With classes starting soon, thousands of Cal State students uploading Covid vaccination proof

EdSource

Ashley A. Smith

August 6, 2021

Across some California State University campuses, tens of thousands of students and staff have already submitted proof that they’re vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Systemwide, the deadline to submit proof is Sept. 30.  But with fall classes resuming as early as next week at some universities, with many more courses offered in-person compared to last fall, some CSUs have earlier deadlines. Some campuses have set their own deadlines and requirements so CSU staff and students should check with their campuses.

Students and staff who can’t meet these deadlines, or receive exemptions, face weekly tests. Or, if they refuse testing, students could be removed or dropped from residential halls or in-person classes.

At Cal State Fullerton, more than 20,000 students and faculty have uploaded their vaccination records to a third-party database the university is using to track and keep medical records confidential. As of July 20, the campus has registered nearly 38,000 students in fall classes, including those that will be fully remote. Classes resume in Fullerton on Aug. 21 and students and faculty have until Aug. 17 to notify the campus that they’ve at least received their first vaccination dose.

“We’re almost at 80% of our staff and faculty, even though the faculty have been out for most of the summer, submitting their records which is incredible,” said Ellen Treanor, associate vice president of strategic communications for the Fullerton campus. “People have been incredibly responsive, so that’s been great.”

CSU required Covid-19 vaccines for all faculty, staff and students to access campuses on July 27. Chancellor Joseph Castro had intended to wait until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to any one existing vaccine, but made the announcement early because of the delta variant and the surge of Covid cases nationally and in California.

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