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September 23, 2021
Dear Berkeley City College Community,
This communication is intended to offer some up-to-date information regarding the most recent PCCD updates on COVID-19 and Return to Campus processes and protocols. This semester, we have 22 face-to-face classes/labs with just over 400 students. It has been so warming to see faculty and students back on campus and we are working hard to prepare the campus for increasing the number of colleagues to begin to return to campus.
The Peralta Community College District has centralized all district wide communications regarding COVID-19 and Return to Campus processes and protocols on the Safe Peralta website, where you will find the most up-to-date information regarding the vaccination policy, contact tracing, building access, and overall health & safety processes for the district. The following are some highlights:
Vaccination Policy & Procedures
The PCCD Board of Trustees approved the first Bay Area community college district vaccination policy for students and employees, which was announced on August 5th. Employees, contractors, and students are required to show proof of vaccination (or a recent negative COVID test result) by October 7, 2021. The administrative procedure regarding vaccinations has been posted on the Safe Peralta website. Please review the Administrative Procedure for COVID-19 Vaccination/Masking Requirement for Employees, Students, and Visitors to ensure that you meet the vaccination policy requirement. Beginning October 8, 2021, employees, students, and visitors will be required to have met the vaccination requirement to be granted access to Berkeley City College. Employees will need to update their proof of vaccination via Company Nurse or complete an exemption form (religious, medical, etc) on the Safe Peralta website and students will need to do the same via the Campus Solutions module in PeopleSoft.
BCC Building Access Protocols
In accordance to the PCCD draft COVID-19 Prevention Plan, please adhere to the requirements as noted on SAFE Peralta:
- Review the PCCD Faculty & Staff Resources site for information on fulfilling the vaccination requirement and FAQs for meeting COVID-19 safety measures.
- Complete the Company Nurse screening to access the campus. The BCC Security team will require seeing your “PASS” green screen to be allowed access to the building.
- At the checkpoint, you will need to sign in and out daily, as well as complete the temperature check screening.
- You are required to wear your mask indoors (covering your nose and chin), unless eating/drinking in your private office.
The nature of our one campus building is that no person will be allowed access inside unless they meet the following: a) the vaccination/exemption requirement and b) the daily screening with Company Nurse (employees) or Campus Shield (students). We take the health and safety of our community very seriously and the BCC Security team will not grant access inside unless BOTH of these processes are compliant. Additionally, the mask requirement provides an additional layer of safety and has been reported to have contributed to the Bay Area’s low rates of COVID-19. A recent article in The San Francisco Chronicle, notes that the combination of vaccinations, indoor mask mandates, and regular COVID-19 testing are strong contributors to the low rates.
Additional Information
BCC has hosted several vaccination clinics for campus and community members via a partnership with the City of Berkeley and Carbon Health. Information for future vaccination clinics will be shared broadly. Additionally, the PCCD is working with local partners to establish weekly COVID-19 testing clinics at each of the four campuses.
I know you may have additional questions or concerns. I advise you to visit the Safe Peralta website FAQ’s for Employees or the FAQ’s for Students for additional information. There is no longer a social distancing requirement per the County of Alameda Department of Public Health. We will provide updates on maximum capacity in elevators, restrooms, and gathering spaces as the county releases additional information.
In the coming weeks, the college will receive the reports of the assessments completed for building safety related to water, heating, ventilation, and air. As soon as those are available, I will be sure to update the community. In an effort to offer open communication, there will be a BCC Town Hall on COVID-19 and Return to Campus on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 during College Hour (12:20 – 1:20 pm; Zoom information coming soon). This session will be recorded and shared for those who are unable to attend. Please contact VP of Administrative Services, Sean Brooks at sbrooks@peralta.edu with questions or concerns.
In Community,
Angélica
President
Dr. Angélica Garcia (she| her| ella)
President
Berkeley City College