My Fellow Hornets,
Last week, North Orange County Community College District Byron D. Clift Breland emailed a memo to Fullerton College employees that shared information about a COVID-10 booster requirement established by the NOCCCD Board of Trustees.
This email offers a recap of that communication and further guidance on COVID-19 protocols at events on the Fullerton College campus.
Fully Vaccinated to Include Booster Dose:
On March 22, the NOCCCD Board of Trustees voted to extend and expand the current vaccine requirement through this calendar year. The district will update its definition of “fully vaccinated” to include a single booster dose when eligible, effective August 15, 2022. This means all employees, and students receiving services or attending class in-person at Fullerton College must receive a booster dose, when they are eligible, to comply with the district’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
- Next Step: At this time, please do NOT resubmit your vaccination documentation showing your booster dose. District IS is currently developing the process for employees and students to submit evidence of booster doses. The goal is to have employees and students “up-to-date” with their vaccines as defined by the CDC as soon as possible, but not later than August 15, 2022.
- Exemptions: Those with approved exemptions will not need to resubmit an exemption request. Those wishing to submit an exemption request, may do so by watching this video to learn how to submit an exemption request.
Looking ahead to the fall:
Implementing the booster requirement will require a commitment throughout the entire college community to help encourage current students and prospective students to upload their records or request exemptions. We will provide instructions and details as soon as we can to help guide our teams to support students. This is an all-hands-on deck moment to assure our students have a successful fall semester.
Check-in Procedure for Students: Through the fall semester, Fullerton College will continue to require students to go to the Check-in Area before accessing on-campus resources and classes. Students will not be prohibited from registering for in-person classes, however they could be prevented from attending in-person classes or visiting service areas when they check-in if they are not in-compliance with the mandate.
Events No Longer Required Proof of Vaccinations:
Effective immediately Fullerton College will implement the California Department of Public Health’s mega events protocol, which is also adopted by the Orange County Health Care Agency. Those attending public events on campus, such as theatre performances, athletic events, Love Fullerton and Commencement, will no longer be required to show proof of vaccinations or negative COVID-19 test results. Masks will continue to be required in-doors and students and employees will be required to be incompliance with the vaccination mandate.
Off-Campus Activity
Field trips, competitions, conferences, social events, etc., associated with college classes or organizations are advised to follow the COVID-19 guidance of the location they are visiting.
Masks requirement remains unchanged:
As a reminder, all employees and students are required to wear face coverings while on site and indoors until further notice, with the following exceptions:
- When working alone in your own workspace
- While outside and physically distanced
- While eating and drinking, for brief periods
- Those individuals who have been approved for accommodations through Human Resources or Student Services
In closing, this is a defining moment for colleagues across campus to rise to the occasion to support students this fall. We know that vaccines save lives, and it is on all of us to guide students through this requirement and help give them the strong footing they need to be successful this fall.
With Appreciation,
Gil
Gilbert J. Contreras, Ph.D.
Interim President
Fullerton College