CSU system will require vaccination for staff, students before returning

All faculty, staff and students across the California State University system will be required to be vaccinated against the coronavirus to access campuses in the fall, officials announced Tuesday, July 27, though the system will allow for medical and religious exemptions.

The dates by which people must provide certification of vaccination will vary by campus because of differing academic calendars, according to a CSU statement, but every campus will require it before Oct. 1.

“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,” CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said in a statement, “as we look to maintain the health and well-being of students, employees and visitors to our campuses this fall.”

Most campuses will offer more virtual courses than they did before the pandemic, which should provide more flexibility for students who do not wish to be on campus. But “resource limitations do not allow for a campus’ or even a program’s full offerings to be made available virtually,” the statement said.

The university will share its detailed policy “in the coming days,” the statement said.

“Receiving a COVID vaccine continues to be the best way to mitigate the spread of the virus,” Castro said. “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.”