California State University, Bakersfield President Dr. Lynnette Zelezny and her Cabinet have released the following statement about the start of the spring semester.
"Over the past two years, as the coronavirus has changed the way we study, work and live, CSUB has demonstrated time and again that the health and safety of the `Runner community is our top priority.
Staying true to that principle, and in consideration of the surge in Omicron cases, we have come to two important decisions:
1. CSUB will begin the spring 2022 semester by delivering courses remotely for the first three weeks of the semester (Jan. 24 - Feb. 11)
2. All eligible students, managers and confidentials must provide documentation of their COVID-19 vaccine booster shot by Feb. 11 in alignment with California State University policy.
All courses, with some exceptions, will be virtual. During this period, the main Bakersfield campus will remain open, and in-person services will be available, including the Walter Stiern Library, Student Recreation Center, Office of Financial Aid, Student Health Services and the Counseling Center.
Vaccine boosters are available at vaccination clinics at both the Bakersfield and Antelope Valley campuses. Please consult MyTurn.ca.gov to book an appointment for the campus clinics or find another location near you.
Employees belonging to labor unions will not be subject to the booster requirement until the CSU concludes the meet-and-confer process with each recognized union.
Instructions on how to upload your booster documentation will be available shortly.
Our COVID vaccination policy continues to allow students and employees to submit exemptions for medical and religious reasons. With those exemptions, individuals are required to test for COVID weekly at the CSUB testing site. In addition, administrative exemptions will be considered for those who will not be on campus at any time during the semester.
We have made this decision out of an abundance of caution, and in consultation with Kern County Public Health Services Department, the California State University Chancellor’s Office and other partners, using the latest data and guidance of federal and state authorities.
For those working on campus or using our in-person services, we wish to assure you that CSUB is safe as long as we continue to follow our protocols that include masks (protective surgical, N95, or KN95 masks are strongly recommended), frequent hand-washing, daily screening before arriving on campus and, most important, staying home if you are sick.
CSUB remains one of the safest places in our area, and that is a direct reflection of our safety precautions, vigilance and high vaccination rates. As `Runners, we are modeling responsible behavior and the grace of considering the needs of the entire community, not just our own.
`Runner family, our responsibility to you and our entire community is to balance safety with our No. 1 mission: Offering an exceptional education to our deserving students. We believe these protocols allow us to do both.
We will continue to monitor this fluid situation and provide updates via email, social media and our COVID-19 webpage.
Thank you for your resilience, flexibility and efforts to keep yourselves, your families and our entire community safe. We will weather this period as we have all others: Together, united as `Runners."
Lynnette Zelezny
President
Vernon Harper
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Thom Davis
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Thomas Wallace
Vice President for Student Affairs
Victor Martin
Vice President for University Advancement
Claudia Catota
Chief Diversity Officer and Special Assistant to the President
Kristen Beall Watson
Chief of Staff to the President
Ronnie Gomez
University Counsel
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