A vaccine or weekly testing mandate will go into effect for the students, faculty, and staff at MCCC starting on January 3, 2022, as announced through two email blasts this week.
The email to students states “all MCCC students will be required to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly…to attend in-person or hybrid classes, or participate in athletics, theater or other in-person activities.”
It adds that students who are taking only online classes are exempt, and that the mask mandate will still be in effect.
Jennifer Whiting, the acting spokesperson for the college says the administration convened a task force this fall and that “their recommendation was to move toward a vaccine mandate, knowing that students have the option of attending online synchronous and online asynchronous courses, without negatively affecting a student’s ability to enroll in what they want. How do we keep campus as safe as possible?”
Student Government President Christian Perez said of the mandate “I don’t think it’s a bad idea. I think we all kind of expected it.”
When asked how the weekly tests would be funded, carried out and enforced, Whiting said that getting tested would be the responsibility of the students. She went on to say that the college is looking into how to work out the funding for them. The email sent to faculty and staff says that they are responsible for the costs of their own tests.
According to Whiting, the college is still looking into how to enforce the vaccine mandate.
Alvyn Haywood, Professor of Speech and Communications and Faculty Association President says, “Anything that is going to help us be able to interface with our students in a healthy environment, I’m for.”
He added, “We need to be there for one another, and look out for one another, as opposed to making this some type of protest about our individuality and how the government is impeding on our freedom.”
Whiting says “The safest way to handle COVID-19 as a society is to use the vaccinations that are available. Get vaccinated.”
To upload your vaccination card click here.
