Students claim policy alternatives allowing students who chooses to withdraw because of mandate will receive tuition refunds, or take an incomplete on the clinical portion and complete the rest of the semester, or take the final exam and get their grade after finishing the clinical part during a future semester, are not enough | Dr. Rhine responded to similar question back in August 2021 (Video)
It was reported by the Arizona Republic newspaper and other media on November 1, 2021 that two nursing students have sued Maricopa Community Colleges over a requirement they get vaccinated against COVID-19. They claim the community college district is violating their free exercise of religion by not helping them to graduate as scheduled or providing preferred accommodations since they are refusing to get vaccinated for religious reasons.
Both students are getting their associate degrees in applied science in nursing, which makes them eligible to then apply for a registered nurse license.
A federal judge heard arguments from both sides during a three-hour hearing Monday, November 1 and is expected to rule shortly on the students’ request the court bar the district from enforcing a vaccine requirement.
Maricopa County Community College District graduates about 1,000 nurses a year. It requires its students meet the strictest safety procedures of the clinical partners with whom they could be randomly matched. Some clinical partners are mandating vaccinations for anyone who works in their facilities.
District officials argued the school itself does not have a vaccine mandate, but that students have to participate in hands-on medical rotations at places that may have vaccine requirements. This Maricopa policy, the Blog thinks but has not yet authenticated, is similar to a policy in place for Yavapai Community College. (See short video clip below of Dr. Rhine’s response to Cottonwood City Council question on this issue August 17 of this year.)
Margi Schultz, director of the nursing program at Maricopa College, testified at the hearing before the Federal Court that students who choose to withdraw are offered tuition refunds, or they can take an incomplete on the clinical portion and complete the rest of the semester, take the final exam and get their grade after finishing the clinical part during a future semester. Students who decline the vaccine on religious grounds and the district saying it’s unable to switch their sites or allow online clinicals, results in some nursing students being unable to complete their semester as scheduled.