10/08/2021

Dear Colleagues,

Next Friday, October 15, 2021, the Cuesta College Vaccine Requirement will be in effect. Please find expanded information regarding Cleared4, testing, and privacy at the end of this email.

Employees who are fully vaccinated are encouraged to check their Cleared4 status to ensure their pass is ready to go. If you have any issue uploading your vaccine information or any other challenge with the Cleared4 tool,  please contact hr@cuesta.edu. 

Employees who choose to be cleared for Cuesta College through weekly testing are recommended to test on Monday or Tuesday of next week to ensure their results arrive timely and they are Cleared4 Cuesta College on Friday. It is important that you test each week on the same day. If you are unable to test on your usual day, then you need to test the day before. The Cleared4 Cuesta College pass expires in seven days making it important to test within the weekly timeframe. 

Cuesta College Testing Site Hours

San Luis Obispo (SLO) Campus | October 11 – October 15 | Room 1032 

  • Monday – Friday, 11:00am – 3:00pm 

Paso Robles North County Campus (NCC) | October 12 – October 21 | Student Health Services Building 1000, Room 1013 

  • Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00am -12:00pm and 3:00pm -5:00pm  

San Luis Obispo (SLO) Campus | October 18 and ongoing | Room 1032

  • Mondays and Fridays, 10:00am – 3:00pm 
  • Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 10:00am - 6:30pm 

Paso Robles North County Campus (NCC) | October 25 and ongoing |  Student Health Services Building 1000, Room 1013 

  • Mondays, 9:00am – 12:00pm
  • Tuesdays, 9:00am – 12:00pm
  • Wednesdays, 3:00pm – 6:00pm
  • Thursdays, 9:00am – 12:00pm and 3:00pm – 6:00pm 

 

The Cleared4 message was sent to students early this week. Student vaccine information was imported from the statewide system into Cleared4 and more than 2,400 students have already been Cleared4 Cuesta College. To assist with questions and launch of the tool, information tables will be available on the NCC and SLO campuses. These tables will also provide the final opportunity for vaccine incentive gift card pick-up for students and employees on October 14, 2021. 

Cleared4 Cuesta Student Help Stations (Outdoor tables) – Schedule

October 14 :    11:00am – 1:00pm and 4:00pm – 6:00pm

October 15:     11:00am – 1:00pm

October 18:     11:00am – 1:00pm and 4:00pm – 6:00pm

October 19:     11:00am – 1:00pm and 4:00pm – 6:00pm

October 20:     11:00am – 1:00pm

October 21:     11:00am – 1:00pm and 4:00pm – 6:00pm

  • Cleared4 app (web-based tool) has been deployed to all employees. Think you missed it? Check for an email and/or text from no-reply@cleared4work.com or  www.c4wrk.com and contact hr@cuesta.edu if you are unable to locate the message.  It is very easy to follow the directions and enter your vaccine or test record and receive your cleared for Cuesta College pass.
  • Student messaging is ongoing and includes broad distribution via email and social media
  • Updated student +case count is available at the end of this email and on the COVID-19 webpage, this information is updated by Tuesday of each week

FAQs

Do I have to get vaccinated? No, the vaccine requirement allows those who are not fully vaccinated the option of weekly screening testing for clearance to access the campus and college facilities.

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

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

How do I apply for a medical or religious exemption from testing? There is no exemption from a testing requirement. Those opposed to testing have the option of vaccination. 

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.

How will we (employees, students, visitors) show that we meet the vaccine requirement to be on campus? Cuesta College is implementing a web-based tool, Cleared4, that will provide a digital pass. The pass can be viewed on a smart phone, tablet, or laptop. There is no indication on the Cleared4 pass whether the individual is vaccinated or cleared through testing.

I have a medical condition and am unable to receive the vaccine. Am I exempt? You are not required to receive the vaccine. You will be required to test weekly to be cleared to access Cuesta College campuses and facilities. 

Where can I get tested? FREE testing is available on campus. Details located above.

Can I test at home? Your test must be supervised. That may be accomplished through purchase of an approved test that either comes with a telemedicine appointment, or scheduling a telemedicine observation through your personal physician. Cuesta College provides free testing on campus for students and employees. There is no reimbursement for tests taken at other locations.

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

I have already submitted proof of vaccine, do I have to show it again? No. Only those who have not already submitted proof of vaccine will need to submit verification.

Can I come onto campus immediately after my 2nd dose of Pfizer or Moderna or my first dose of Johnson & Johnson? Anyone not fully vaccinated is required to test weekly until they reach fully vaccinated status. You are fully vaccinated two weeks or more after the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna), or two weeks or more after a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson).

Will I be required to enter campus through a checkpoint? No, employees, students, and visitors will enter the campus as usual. Everyone on campus should be prepared to show their Cleared4 pass when asked. 

Do I have to check student status? No, but you have the option to do so as desired.

Are faculty expected to keep a record of student status? No, there is no tracking needed.

 

A link has been added to the COVID-19 webpage providing a count of student positive cases by week. Please bear in mind that this includes all students, including those fully remote.  

COVID Cases

Total since 1 August, 2021 = 78

Unduplicated headcount 9,304

Includes all students (online, in person, hybrid)

Updated 10.4.21

Cleared4

Cleared4 is a cloud-based tool that is HIPAA compliant. This product was chosen to protect employee and student privacy by providing a means to show their cleared status without displaying either test results or proof of vaccine. 

Any employee may ask to see a student’s Cleared4 Cuesta pass. These checks are most likely to occur when meeting in person. You can read about the Cleared4 health verification platform on their website www.cleared4.org.

A Cleared4 pass indicates that an individual meets the requirements set forth in the Cuesta College Vaccine Requirement to be on campus. An individual may meet the requirement through vaccine or through testing. The manner in which the individual meets the requirement is not disclosed by the pass. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) applies only to healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses and their business associates. While vaccination information is classified as Personal Health Information (PHI) and is covered by the HIPAA Rules, that only applies when the information is supplied by the health care entity as noted above. Asking about vaccine status does not violate HIPAA and California employers are required to confirm the COVID-19 vaccine status of employees.

Only confidential and management employees in Human Resources have access to employee information in Cleared4. Human Resources employees are trained in FERPA (Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act) which applies to Cuesta College and they regularly interact with, and maintain security of, Personal Identifiable Information (PII). 

Testing

SLO Public Health Department and EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) affirm that there is no exemption from testing.

 

I understand that decisions regarding personal health are challenging and that vaccine considerations are complex. If there is any way that I, or a  member of the Human Resources team, can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Jill signature

Jill Stearns, Ph.D.

Superintendent/President

Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403 

805.546.3118 | www.cuesta.edu