PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announced a deadline of Monday, Jan. 3 for all returning students attending in-person classes to be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus and show proof of vaccination status.

 

Following the same guidelines, the College is requesting that new students for the spring semester provide vaccination information within the admission process when accepted after Jan. 3 and be fully vaccinated by the beginning of classes on Jan. 24, 2022. BCC is one of 15 community colleges in the Commonwealth, all of which now require vaccinations to attend spring semester classes.

 

In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or two weeks after the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

 

BCC defines "in person" as taking courses with any on-campus component or visiting campus facilities such as the library, computer lab, athletic facilities or other student services.

 

With three vaccines available — Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson — those who plan to be on campus should note the following timetables in order to meet the Jan. 3 requirement:

 

Moderna: The last day to receive the first dose is Monday, Nov. 22; last day for the second dose is Monday, Dec. 20.

Pfizer: The last day to receive the first dose is Monday, Nov. 29; last day for the second dose is Monday, Dec. 20.

Johnson & Johnson: The last day to receive the single-shot vaccine is Monday, Dec. 20.

 

To show proof of vaccination, students and employees can either upload their vaccination cards online through a secure form or provide a hard copy to the Student Engagement Office or the Human Resources Office (for employees). For complete information, visit berkshirecc.edu/covid.

 

To find a vaccination site, visit getvaccinatedberkshires.org/locations.

 

Unvaccinated students may take courses with no on-campus component and access services remotely. Students may submit a reasonable accommodation request, upon receipt of which the college will engage in an interactive process to determine eligibility. The requested accommodation must not create an undue hardship to the college nor present a direct threat to the health or safety of others in the learning and working environment. In the event a reasonable accommodation is approved, students may be subject to additional health and safety protocols.

 

Requests should be submitted immediately to allow time for the full process to occur before the deadline.