Breaking News: Colorado Community Colleges Defy Colorado State's order that all State Employees Are Required to either be Vaccinated or Test 2 Times Weekly

 Hi All,

Here we go again with the Colorado Community College System not only showing that they do not care about the health of their students and staff, but that they also think that they out rank the state of Colorado even though they are employees of the state. Below are pictures of the letter that got sent out to employees. The key part is bullet 1 where it says "Will not require employees, students, or volunteers at the CentreTech or Lowry campuses to be vaccinated against COVID-19." This is a direct challenge to the state's requirement that all state employees either get vaccinated or are required to do testing twice a week. You can read more about the Colorado requirement at: https://kdvr.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/colorado-state-employees-must-get-vaccinated-by-sept-20-or-undergo-twice-weekly-tests/ . Further down in the letter it gives excuses as to why the system feels that it is ok to not follow the requirements that are designed to protect people's health. The only good thing is that it is bring back the masks. I have been wearing my mask inside to lead by example and will continue to do so until there is real improvement with the covid situation. I care about others when many make it very apparent that they do not care about the well being of others. 

As part of this and many other bad decisions by CCCS Chancellor Joe Garcia, I would like to call for him to step down from his position. This is a state employee openly defying the state and he is not going through any proper appeal process with them, but just doing whatever he wants. I would also like to request that CCA's new President Mordecai Ian Brownlee also step down for his support (as seen through the letter) in going against the state.

Got to love how they pick and choose what to enforce. Staff and students can only "aspire" when they are healthy and alive. I think the CCCS needs to be reminded about how many people have died any any outbreaks will be their fault for not following safety requirements.

Below is an email from Joe Garcia showing that he understands that vaccines are what we need to fight covid, but that he is unwilling to do what is needed to actively stop its spread:

From: Chancellor Joe Garcia
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2021 2:08 PM
Subject: CCCS Plan for Fall 2021

 

CCCS Statement from CCCS Chancellor Joe Garcia

CCCS Plan for Fall 2021

August 11, 2021

 

Introduction

With the widespread availability of vaccines, many experts thought—and we all hoped—that we were headed for a more normal fall semester of academic and social interactions on our campuses and in our classrooms. However, the dramatic spread of the Delta variant and other factors have raised new concerns and challenges for our system of 13 colleges. In the face of these new challenges, national, state, and local public health experts have expressed with renewed urgency that vaccination remains the surest way to slow the spread and severity of COVID-19 and its variants.

 

From the beginning of this pandemic and throughout the last 18 months of its evolution, we have had the safety of our students, faculty, and staff as our top priority. We have been guided by the information and directives that have come from our local, state, and national health authorities, and we will continue to do so as we move into the fall semester and the new academic year. At the same time, we recognize that our primary mission is to provide post-secondary educational opportunities to the students and communities we serve, and we have endeavored to maintain our focus on our statutory mission of providing equitable access for all who seek to improve their lives through education. Although we were hopeful that the worst days of the pandemic would be over by now, that is not the present reality. We are in the difficult position of balancing the health and safety of our employees, students, and communities with the need to preserve access to education. The protocols set forth below are our best hope for achieving that balance.

 

Considerations for Fall 2021

The safety protocols as set forth in this document are based on information currently available and public health recommendations as they exist as of August 2021. As with everything related to the pandemic, these protocols are subject to change as we learn more about COVID-19 and its variants, and as may be required by differing circumstances in the many communities we serve. It is also likely that local health authorities may impose requirements in communities where our colleges are located that are more restrictive than those set forth below. In such cases, institutions in those communities will follow the more restrictive local requirements, including requirements involving vaccinations, testing, reporting, masking, social distancing, and capacity restrictions. What will not change are our priorities of safety for our students, staff, and communities, and preserving access for our students.

 

Masking and Vaccination Requirements

Medical experts generally agree that vaccinations and masking are the best means of limiting the spread of COVID-19 and its variants and minimizing the likelihood of hospitalization and death. We also know that many of our students learn best in traditional classrooms with face-to-face instruction, and that the risk of COVID-19 transmission exists under those conditions. At present, all our colleges plan to return to face-to-face teaching and learning with the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester. Therefore, to reduce the chances of COVID-19 transmission, we are strongly urging all individuals in any group setting on our campuses to wear masks and follow other safety protocols such as regularly sanitizing surfaces, washing hands, and physical distancing, where practical.

 

In recognition of the fact that each of our colleges is in a different community with different vaccination and positivity rates, and each is under the direction and control of a different local health authority, the Presidents of our 13 colleges are authorized to implement COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including mask requirements in all college buildings, as dictated by local conditions and in consultation with their local public health agencies. Universal mask wearing is strongly encouraged.

 

Students will continue to have access to a wide range of remote, hybrid, and online course options as needed to accommodate individual circumstances. For students who cannot wear masks for medical reasons, all colleges will continue to provide access to the accommodation process.

 

At the System Office, effective August 16th, all individuals entering our facilities, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, must wear a mask if they are in any public space or in the presence of others. The mask requirement will not apply when individuals are in their own workspace and not in the presence of others.

 

At this time, the Colorado Community College System strongly encourages all employees and students to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Free vaccination clinics will be available at our colleges and at many sites throughout the state. As an added incentive, the CCCS Foundation and Amazon recently announced the Shot at a Scholarship program, which will award 67 scholarships to vaccinated community college students across the state. The web link is: https://www.cccs.edu/shot-at-a-scholarship/.

 

The message from virtually all public health and medical experts has been and remains clear—the best way to protect yourself and others is through vaccination. While we are not now requiring vaccinations for all students and employees, our goal is to encourage all who access our college campuses to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Full FDA approval of vaccines appears likely in the very near future. Once that is the case, it is likely that we will require all employees to be vaccinated and may require those who are not vaccinated to be tested regularly, particularly if COVID-19 outbreaks occur or persist on our campuses or in our communities. In that event, all CCCS employees will be required to attest that they are fully vaccinated, or that they have claimed an allowable and identified exemption as permitted by Federal and State law. Plans and details regarding vaccination attestation and exemptions will be handled by each of the 13 colleges.

 

It is also possible that we will require the same of all students who wish to access in- person instruction on any of our campuses. Just as we have an obligation to provide educational access to our communities, we have an obligation to help keep our communities safe, and we will take such action as is necessary in furtherance of that goal.

 

Honor system for staying at home and symptom reporting

Everyone in the CC CS community, whether vaccinated or not, is expected to stay at home and get tested if they have any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (such as fever or chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea), or upon discovering that there is a reasonable chance that they have been recently exposed to  someone with COVID-19.

 

I appreciate the efforts and resourcefulness of our faculty and staff in adjusting to this ever-changing public health situation. Just as our system has done throughout the 18 months of the pandemic, we will continue to monitor conditions carefully, listen to guidance from local, state and national public health experts, and make the best decisions possible for our students and our employees.

Chancellor’s Office: (720) 858-2424

9101 E. Lowry Blvd. Denver, CO 80230

chancellor@cccs.edu | www.cccs.edu

Calling for everyone to reach out to the Chancellor's office to ask him to resign.