Southwestern College joined other area colleges Wednesday in announcing that it will require all employees and students accessing in-person instruction and services to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall semester.
Masks will be required in all indoor buildings and facilities on campus.
"The health of our campus community is paramount as we work to safely reopen our campuses to again offer in-person instruction and services," said Southwestern College Superintendent/President Mark Sanchez.
"We will continue to monitor local data and listen to our campus community as we work to serve our students in the safest way possible," he said. "These health and safety measures are critical steps to beating the COVID-19 pandemic and safely returning to Southwestern College."
Southwestern College leadership surveyed the campus community, including students and employees, and looked at local data, including the rise in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, to update the fall semester's health guidelines. Southwestern College will be joining colleges, universities and other institutions across the nation in requiring vaccines and masks, including the University of California and California State University systems.
Vaccine clinics will be available at the Chula Vista campus the first two weeks of the fall semester in partnership with San Ysidro Health. Members of the campus community wishing to get vaccinated before then can visit https://coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine for the nearest clinic, or consult with their healthcare provider.
