6460 COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements

Original Date: 12/21/2021 * Last Revision Effective: 06/15/2022
Policy Contact: Vice President of Administrative Services

Purpose

This policy establishes COVID-19 vaccination requirements needed to comply with the Washington Higher Education Vaccinated Campus rules, the Labor & Industries workplace safety policies, and public health requirements. This policy is also intended to protect the health and safety of the public and the campus community. In developing this policy, the college worked in accordance with federal, state, and local guidance and rules related to COVID-19, and proclamations issued by the Washington State Governor.

Policy

The college requires faculty, staff, volunteers, and students (defined below) to either:

  • Be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 using an authorized vaccine (defined below) OR
  • To ask and be approved for an authorized exemption (defined below).

Verification and Documentation

All faculty, staff, volunteers, and students must complete a Vaccination Attestation form and provide documentation as indicated within the form. In the event Human Resources or Student Affairs requests additional documentation or information needed to resolve missing, unclear, inconsistent, or incongruent information submitted initially with the Vaccination Attestation form, such subsequent information must also be provided to be in compliance with this policy.

Exemptions approved due to a temporary condition or circumstance will be reviewed and reevaluated based on the stated timeframe noted in the original approval.

The college randomly collects documentation verifying the vaccination status of individual students.

Authorized Exemptions

Faculty, staff, volunteers, and students are exempt from the vaccination requirement if they ask for and are approved, and a reasonable accommodation is granted, as appropriate, for at least one of the following authorized exemptions:

  1. Medical Exemption
    • Requires documentation from a healthcare provider who determines that a medical reason or condition exists for which the vaccination should not be given for health and safety reasons.
  2. Religious Exemption
    • Requires that there be a conflict between receiving the vaccine and sincerely held religious beliefs or practices.
  3. College in the High School, and Pacific NW College Credit Exemption (students only)
    • For high school students in these programs who are exclusively taking classes in their home high school.

Responsibilities

Human Resources and Student Affairs jointly share responsibilities in the following manner:

Human Resources

  • Manages the tracking, collection of documentation, exemptions, verification, reasonable accommodations, confidentiality, and enforcement of this policy and the related procedures for all faculty, staff, student employees, and volunteers.

Student Affairs

  • Manages the tracking, collection of documentation, exemptions, verification, confidentiality, and enforcement of this policy, reasonable accommodations, and the related procedures for all students who are not employees or volunteers.

Definitions

Authorized Vaccines

Enrollment/Enrolled

  • A student who has applied for admission or has registered or signed up to take classes.

Fully Vaccinated

  • A person is fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving:
    • The second dose in a two-dose series OR
    • A single-dose vaccine.
  • Being fully vaccinated may include a COVID-19 booster if deemed necessary to be compliant with ‘Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) Fully Vaccinated Campuses’ requirements as set forth by the state, or if the college determines that federal, state, and local requirements or recommendations are needed to help keep the campus community safe from COVID-19.

Students

  • Includes all persons taking courses at or through the college, whether on a full-time or part-time basis, and whether such courses are credit courses, noncredit courses, online courses, or otherwise. Persons who withdraw, graduate, or complete courses who are not officially enrolled for a particular term but who have a continuing relationship with the college, or who have been notified of their acceptance for admission may be considered “students.” These persons include those under the age of 18, continuing education students, and those taking courses through tombolo.

Volunteer

  • An uncompensated person who is scheduled to come to campus to perform work related tasks or work connected to a college project but receives no pay or stipend.

Relevant Laws and Other Resources

 

Revision History

Original: 12/21/2021 (temporary approval); 06/15/22

Approved By

Board of Trustees

Last Updated June 17, 2022