Starting Feb. 28, access to CSU Bakersfield’s web-based learning system, Canvas, will be restricted for all eligible students who are not COVID-19 vaccine compliant. The announcement was made by the director of campus programming, Emily Callahan, at a Feb. 11 Associated Students, INC Board of Directors meeting that was conducted through Zoom.

According to Callahan, all students will be required to upload an up-to-date proof of vaccination and booster, or request a religious, medical, or administrative exemption.

Students who are granted a medical or religious exemption will be required to undergo weekly testing, which will take place in the Stockdale room adjacent to the Runner Cafe. Administrative exemptions will only be granted to those students who attend classes entirely online.

Callahan stated that vaccine compliance will be determined by whether or not a student’s uploaded information in the online Point and Click Health Services Portal is current, and that efforts will be made to notify students of their non-compliant status prior to the deadline.

“Our outreach efforts will be through email and if they continue after that February 28 date of non-compliance, they will be notified that their campus access will be restricted,” Callahan stated.

Assistant Vice President for Student Success and Student Affairs, Ilaria Pesco, reminded meeting attendees that anyone who has been vaccinated in California can access proof of vaccination through the state’s Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record website, which will send a QR code directly to one’s cell phone.

“You can also do that on the health portal itself,” said Callahan, “you can look it up and it will sync to the health portal, so if you don’t know where your card is or if you can’t find it, you can sync that or look it up in the system and it will download your information.”

Students who have not achieved vaccine compliance or been granted an exemption by the deadline will have their access to Canvas entirely restricted. The restriction will only be lifted after the student has resolved the non-compliance issue or received an exemption. Callahan noted that it may take up to 48 hours after vaccine information or exemption approval has been uploaded before access to Canvas is restored.

Proof of up-to-date vaccine status and exemption forms can be uploaded and accessed at health.csub.edu