Do you need to be vaxxed to work, learn and visit Stanislaus State? We sort it out.
Keeping with the California State University system’s decision, Stanislaus State will require students, faculty and staff coming on campus to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Students taking all of their courses online are still “highly encouraged to get vaccinated in the event they need to access campus services during the fall term,” Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn said in a Tuesday message to students.
The CSU announced Tuesday that it will mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for people coming to all 23 campuses. Deadlines for students, faculty and staff to certify their vaccination will depend on each campus’s academic calendars, but all must be completed by Sept. 30, according to a CSU press release.
It was not immediately clear if there would be a different deadline for Stanislaus State. CSU will release a final policy in coming days, the release said. Stanislaus State classes begin Aug. 23.
“Full details about the Stanislaus State policy and implementation details are forthcoming,” Stanislaus State Communications director Kristina Stamper said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
CSU and the University of California previously said they would require the COVID-19 vaccine once one or more were granted full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The CSU announcement that it will not wait for full approval came more than a week after the UC said the same.
Delta variant called alarming
“The current surge in COVID cases due to the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant is an alarming new factor that we must consider as we look to maintain the health and well-being of students, employees and visitors to our campuses this fall,” CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said in the release.
Represented employees will “not be subject to disciplinary action while the CSU continues the meet-and-confer process with its labor unions,” Junn said in a message to faculty and staff.
People who request an exemption for medical or religious reasons must do weekly COVID-19 testing, Junn said. The exemption request is included in the self-certification form, she said in the message.
The university offers COVID-19 testing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Junn said in the message. These hours will expand to every weekday when classes start, according to the university’s testing website.
Students, faculty and staff will be able to complete the self-certification in their myStanState portal when the form is available, Junn said. They will type in information including the date and type of vaccine they received and may be asked to submit a picture of their vaccine card, Junn said in the message.
At sporting events, spectators not affiliated with the university will not need to show proof of vaccination. “Per CSU policy, Stanislaus State is not requiring proof of vaccination for non-University spectators at this time, but we encourage everyone to get the vaccination to protect and maintain the health of our community,” spokeswoman Donna Birch Trahan said in an email Thursday.
The university will strongly encourage spectators to practice social distancing of 3 feet both indoors and outdoors, she said.
Inside buildings, masks for all
Stanislaus State will still require everyone to wear masks in campus buildings, regardless of their vaccination status. Everyone coming to campus, including visitors and guests, must also submit a daily COVID-19 screening form.
University officials are working to provide a pop-up vaccine clinic on campus. For now, vaccinations are available at the CVS and Rite Aid pharmacies near the Turlock campus, the message said. Vaccinations also are offered by Stanislaus County at various sites throughout the week.
Students can switch their schedule to online courses through the myStanState Student Center by 10 p.m. on Aug. 22, the message said. As of July 13, the campus planned to offer 41.5% of fall semester course sections in person.
The county’s other higher education institution, Modesto Junior College, will not require the COVID-19 vaccine, but “vaccination will be strongly encouraged,” spokeswoman Jeanette Fontana said in an email Tuesday evening.
“MJC will be adhering to all COVID-19 safety precautions recommended by the CDC and Cal/OSHA for Institutions of higher education to keep both students and staff safe,” Fontana said.
Classified staff and administrators will return to campus full time Aug. 2 to expand in-person services, she said. Remote services such as online chat and virtual appointments will continue.
This story was originally published July 29, 2021 at 1:04 PM.
