GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is still fighting to reach a 70% vaccination rate among students. UW-Oshkosh hit that benchmark last week. The UW system is offering an incentive to each campus that reaches a 70% vaccination rate for students.
UWGB’s vaccination rate among students sits at 60%, just 10% short of a UW System wide goal. Some already vaccinated students on campus are also waiting to reach that goal.
“You know, we wanna have a normal college experience, so it would be nice,” said Maddie Collura, a freshman at UWGB.
Once the campus reaches 70%, students will be eligible for select number of $7,000 scholarships.
In efforts to help get them there, interim president Tommy Thompson made a stop to encourage the vaccine, and help “smash COVID.”
“It’s all working out for the ultimate objective, to get more students vaccinated, keep the place healthy, and that’s what we’re doing, and I think it’s working out nicely.”
UWGB’s Chancellor, Michael Alexander, tells FOX 11 he’s confident the campus will reach the target soon.
“We’re gonna push as hard as we can push, and yeah, we do expect that number to keep going and hit that 70%.”
While the campus is still fighting to get students to that 70% vaccination rate, faculty and staff at the UWGB campus are almost at 80%.
However, Green Bay’s student body is not alone. UW-Superior, River Falls, Parkside, Platteville and Stevens Point are among the other UW schools to not yet reach a 70% vaccination rate.
“We’re hoping to get all of our schools over 70% through the month of October, and I’m just proud as punch the kind collaboration, the kind of competition amongst the chancellors to get more students vaccinated,” said Thompson.
Thompson did say he thinks the Green Bay campus could reach the 70% mark as early as next week.
The campuses have until Oct. 31 to reach the goal vaccination rate. The deadline was extended by nearly two weeks.
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