Cal Poly will require COVID-19 vaccines for students, employees, CSU announces
All Cal Poly faculty, staff and students will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 if they access campus facilities during the fall, according to a news release sent out on Tuesday morning.
The pending mandate encompasses all 23 California State University campuses.
Cal Poly students living on campus for the fall 2021 quarter must show they are fully vaccinated by Sept. 14 and the remainder of the campus by Sept. 20, according to a message sent out by university President Jeffrey Armstrong on Tuesday.
However, Cal Poly students and employees are encouraged to accelerate that process and show they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Aug. 23 so that the university “has time to process the paperwork before the quarter starts,” Armstrong wrote in his message to the campus community.
The university system had previously said it would not require the COVID-19 vaccines until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approved them. The vaccines on the market now — manufactured by Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson — were given Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. FDA after they passed phase three trials.
“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,” said CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro in a news release. “Receiving a COVID vaccine continues to be the best way to mitigate the spread of the virus. We urge all members of the CSU community to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and announcing this requirement now allows members of the CSU community to receive multiple doses of a vaccine as we head into the beginning of the fall term.”
Cal Poly students interviewed by The Tribune on campus Tuesday applauded the decision.
“You can’t actually tell who’s vaccinated and who’s not, and so being on a campus where everyone is required to be is comforting,” said philosophy sophomore Louisa Savageaux, who got the Pfizer vaccine.
Political science sophomore Renee Bradford also said she was happy about the mandate.
“It makes me feel safe and comforted,” she said.
Bradford said the mandate is important for reducing the spread of coronavirus and protecting people who are at risk but can’t get the vaccine.
“It’s still good to keep people safe when we can,” she said.
Faculty, staff and students may seek religious exemption from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, the CSU said. Those at Cal Poly must make a religious exemption request no later than Aug. 23, according to Armstrong’s campus message.
Employees represented by one of the unions will not be disciplined for not adhering to the vaccine mandate “while the CSU is in the meet-and-confer process with its labor unions,” CSU said in the news release.
According to the Los Angeles Times, it’s unclear how students who do not comply with the new COVID-19 vaccine mandate will be disciplined, but they “may be denied access to Campus/Programs.”
The CSU also said in the news release that most campuses are expected to offer virtual courses, “though resource limitations do not allow for a campus’ or even a program’s full offerings to be made available virtually.”
Guidance from Cal Poly president
In his message to the Cal Poly campus community, Armstrong listed “important information everyone should be aware of”:
“A) There are currently three SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccines approved by the FDA for emergency use: the vaccines made by Moderna (2 doses), Pfizer (2 doses), and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) (1 dose). Cal Poly will also accept COVID-19 vaccinations that are recognized by the World Health Organization.
“B) A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their last dose of vaccine. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine regimens require a gap of three and four weeks respectively between doses, and recipients become fully vaccinated two weeks later. Thus, someone who receives their first dose today (July 27) could become fully vaccinated by Aug. 10 (J&J) or by Aug. 31 (Pfizer) and Sept. 7 (Moderna).
“C) For those currently in the San Luis Obispo area, vaccines are available on campus through the Rite Aid clinic in UU 220, and at other locations. For complete information, see the Cal Poly vaccine webpage.
“D) Medical and religious exemptions to vaccination remain available. Please note that individuals who have been exempted may still be required to follow other safety protocols such as masking and/or ongoing testing. Further details will be shared as they become available.
“E) The precise details of this revised policy are still being finalized and instructions about completing a vaccination attestation are forthcoming. Students should look for an email from Student Affairs next week (week of Aug. 2) with further direction and instruction. Employees should look for an email from their Human Resources department in the coming days.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was originally published July 27, 2021 at 10:29 AM.
