Delta College’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate will be in effect for the Spring 2022 semester. All students taking in-person or hybrid classes, as well as all staff, must be vaccinated in order to be on campus.
As of Dec. 2 7,551 (35 percent) of Delta Students and 1,178 of Delta Staff have been vaccinated, according to the Delta College Covid-19 Mandate Dashboard.
The vaccine mandate was approved through the Delta College Board of Trustees on Oct. 11 with the intention of ensuring the safety and well being of everyone on the Delta campus.
Online classes will still be available for unvaccinated students.
Students who are not yet vaccinated will also not be receiving priority registration until proof of vaccination is provided.
Students can request exemptions from this ruling with valid health concerns and/or religious reasoning.
The mandate for Delta staff is not limited to on-campus staff and faculty. All employees must be vaccinated to remain employed by the district unless they have an approved religious or medical exemption.
Employees were required to have at least the first vaccine dose by Oct. 15, while continuing to test twice a week until they provide proof of full vaccination. Testing is also required for faculty and staff who receive an exemption from being vaccinated.
Come Dec. 17 faculty who are not in compliance with this mandate will receive a final letter with intent of termination. Classified employees were given a Nov. 1 deadline. The deadlines were negotiated by the distinct employee unions.
No terminations have been filed, however 759 warning letters have been sent out to staff, according to Delta College Director of Marketing and Communications Alex Breitler.
Most of the staff to have received letters were short-term staff members.
Also amongst short term staff, particularly those that have not worked at the college in a while, 10 resignations have happened.
“It is not our desire that any employee be placed on leave or released. We understand that this is a difficult issue with a wide range of views from all sides,” said Breitler. “We are trying to be as flexible as possible while also protecting the health of both students and employees.”
Compliance evaluation is ongoing.
“We are still in the process of collecting exemption requests and evaluating them and will have a better idea in the weeks and months to come how many employees are in compliance,” said Breitler.
A growing concern for some is how this may affect students in the next semester. While some may feel this is a strong approach, others feel it is necessary for the sake of the community’s health.
“Professors know that their interest should always be in the best interest of the students. Regardless of their personal views of the vaccine, professors and staff should follow this mandate to continue being considerate to their students’ health and education,” said Delta College freshman Mikayla Elias.
Covid-19 vaccinations are available through the Delta College Health Center located on the first floor of the Locke Center on Mondays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Flu shots are also available during that time.