Clark College will strongly encourage, but not require students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as it prepares to expand on-site operations and offer more than 500 classes in person this fall.
Additionally, everyone on campus must wear face coverings and observe social distancing requirements, the college announced Tuesday. The college said it plans to gradually restore on-campus activities and operations as the fall term progresses. Some employees, services and events will return during fall term, which begins Sept. 20.
The college’s decisions follow guidance from Gov. Jay Inslee’s proclamation covering higher education, which was issued June 30 and revised July 12. The school also incorporated feedback from the college’s staff and faculty unions, student government and interdepartmental planning groups before making its decisions.
“Our students and our employees need to know the college’s way forward in order to plan for the future,” President Karin Edwards said in a news release. “At the same time, we need to remain ready to adapt to the ever-evolving realities of this pandemic and its effects. We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and provide information about fall term as we further develop our plans – always with a focus on equity, access, and the safety of our whole community.”
