and is claiming that the order is unconstitutional. The goal of the suit is to protect the rights of individual states in choosing whether to require vaccines.

Another Missouri political figure who opposed the executive order is Gov. Mike Parson, who issued his own executive order countering the presidential one. The press release for the order said it “protect[s] the individual rights of Missourians against overreaching federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates” and directs any entity within the executive branch of Missouri state government to not require an employee vaccine mandate at this time.

Byrd said they think the greater good is more important than individual autonomy.

“I think that [not getting vaccinated] is selfish,” Byrd said. “I think that it’s crazy to be so self-centered to think ‘I don’t want to put [the vaccine] in my body,’ and not think about all the other people that just want to live.”

Whether the UM System’s Board of Curators, the governing body of the UM System, agrees with Byrd on this sentiment is up to a vote. The chancellors said in the email they would “work closely” with the governor and attorney general to ensure that any policy aligns with the requirements of Parson’s executive order. 

If the Board of Curators votes to require vaccination, all individuals who work directly on government contracts, in connection with government contracts or who may come in contact with those individuals will likely be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8, according to the email from the UM chancellors.

MU is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated, regardless of whether they are employed by the university. Once vaccinated, employees can report their vaccination on the COVID Vaccine Uploader in MyHR and students can report theirs through the Secure Document Upload in myZou.

Byrd said they think the COVID-19 vaccine should be like any other required vaccine for students and faculty.

“There are other vaccines that we all have to have as students here to make sure that everybody’s safe, like the MMR,” Byrd said. “[The COVID-19 vaccine is] just another thing that I feel like promotes public health and public safety.”

Edited by Emma Stefanutti | stefanuttiemma@gmail.com