Penn State has updated its travel guidelines to require employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19 before embarking on any university-related travels.

Starting June 1, all Penn State employees traveling by means of university funding need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by their departure date. Trips booked before June 1 don’t need to follow the new vaccination requirement.

Travel that’s not funded by the university, including trips for sponsored research using federal and state grants, is also excluded from the new requirement.

Employees who aren’t vaccinated due to medical conditions, documented disabilities, or religious beliefs can request an exemption by emailing Penn State’s Affirmative Action Office. Unvaccinated employees who receive an exemption also need to sign an acknowledgment of risk before taking off.

Penn State’s university-affiliated international travel for employees remains suspended, but requests for essential trips can be submitted to Provost Nick Jones. More nitty-gritty details about that process are available online.

Full guidelines for university-sponsored travel are also available through the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

To date, this is Penn State’s first step toward mandating COVID-19 vaccines for any university affairs. Penn State administrators have remained adamant they won’t require shots for students and employees before the fall semester.

Earlier in May, the university’s Faculty Senate overwhelmingly supported a resolution calling on Penn State to require COVID-19 vaccinations for students and employees.