PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Berkshire Community College (BCC) students, faculty, and staff must be fully vaccinated by January of 2022.

 

The Presidents of the Massachusetts community colleges announced Monday that students, faculty, and staff at the Commonwealth's 15 community colleges must be fully vaccinated by January 2022.

 

BCC is one of the 15 Massachusetts Community Colleges.

 

"During the last eighteen months, the Massachusetts Community Colleges have prioritized the health and safety of our communities while also recognizing that many of our students have been disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic" the Presidents said in a statement shared with their campuses. "While a significant number of students, faculty, and staff are already vaccinated or are in the process of becoming vaccinated, the fifteen colleges are seeking to increase the health and safety of the learning and working environment in light of the ongoing public health concerns and current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Massachusetts Community Colleges are committed to ensuring vaccination status is not a barrier to students and will continue offering a range of virtual learning opportunities and services."

 

The announcement comes amid a rise in the number of new cases of COVID-19 across the Commonwealth, the increased access and availability of vaccines, the Food & Drug Administration's full and pending approval of available vaccines, and CDC guidance that the COVID-19 vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective at preventing infection, severe disease, hospitalization, and death.

 

Students who seek to register for courses that do not include any in-person component, and who do not plan to come on campus for any reason for the Spring 2022 semester, will not be required to provide documentation of vaccination. 

 

All employees will be required to be vaccinated. 

 

The 15 Massachusetts Community Colleges are Bunker Hill, Bristol, Cape Cod, Berkshire, Greenfield, Holyoke, Massasoit, MassBay, Middlesex, Mount Wachusett, North Shore, Northern Essex, Quinsigamond, Roxbury, and Springfield Technical.