Debate | Issue 1 | Back to Uni

AUT To Be the Only Uni Without On-campus Vaccine Mandates

By Justin Hu (he/him) AUT will be the only university in the country that will not mandate the use of Covid-19 vaccine passes for on-campus study this year.

Seven out of eight universities in New Zealand have mandated the use of vaccine passes to participate in campus activities at all levels of the government’s traffic light system.

However, AUT students are not required to have vaccine passes at the Orange and Green levels, though the university is heavily emphasising the need for all students with passes to register online through the AUT app while at Red. At the Red level, the government mandates the use of vaccine passes for all on-campus study.

University spokesperson Alison Sykora told Debate that AUT intended to adhere to the legal requirements and public health guidance around vaccination passes on campus.

“We are focused on following the government-mandated requirements and guidance regarding the Covid-19 Protection Framework. Our priority remains keeping our staff and students safe while supporting work and learning as fully as possible.”

She said the university was advised by health officials that it was safe for vaccinated and unvaccinated students to study in person at lower levels.