By Heart of Illinois ABC

NORMAL – Illinois State University students are in week one of the new school year and the recent vaccination numbers on campus show that many are on board for getting back to normal.

As of now, the vaccination rates for students, faculty and staff are higher than the state average.

80% of ISU faculty and staff and 61% of students are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. ISU Spokesperson Eric Jome said the current average for campus, both students and employees combined, sits at 64%.

“That’s very encouraging,” Jome said. “We had sent out communications in late July announcing our vaccine requirements and we saw very quickly people beginning to respond to that, submitting their proof of vaccination.”

Jome said the university changed its policy before classes began, requiring proof of vaccination from student or weekly COVID testing and requiring everyone on campus to wear a mask indoors.

Jome said the numbers are still climbing. 81% of students living on campus have at least one dose and 140 of them got their first shot when they arrived on campus in the move in clinics.

He said so far, masking has not been an issue.

“People are very excited to be back,” Jome said. “There’s a lot of energy on campus and its been a lot of fun for us to see that.”

Some students said it can be tough wearing a mask during class, but they are glad to be back with their peers to have an almost normal college experience.

“Wearing a mask, it’s been really weird,” ISU student Ashley Daniels said. “It’s kind of hard to understand one another at times, so we do have to kind of grab it a little bit to talk, but I feel like being back in person is so revitalizing to me.”

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected].