BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – In a visit to the University at Buffalo on Thursday evening, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras said the university is a model for the rest of the country when it comes to vaccinations.
"Virtually every one of their students have been vaccinated," Malatras said. "99%. They're going to be at 100% well before we put our 35-day grace period in. 70-plus percent of their faculty and staff have been vaccinated. We think that's going to get to 100%, they just haven't verified it yet."
SUNY last month mandated all students at state-operated campuses and community colleges get a COVID-19 vaccine. There are exemptions to the policy for those who are taking all of their classes online or require a medical accommodation.
Malatras said he expects the COVID-19 vaccine requirement to remain in place for years to come, similar to other vaccine requirements to attend a college.
"We want to make sure COVID is eradicated like polio was eradicated," he said. "We're nearly two years into this. It's enough. We want to go back to what's the core thing we do here: educating students and giving them a great college experience."
Malatras was named SUNY Chancellor in August 2020 by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo. He said he will remain as chancellor until he is told he can no longer be in the role.
"My head is in the game of reopening our campuses, strengthening our core academic mission, getting the resources we need for SUNY," he said. "Governor Hochul has been a real strong ally of SUNY from the very beginning. She's been the lieutenant governor for many years. I've worked with her together for many years and we've been at many SUNY events together. She understands the importance of the system and wants to invest in the system."
Malatras is also a former senior aide of the former governor. He faced criticisms this week after a report by the New York Post highlighted his involvement in the probe of Cuomo's COVID book and the nursing home scandal. Regarding the book, Malatras was a witness in the investigation for his role in editing and fact-checking the book on what he claimed were his days off.
"I'm not being looked at," he said. "I said what I said. I said what I said on the book. I said what I said on nursing homes. That's been sort of settled for me. I'm not (sic) moving beyond that.
