Coronavirus/COVID-19 Information

COVID-19 Update: We Must Remain Vigilant

President Hutchinson updates the campus on the latest COVID-19 health and safety measures

(announced March 3, 2022)

Dear campus community,

We are nearing the midway point of the spring semester and our campus safety practices are continuing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. A large reason why we have been so successful is because employees and students have willingly complied with our COVID Response Protocols. For this week, we are hovering around 10 reported active cases among a campus population of roughly 17,000.

 Vaccinations/boosters and masking remain vital tools to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Here is updated information about each one below and how they will affect our policies moving forward.

 Boosters

The deadline to comply with getting a booster was February 28and 90% of booster-eligible students met the deadline and uploaded their verification materials. Well done, Wildcats!

We have adjusted the policy for any student who did not receive an exemption and is more than 30 days beyond becoming booster eligible. Students can expect the following university actions: 
 

  • March 7: Students not in booster compliance will lose access to the WREC. 
  • March 21: Students not in booster compliance will be referred to Student Conduct, Rights, and Responsibilities.
  • March 28: Students not in booster compliance will have a registration hold placed on their accounts and WILL NOT be able to register for summer or fall classes. 

About 80% of booster-eligible employees submitted verification as of February 28. Deadlines vary by bargaining unit, but I urge any employee who is booster eligible to make sure you update your vaccination status. If you still need a booster shot, Chico State will host a clinic in the BMU on Thursday, March 10.

 Masks

You've likely heard masks will become optional in California K–12 schools beginning March 12. That has led many to ask about our policy. I understand some people can’t wait to get rid of masks, but we must remember we currently reside in a “high-risk” county and what we have been doing is working. For this reason, we will continue to mask indoors. After spring break, the pandemic management team and I will evaluate our campus and county numbers, and I’ll decide whether or not we can relax more of our COVID policies. But, until then, please stay the course and mask up.

Thank you for your commitment to fighting this terrible virus together. What we are doing is working, so let’s keep it up.

Sincerely,

Gayle E. Hutchinson

President