Update: July 27 at 5:57 p.m.
Fresno State announced that all students returning to campus will be required to complete a COVID-19 Self-Certification form on their student portal beginning Aug. 2 certifying that they are vaccinated. Students must complete this form before Sept. 30.
They must also upload a vaccination record with documentation of at least the first dose no later than Aug. 20.
The university will hold mandatory COVID-19 testing regularly beginning the week of Aug. 23 for students seeking exemption due to medical or religious reasons.
Original story
The California State University announced in a news release that students, faculty and staff accessing campus in the upcoming school year will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination no later than Sept. 30.
“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,†CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said. “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.â€Â
In April, CSU announced that COVID-19 vaccines would be required once they were approved by the Food and Drug Administration. However, because of the evolving circumstances regarding COVID-19, the CSU said that they are implementing the vaccine requirement without FDA approval.
Students and staff will be able to seek religious or medical exemptions alongside the CSU’s COVID-19 vaccination policy.
The CSU said that the requirement will take effect immediately once the policy is implemented and that represented employees “will not be subject to disciplinary action while the CSU is in the meet and confer process with its labor unions.â€Â
According to the news release, most campuses will offer more virtual courses than there were prior to the pandemic for students who choose not to be physically on campus this fall.
The university will reveal its final vaccine policy within the coming days.
