Dear Campus Community,

Last evening, the San Luis Obispo County Community College District Board of Trustees adopted Resolution 09-21 Directing the Superintendent/President to Develop and Implement a COVID vaccine Requirement to Increase Vaccination Rates for Employees and Students effective October 15, 2021. 

Below is the vaccine requirement that will be in effect beginning October 15, 2021, for students, employees, and visitors to access district campuses and facilities. While some pertinent information is provided below, we recognize that not all of your questions will be answered here. More detail will follow as the planning necessary to implement the vaccine requirement is completed. The COVID-19 Updates and Resources webpage will be updated as more information is made available. Your patience is appreciated as the College acts quickly to bring forward comprehensive FAQs and processes.

Does this apply to fully remote students and employees? No, it only applies to students, employees, and visitors coming to campus.

I attend classes on campus or work on campus, do I have to get vaccinated? No, you have the option of vaccine or weekly screening testing.

I am a student enrolled in Cuesta College but taking classes at a high school location, do I have to get vaccinated? You will need to follow the COVID-19 protocols established at the high school where you are taking classes.

I recently had COVID-19, do I have to test? No, if you had a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 90 days, you are exempt from screening upon showing proof of positive test. If you recovered more than 90 days ago, you are required to test.

Cuesta College Vaccine Requirement 

August 26, 2021

Vaccination against COVID-19 is the most effective means of preventing infection with the COVID-19 virus, and subsequent transmission and outbreaks. Current CDC and SLO County Department of Public Health guidance strongly recommends vaccination for all eligible individuals, thereby reducing COVID-19 rates throughout the community, and creating a wrap-around safety layer for unvaccinated individuals. 

Resolution 09-21 of the San Luis Obispo County Community College District established a vaccine requirement for Cuesta College students, employees, and campus visitors accessing district campuses and facilities. Students and employees must provide proof of vaccination beginning October 15, 2021 or undergo COVID testing weekly.  Unvaccinated campus visitors must provide proof of vaccine or negative test within 72 hours of campus visit.

This vaccine requirement will be updated in accordance with CDC, CAPDH, and SLO County Public Health Department as the science changes including, but not limited to, antibodies, immunology, vaccine, and testing.

A. Pursuant to the CDPH Guidance for Vaccine Records Guidelines & Standards, only the following modes may be used as proof of vaccination:

  1. COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or WHO Yellow Card) which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date of last dose administered; OR
  2. a photo of a Vaccination Record Card as a separate document; OR
  3. a photo of the client's Vaccination Record Card stored on a phone or electronic device; OR
  4. documentation of COVID-19 vaccination from a health care provider; OR
  5. digital record that includes a QR code that when scanned by a SMART Health Card reader displays to the reader client name, date of birth, vaccine dates and vaccine type; OR
  6. documentation of vaccination from other contracted employers who follow these vaccination records guidelines and standards.

In the absence of knowledge to the contrary, Cuesta College may accept the documentation presented as valid.

Employees and students who are not fully vaccinated, or for whom vaccine status is unknown or documentation is not provided, are considered unvaccinated.

B. Testing requirements:

  1. Asymptomatic unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated employees and students coming to campus are required to undergo diagnostic screening testing.
  2. Students and employees may be tested with either antigen or molecular tests to satisfy this requirement, but unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated students and employees must be tested at least once weekly with either PCR testing or antigen testing. Any PCR (molecular) or antigen test used must either have Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or be operating per the Laboratory Developed Test requirements by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
  3. Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated students and employees must also observe all other infection control requirements and are not exempted from the testing requirement even if they have a medical contraindication to vaccination (medical excuse), since they are still potentially able to spread the illness. Previous history of COVID-19 from which the individual recovered more than 90 days earlier, or a previous positive antibody test for COVID-19, do not waive this requirement for testing.

C. Definitions:  

  1. Fully Vaccinated means individuals who are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19: two weeks or more after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna or vaccine authorized by the World Health Organization), or two weeks or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen). COVID-19 vaccines that are currently authorized for emergency use:
    1. By the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , are listed at the FDA COVID-19 Vaccines webpage
    2. By the World Health Organization (WHO), are listed at WHO COVID-19 Vaccines webpage 
  2. Incompletely vaccinated means persons who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine but do not meet the definition of fully vaccinated.
  3. Unvaccinated means persons who have not received any doses of COVID-19 vaccine or whose status is unknown.
  4. WHO Yellow Card refers to the original World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis issued to the individual following administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in a foreign country.

 

Jill signature

Jill Stearns, Ph.D.

Superintendent/President

Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403 

805.546.3118 | www.cuesta.edu