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Vaccination/Test Requirements

Updated March 25, 2022

NOTE: Some of this information is outdated. The main COVID-19 Updates page has up-to-date information.

Answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for on-campus classes and activities.

Employees Visitors Volunteers Campus Partners Clubs and Organizations

Students

The College of the Canyons Board of Trustees approved a resolution outlining the requirements students must follow when attending in-person classes or activities at the Valencia and Canyon Country campuses. The following FAQs are a resource for quick information. We will do our best to keep these FAQs current and updated regularly. If you have a question not addressed here, please submit it to COVIDquestion@canyons.edu.

  • Employees, students and visitors are required to wear face masks in all indoor instructional spaces when they are being used for College of the Canyons courses, plus student services spaces. This includes:

    • All student computer labs
    • Counseling
    • TLC
    • Library
    • Admissions & Records
    • Financial Aid
    • Student Business Office
    • Welcome Center
    • Assessment Center
    • Veteran’s Center
    • EOPS/CalWORKS/Care/INSPIRE
    • Undocumented Resource Center
    • Academic Accommodations Center
    • Student Health Center
    • Campus Life & Student Engagement
    • BaNC
    • Student Employment Office
    • Non-Credit Enrollment Services
    • Athletic training room
    • Locker rooms
  • The phrase “face coverings” includes material made of common fabric, usually multiple layers of cotton that securely covers the nose and mouth without exhalation valves or vents or a N95 and KN95 mask/respirator. Bandanas and scarves are not permissible face coverings. Individuals who cannot wear a face covering due to a disability or medical condition may instead wear a face shield with drape at the bottom edge that is either form-fitting under the chin or tucked into a shirt or collar.
  • Although the college follows the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health guidelines and strongly recommends that masks be worn when indoors, they are not required in these spaces or situations:

    • Athletic practices and competitions, not classroom instruction
    • Rehearsals and performances for performing groups (performing arts, speech, etc.)
    • Visitors, community users, and commercial performers in the Performing Arts Center
    • Events such as the Women’s Conference, upcoming events/celebrations
    • In-person board meetings and foundation board meetings
    • University Center partners and programs
    • Civic Center rental locations
    • Academy of the Canyons
    • Communication Center and Mailroom
    • Meetings that are not held in classrooms or student services and support areas
    • Departments and common areas that are not within a student services/support area
  • The District is committed to providing a safe and healthy learning and working environment. The Board of Trustees has passed a resolution to ensure cooperation with local public health officials with measures necessary for the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
  • No. The District is not a covered entity under HIPAA (exceptions apply to the Student Health Center only). HIPAA only applies to healthcare providers and related entities. The District must have this information because it informs the District’s response to a COVID-19 exposure in certain circumstances.
  • Yes, the District does have access to the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) database. We will use this access to verify incomplete or questionable documentation submitted to the District.
  • No. All students attending classes on-campus must either provide proof of vaccination or be subject to weekly testing.

  • Individuals are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks or more after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or two weeks or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson and Johnson [J&J/Janssen]).
  • Yes. You must first submit your vaccine status via the online Self-Certification Form.

  • Yes. If you have received the first dose of the vaccine or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Aug. 23 but are not yet fully vaccinated (14 days after your second dose of a two-dose vaccine (Moderna/Pfizer) or a single dose of a one-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson), you must participate in weekly testing until you are fully vaccinated.

  • The details on acceptable documentation are outlined above. You can upload those documents through the online Vaccination or Test Self-Certification Form. If you need to download your vaccination record from the State of California database, you can do so at https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/
  • You must submit your documentation no later than Monday, Aug. 23. Students who have not submitted proof of vaccination by that date are required to submit a negative test through the Self-Certification Form until they have uploaded their vaccination proof via the website.
  • The COVID-19 Updates page has updated information about testing and vaccination sites at our campuses.

  • The District requires that employees/students either submit proof of vaccination or provide a weekly negative COVID test. If you have a religious or medical exemption to being vaccinated, you must still provide a weekly negative COVID test to be on campus for work or class.

  • The District will accept the results from tests administered by a healthcare provider, including PCR, rapid test and saliva tests. The results must include the provider name, your name, date of the test, date of the result, the result and that the test was taken specifically for COVID. The District will not accept a result from a home COVID test.

  • Your tests results are valid for seven (7) days. The day you test is Day #1, and the result is good until Day #7. You have until the end of Day #8 to test again.

  • Unvaccinated students must submit a negative COVID-19 test each week to attend in-person classes. The student must submit their negative test result:

    Example of testing scheduling:

    You should test on... if your first day of class for the week is...
    Friday Monday
    Saturday Tuesday
    Saturday or Sunday5 Wednesday
    Monday Thursday
    Tuesday Friday
    Wednesday Saturday
    Thursday Sunday
    • For fall 2021, student services will continue to be offered both in-person and remotely/online. You can find email addresses, phone numbers, links for Zoom, etc. online for each office on this website: https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/servicesquickcontact/
    • To attend a scheduled in-person appointment, a student will be required to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative test that was conducted within three calendar days prior to the appointment.
    • An unvaccinated student must submit a negative COVID-19 test result each week to attend on-campus classes or to use on-campus services. The student must submit their negative test result through the online Self-Certification Form. Unvaccinated students may also enroll in online classes to avoid weekly COVID-19 testing.
    • For your health and safety, we urge you to get vaccinated.
  • If a student decides not to be tested weekly for COVID-19, the student cannot attend classes in person. The student will not be permitted to enter the face-to-face classroom if a negative test has not been submitted through the Vaccination or Test Self-Certification Form during that week. If the student fails to turn in a negative test result for a second consecutive week:

    1. We will make every attempt to transfer a student to an online or “HyFlex” class, so the student may continue their education. However, if the student is unable to transfer, and they do not turn in their weekly negative test results, the student unfortunately will be dropped from the course.
    2. If the student stops testing after the drop deadline, but before the withdrawal deadline, and the student does not or cannot transfer to an online section, the student will be given an EW grade and a refund will be processed.
    3. If the student stops testing after the withdrawal deadline, the student will be given an EW grade.
  • Please email studenthealthcenter@canyons.edu or call (661) 362-3259.

  • Yes. Scheduled in-person appointments require visitors to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative test that was conducted within three (3) calendar days prior to the appointment.

  • Yes, if you are visiting a location where you will interact with a person on campus (i.e., Bookstore, Assessment Center, BANC location, questions for Admissions and Records). These visits require visitors to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative test that was conducted three (3) calendar days prior to the appointment.

    • If you are a 100 percent online student the vaccination and testing requirement does not apply to you to attend your classes. You may access student services during the fall 2021 semester remotely/online. You can find email addresses, phone numbers, links for Zoom, etc. online for each office on this website: https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/servicesquickcontact/
    • Please see the answer above for in-person appointments on campus and quick transactions.
  • If you receive a positive COVID-19 test you must inform our COVID-19 Compliance Officer right away. Regardless of whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated, our COVID-19 Compliance Officer will work with you to determine contact tracing, quarantine requirements, and dates upon which you may return to campus.

    Contact the Student & Employee Compliance Officer
    (661) 993-7670
    covid@streetconsultinggroup.com

  • There are a few exemptions to the vaccination and testing rule for off-campus, in-person classes.

    1. Classes held for our incarcerated students at Pitchess Detention Center and Century Regional Detention Center are exempt from the vaccination and testing requirements.
    2. Dual enrollment and College Now courses held on the high school campuses are exempt. College of the Canyons will work closely with the Hart District regarding vaccination, testing, and masking. Face coverings are required in all dual-enrollment and College Now classrooms.
    3. Noncredit classes held at off-site locations will follow all regulations implemented by the particular site except that face coverings are required in all off-site locations regardless of the location regulation.
    4. Instructional Service Agreement courses, held off-campus, will be required to follow the regulations implemented by the site.
  • L.A. County maintains an updated website including frequently asked questions/answers on the three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. (Moderna, Pfizer, and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (J&J)). This site also includes a video series from Dr. Eloisa Gonzalez of Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health answering common questions.

  • Currently there is no end date for the vaccination/test or face mask requirements. The District and Board of Trustees reserve the right to revise these requirements as needed.

Notation

5. You may get tested at other locations through https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/