Students, faculty, and visitors at Contra Costa College will no longer have to provide proof that they are vaccinated to get on campus starting in January.

The Contra Costa Community College District Board of Governors lifted the district-wide vaccine requirement in a meeting held on Nov. 9. 

The mandate, which will end on Jan. 2, required those wishing to enroll in in-person classes or utilize in-person services to either submit proof of vaccination or provide a medical exemption. All district employees were required to be vaccinated as well.

The mandate was originally put in place in September 2021 to ensure safety among students, staff, and the surrounding communities among returning to in-person classes, with 84.2% of Contra Costa County fully vaccinated, according to the county health department.

According to the meeting’s agenda documents prepared by district staff, one of the reasons for lifting the vaccine mandate was that “the vaccine document verification was an additional step in the registration process and posed a barrier for some 4CD students, many of whom already struggle to navigate the registration process.” The vaccine mandate impacting students in terms of restricting them from certain on-campus courses was also a factor under consideration.

The governing board considered the health-centered changes occurring across Contra Costa County as a whole, along with the well-being of their colleagues and the students and staff in nearby communities.

In the event that any changes arise in terms of community-wide health concerns, it is anticipated that the suspension of the mandate could be reversed at a later date, according to district leaders.