Santa Monica College Requires Vaccines For All On-Campus Students
The institution also mandates masks at all times indoors and requires students pass a mobile screening through the SMC GO app daily.
As Santa Monica College students return to their fall semester, the school requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination for on-campus classes. As of Sept. 14, 15 percent of courses are held in-person while professors teach the remaining 85 percent remotely. The SMC Board of Trustees unanimously voted in support of the public health decision at a meeting on Aug. 3. The school also requires students conduct a daily COVID-19 screening on the SMC Go app before stepping into their classes.
Protestors opposing vaccination mandates at Long Beach City College on Monday September 13, 2021. President Biden was giving a speech on the campus endorsing Governor Gavin Newsom. (Maxim Elramsisy | The Corsair)
Students may opt out of the vaccine requirement with a medical or religious exemption, but all unvaccinated students must receive a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19. Those students need to submit the negative test, administered within 72 hours of in-person instruction, online through a portal or show a printed copy of results to their professor. The school requires that all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, wear face masks indoors.
Students, such as Maya Abdallah, a freshman theatre major, take classes on the newly-reopened college grounds and abide by the mandate. Abdallah appreciates measures taken by the school to ensure students’ safety. She believes that many students were nervous to return because of how quickly COVID-19 spread, “but I think [the school] is doing a really good job,” she said.
Abdallah does not agree with students who refuse to receive immunizations. She said that she believes her anti-vaxx peers are “stripping [students] all of a college experience” they all could enjoy.
In an interview with the Corsair on Sept. 2, Susan Fila, Director of Health and Wellbeing at Santa Monica College, described a variety of supportive “wraparound” services to further address SMC students’ broad life issues affected by the pandemic. Programs include a 24/7 emotional support hotline for students. The school also runs an on-campus food pantry event called Bodega from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m every Wednesday on the first floor of the Cayton Complex. Case managers can also help students navigate housing insecurity and other financial challenges.
Fila elaborated on these services. “For students, we offer mental health support services through our center for Wellness and Wellbeing,” she said.
She added that the services, such as one-on-one therapy, are confidential and those interested can access them remotely. Fila explained that the student services are all appointment-based, so anyone can access them without the issue of capacity limits.
Abdallah added that, as a theatre major, one disadvantage is performing all her acting assignments with mandatory masks indoors. “Hopefully, they’ll let us take our masks off soon,” she said.
“Our library is open so students can access services there. Our food pantry is open… we’re doing everything we can to try and support student’s needs,” Fila said. She hopes that any student who feels they’re struggling this semester will reach out. They can use the ample resources that Santa Monica College has to offer as on-ground services return with a vaccine mandate.
