Fresno State will require COVID-19 vaccines for students, employees, CSU announces
Fresno State faculty, staff, and students who are on campus this fall will be required to have a COVID vaccination with limited exceptions under a California State University systemwide mandate announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes a day after California’s new mandate for coronavirus vaccines, masks, and testing that applies to state employees and health workers.
Back in April, CSU and the University of California announced similar plans for the fall semester, and CSU reinforced the mandate Tuesday.
“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, the former Fresno State president, in a 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.”
The release says for students who plan to continue their studies but do not wish to come to campus during the fall, it is expected that most campuses will have a more expansive offering of virtual courses as compared to before the pandemic, though resource limitations do not allow for a campus’ or even a program’s full offerings to be made available virtually.
The CSU’s COVID-19 vaccination policy will allow students and employees to seek medical and religious exemptions. In those cases, rigid testing will be required.
An official policy for each campus will be sent to students, staff, and faculty soon, officials said. Updates are also posted on Fresno State’s website.
The deadline to be fully vaccinated will vary with each campus because start dates differ, but the latest date for all approvals is Sept. 30, according to the news release.
For represented employees, the CSU requirement will take effect immediately upon implementation of the policy; however, represented employees will not be subject to disciplinary action while the CSU is in the meet and confer process with its labor unions.
The CSU and UC announced vaccine requirements in April, pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Although the three different shots available in the U.S. — made by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson — are approved for emergency use, they are not yet fully approved.
The CSU announcement comes about two weeks after the UC announced it would also make vaccinations a requirement to be on campus, regardless of FDA approval.
Faculty and students react
Many Fresno State faculty members recently signed an open letter to Castro, urging him to mandate the COVID vaccine at CSU campuses.
“Are we comfortable knowing that members of our campus communities will be ‘sitting ducks’ if we allow them to return unvaccinated?” the letter, dated July 21, read. “We shouldn’t be. Like most universities, the CSU system already has vaccine mandates for measles, chickenpox, Hepatitis B, and meningococcal disease, among others.”
After Tuesday’s announcement, Melanie H. Ram, a professor and chair of the political science department said she was excited.
“We are confident that this is the right step to help protect everyone on our campuses,” she told The Bee, and we look forward to continued consultation with the faculty on how the new policy is implemented.”
Ram said that between all 23 campuses, nearly 1,500 faculty and staff signed the letter.
Norma Vargas, a Fresno State student earning her master’s degree in social work, said she is not surprised that the CSU will require the COVID-19 vaccine.
Vargas had to update several of her other vaccinations before enrolling, including her tetanus shot. “I’m already vaccinated and need it for work since I work directly with children and families,” she said.
Alison Garibay, a social work major and former student government senator said she’s happy about the mandate.
“I was born with multiple heart and lung conditions as well as a weakened immune system, making me susceptible to viruses and diseases,” she said. “I appreciate the CSU’s effort in making sure our community is protected as well as myself.”
Garibay said she was homeschooled as a child because her parents didn’t want her to get sick. She is looking forward to continuing to attend college without fear.
“I believe I deserve the chance to receive my education without having to worry about imminent hospitalization due to others not being vaccinated,” she said.
Many colleges across the U.S. already require the vaccine for the fall semester. A federal judge recently held up the order for Indiana University after students sued, alleging their 14th Amendment rights of “personal autonomy and bodily integrity, and the right to reject medical treatment” were being violated.
This story was originally published July 27, 2021 at 11:31 AM.