Following in the footsteps of the University of California, the California State University system announced Tuesday it will also require all students and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to take part in any in-person classes or activities.
The requirement applies to "faculty, staff and students who are accessing campus facilities at any university location," according to a statement from the Cal State system.
The deadline for all vaccine certifications is Sept. 30, though the dates may vary by campus due to differences in academic calendars, the system said.
The Cal State system made the announcement without waiting for the federal U.S. Food and Drug Administration to give full approval to the vaccines currently being administered in the United States with the FDA's emergency-use authorization.
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Previously, the vaccination requirement would not take effect until the vaccines were fully approved.
“The current surge in COVID cases due to the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant is an alarming new factor that we must consider as we look to maintain the health and well-being of students, employees and visitors to our campuses this fall," CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said in a statement.
“Receiving a COVID vaccine continues to be the best way to mitigate the spread of the virus. We urge all members of the CSU community to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and announcing this requirement now allows members of the CSU community to receive multiple doses of a vaccine as we head into the beginning of the fall term."
The university system is among the largest in the U.S., home to "23 campuses, 56,000 faculty and staff and 486,000 students," according to the statement.
The Cal State announcement noted that many of its campuses are hosting vaccine clinics, and those students, faculty and staff members who want to get vaccinated can contact their campus for availability.
While the full on-campus class and activity offerings cannot be made available online for students who don't want to come to campus in the fall, "most campuses will have a more expansive offering of virtual courses as compared to before the pandemic," Cal State said.
The COVID-19 vaccination policy for the Cal State system "will allow students and employees to seek medical and religious exemptions."
The UC system announced their vaccination requirement for those returning to campus on July 15.
Cal State's final COVID-19 vaccination policy is forthcoming.
