Allan Hancock College won’t require COVID vaccines for students, staff this fall

Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria won’t require staff or students to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but masking rules remain uncertain as administrators continue to craft plans for the return to in-person learning this fall.

The college’s Board of Trustees heard more about the return-to-campus plan on July 13 as an informational item, weeks after Hancock officials revealed that in-person classes would resume in the fall.

Fall semester for the community college begins Aug. 16, but many of the requirements regarding the return remain uncertain for now.

The current vaccines all exist under emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which means colleges can’t yet require staff and students to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The vaccine debate had led to a fierce division at Santa Barbara City College, board member Hilda Zacarias noted.

The University of California and California State University systems have said they will require vaccines for employees and students upon full approval and wide availability.

“One component of that conversation is, will any of those organizations be able to make that a requirement come fall if none of the vaccines are approved for regular use under the FDA?” Human Resources Director Ruben Ramirez said. “The other component that was largely discussed was the equity issues that may arise out of requiring vaccines.”

The largest undervaccinated group involves young adults, who typically fare better when infected with COVID-19, but requiring vaccinations could cause some students to avoid enrolling in Hancock, Ramirez said.

“Thank you for explaining very clearly how complex an issue it is,” Zacarias said.

“Nothing during COVID times has been an easy conversation,” Ramirez added.

She also asked about students who take in-person classes but don’t want to be around unvaccinated people.

Bob Curry, associate superintendent and vice president of academic affairs, said the fall semester is designed for in-person classes. The schedule also includes some specific online-only classes that Hancock offered before COVID-19 disrupted the situation.

One class she plans to take is offered only in the fall, Zacarias said, asking whether any classes would be available simultaneously for in-person and remote-learning options.

Some faculty may agree to offer hybrid classes, but it’s their choice, Curry said, adding, “We’re trying to find a way to serve both populations.”

Nohemy Ornelas, associate superintendent and vice president of student services, said efforts to educate students about the importance of getting vaccinated continues and will include Hancock joining a White House initiative, a college vaccine challenge. That effort will include hiring wellness ambassadors, students hired specifically to educate about vaccines and other measures to avoid COVID-19.

Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara and CSU Channel Islands are on the list of participants.

Hancock has played a vital role in inoculating the community with clinics distributing more than 30,000 vaccines.

Ramirez said the decision on whether to require masks in classrooms for higher education has yet to be finalized, noting the quickly changing guidance from the state for schools teaching students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

“Things continue to change. Things continue to evolve,” he said.

In other measures, the college will provide air purification systems for classrooms as an added precaution, Ramirez said.

As the new school year nears, Hancock officials also have discussed plans for ensuring that students don’t go to class if they feel sick, adding that it’s important to inform them about measures if they do need to miss classes.

“We all want everyone to be safe,” Ornelas said. “We know that it’s important to bring students back on campus, but we also need to continue to make sure that we’re following the guidance and once the recommendation is made that we’re able to follow them.”

Hancock officials hope to have the final details resolved by early August.