Dr. David Viar, president of GCC, released a statement via email on Tuesday requiring all GCC employees to be fully vaccinated before December 21, 2021, whether they are working in person or remotely. The mandate comes as GCC continues to prepare for the upcoming semester, where it hopes to expand the number of classes offered in person.  

The college partnered with a pandemic management website, Kokomo 24/7, to ensure a secure platform to upload the necessary documents. 

The mandate will remain in effect for the entire 2021-2022 academic year, and faculty who are not yet vaccinated are encouraged to do so as soon as possible by clicking on myturn.ca.gov. To be considered fully vaccinated, 14 days have to have passed since the final dose of the vaccine.

Those who wish to declare an acceptable medical or religious exemption must submit their exemption through their online vaccine portal. If approved for an exemption, the college requires weekly proof of a negative COVID-19 test without exceptions.

Masks are still required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, on all district properties. The new vaccine requirement, along with the mask policy, is set to ensure a safe return for both students and staff and reduce the likelihood of transmission of COVID-19. 

Click here to view the complete board policy on COVID-19 vaccination requirements. 

Victoria Bochniak can be reached at [email protected].