August 9 Town Hall Reminder; CSU Vaccination Policy Date Clarification; SRAC and Student Union Updates; Physical Distancing and PPE Reminders
Sent: August 6, 2021
From: President Mary A. Papazian
Dear campus community,
The start of the fall semester is less than two weeks away. As we look forward to welcoming students along with more faculty and staff, I want to reiterate that the safety and well-being of our campus community are our top priority.
I invite you to attend the SJSU Adapt Town Hall on Monday, August 9 from 2:15 - 3:30 p.m. We will address the CSU’s vaccination policy and SJSU’s implementation of the policy, how the Delta variant has affected the mask policy and campus repopulation, and additional questions the campus community has. You must register to attend and can submit questions in advance. The town hall will be recorded and accessible on the SJSU Adapt website. More information will be shared next week about classroom-related questions.
CSU vaccination policy verification date clarification
As a reminder, on Tuesday, July 27, the California State University (CSU) announced that students, faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated by September 30 against COVID-19 if they are accessing campus facilities at any university location across the 23 campuses — regardless of FDA approval of the available vaccines approved for emergency use. Auxiliary employees as well as volunteers and other unpaid appointments are also subject to this policy. The CSU’s COVID-19 vaccination policy will allow medical and religious exemptions.
SJSU is aligning with the September 30 deadline for vaccination verification. Previous emails to students from our Student Wellness Center have mentioned August 6 as the deadline to upload vaccination verification — this August 6 date was established before the CSU policy was finalized. All vaccination certification for students, faculty and staff will now align with the September 30 deadline. Students living in University Housing must be fully vaccinated prior to moving in.
To be fully vaccinated by September 30 to comply with the requirement, you must get your final dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or the only dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, by September 16. If you choose to receive the Moderna vaccine, you must get your first dose by August 19. If you choose to receive the Pfizer vaccine, you must get your first dose by August 26.
The CSU interim policy is now available. Additional FAQs from the CSU have been added to the Vaccination page on the Health Advisories website.
Employee testing information and vaccination verification
Yesterday, August 5, University Personnel notified all employees about the implementation of mandatory testing for SJSU employees, auxiliary employees, volunteers and other unpaid appointments who access campus and other university facilities.
At this time, for represented employees, only those included in Unit 8 (SUPA) and all CSUEU units (2, 5, 7 and 9) are subject to this testing requirement; other unions are still engaged in the meet and confer process. CSUEU and SUPA employees are required to undergo mandatory testing as are unrepresented employees.
Testing will begin the week of August 23 and will occur on campus — or at off-campus worksites, if applicable — at no cost on a weekly basis. Individuals who provide proof that they are fully vaccinated will not be required to undergo testing.
The process to input your vaccination information, including uploading your vaccination documentation, is available at SJSU @ Work.
Student Union, SRAC, Spartan Bookstore and dining updates
Earlier this week, the Student Union and several Campus Partners Offices reopened. Through August 18, the Student Union will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Hours for the Campus Partners Offices vary.
As of Monday, August 2, the Spartan Recreation and Aquatics Center (SRAC) will no longer require students, faculty and staff to make reservations to workout during operating hours. You must bring your SJSU Tower ID to enter. The weight rooms, three court gym, bouldering wall, track, and pool area are available for use by students, faculty and staff only. Locker rooms, showers and equipment checkout will remain closed in preparation for the fall semester.
SRAC will be open Monday through Friday from 9:45 a.m. - 5 p.m. The SRAC pool is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Spartan Bookstore will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Hours of operation for dining options at SJSU are available on the Campus Repopulation page.
Physical distancing and PPE reminders
As more staff and faculty have been repopulating this past week, it is important to remind the campus community that physical distancing restrictions have largely been lifted. The only physical distancing requirement that remains is for unvaccinated individuals. If you are unvaccinated, you must wear a mask if you are outdoors and unable to maintain six feet of physical distance from others.
To continue to ensure the health and safety of our campus community, COVID-19 safety stations stocked with gloves, disposable masks and hand sanitizer have been placed at building entrances in all buildings on campus. If your area needs to be restocked, you can use the COVID-19 Safety Supply Request Form or contact the FD&O Customer Service Center at workcontrol@sjsu.edu or 408-924-1990.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary A. Papazian
President
