- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Yuba Community College District Board considering vaccination mandate
The Yuba Community College District Board oversees both Yuba and Woodland Colleges, with the Lake County Campus in Clearlake part of Woodland College.
The board did not take formal action as it wasn’t agendized, but board members reached consensus to ask interim Chancellor James Houpis and his staff to look at what some other districts in the state have done and to be ready to present it at a special meeting the board intends to have in the coming weeks.
Before the discussion, the board heard from three school employees about mandating vaccines.
In the case of two of them, they asked that a mandate be instituted. The third asked that it not be because of those who can’t take the vaccine.
Laura Schrettner, a member of the district’s allied health faculty, asked the board to require it for that faculty’s students, explaining that not requiring it is not doing such students any favors.
“Our students do have to have this to go to the clinical sites,” she said.
A financial aid technician who identified himself only as “Ryan” said he was concerned about the Delta variant, and he believed vaccinations should be mandatory. It’s not about rights or politics, he said. “It’s a safety issue.”
He also noted the low vaccination rates in Yuba and Sutter counties, which were 34% and 41% percent, respectively, at that point.
Another instructor, Dan Turner, asked that the district offer an exception for medical reasons, noting he takes medication that makes the vaccine unavailable to him. If it’s mandated, Turner feared that he won’t have a job and that many students won’t come back.
Turner said he’s happy to wear a mask and submit to regular testing, noting he’s been in session since the start of the pandemic and hasn’t had any problems since he follows safety protocols.
During a staff update to the board, Houpis explained that both the University of California and the California State University systems have mandated vaccines, but the California Community College system has relegated vaccine mandates to the individual districts.
Based on data district staff presented, as of Tuesday 22 community college districts out of 73 in California are mandating vaccines, with two other districts considering them.
The list of those districts either considering or implementing vaccine mandates did not include the Mendocino-Lake Community College District, the other district serving Lake County.
Additionally, as of Wednesday, 726 colleges and universities across the United States have instituted a vaccination mandate, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
During the informational update, staff indicated that if such a mandate were put in place, they would want to roll it out in time for new registration in October.
Houpis explained that such a mandate would prohibit individuals from in-person services and on-campus learning.
Staff also explained some of the anticipated work involved, including the need for human resources staff to review medical documentation and to implement new technology to monitor compliance.
Trustee Jesse Ortiz emphasized that health and safety for students and staff is important, and concern for it shows the board respects those individuals. He said most of the people who are hospitalized and dying of COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
“What else do we need to know? We need to make this mandatory,” Ortiz said, noting he didn’t want to fail at doing the right thing.
Trustee Dennise Burbank agreed. During the discussion, Burbank explained that she was vaccinated but later tested positive for COVID-19, and she supported mandating vaccinations.
Board President Susan Alves suggested putting an action item on the board’s September agenda, but Burbank wanted a special meeting before that. “This virus in this area is not getting better.”
Board members also supported requiring masking on campuses. Burbank noted that she had worn a mask for a year and a half and didn’t get the virus. After she was vaccinated, she stopped wearing the mask and later tested positive.
Trustee Bill Roderick, who represents Lake County, said that enough community college districts have done the legwork necessary that the Yuba district can readily borrow that work.
“I think we’re all on the same page,” said Houpis, adding they have already taken the first step and are requiring people to wear masks.
Houpis said masking and vaccination together are needed as the Delta variant is behaving much differently, and vaccinated people can carry it.
Administrative staff also noted they will have discussions with employee groups about the proposed mandate as part of their labor-related obligations.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.