Yes. All students and employees of Santa Monica College must be vaccinated against COVID-19 before accessing SMC facilities and classrooms.
Students who enter the campus only for the purpose of accessing a service that can be provided entirely outdoors are exempt while accessing the service (e.g., picking up a check from the outdoor window of the Cashier’s Office).
Yes. See the question below on how to upload proof of vaccination.
Three vaccinations have been approved for use in the United States:
- Pfizer
- Moderna
- Johnson and Johnson
If you were vaccinated outside the United States, the College will accept your vaccination if it has received Emergency Use Authorization by the World Health Organization.
Students taking in-person classes need to upload proof of an up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination prior to attending.
All employees must upload proof an up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination prior to working on campus.
See the Proof of Vaccination FAQ.
The safety of the college community is an urgent matter.
Students and employees can securely upload proof of completed vaccination at www.smc.edu/vaccines.
You can obtain a vaccine at SMC and across Los Angeles County at no cost.
For vaccine options, visit Vaccines.
Yes, there are many online classes available.
Visit the Class Schedule and under Class Modality, select one of the online options.
No, vaccinations are free in the United States, regardless of immigration or health insurance status.
Vaccination data is used for safety on campus and to comply with federal and local public health guidelines. Data is secured in accordance with applicable laws and public health regulations.
Employees are eligible up to 80 hours of CA Emergency Paid Sick Leave through September 30, 2021.
After September 30, 2021, employees will have to use their own paid leave benefits (i.e. Sick Leave and/or Vacation). This information is subject to change if there are any agreements between the District and the respective unions and/or if there are any changes to Federal, State, or Local laws mandating paid leave requirements.
For more information, visit Time Off Work and the current MOUs for leave related to COVID-19 and Vaccination.
Yes, you will need to show proof of vaccination for in-person attendance.
Yes, you can get vaccinated as long as you are not isolating anymore, do not experience symptoms anymore, and have been medically cleared by a doctor after having COVID-19.
You do not need to wait until 90 days after your diagnosis.
The college wants to provide a safe and healthy place for the SMC community.
SMC follows public health guidance and legal requirements for COVID-19.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health, and the Los Angeles County Public Health Officer, COVID-19 continues to pose a risk, especially to individuals who are not fully vaccinated, and certain safety measures are needed to protect against COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
- Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent transmission and limit COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.
- It’s important for the college to have information about vaccination rates among its community to make well-informed public health decisions about in-person activity on campus, setting testing frequency, and how to keep the campus community safe from COVID-19.
Exemptions and deferrals from COVID-19 vaccination requirements may be requested.
While a request is pending, individuals will need to participate in safety practices to help prevent or slow the spread of COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses.
Examples
- Staying home, especially when a person is sick or when a member of the person’s family or household is sick.
- Quarantining when an unvaccinated person has been exposed to someone else with the illness.
- Avoiding large gatherings.
- Physical/social distancing.
- Wearing personal protective equipment or face coverings.
- Frequent handwashing and cleaning.
- Symptomatic (surveillance) and symptomatic testing.
When a Decision is Made
- If an exception or deferral is granted, you will be notified about the approval and the expiration date. You must continue to observe safety practices to prevent or slow the spread of COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses. SMC requires that any person who physically accesses the campus undergo frequent testing.
- If an exception or deferral is denied, you will be notified about the decision and expected to become fully vaccinated by a specific time. You must continue to practice safety practices to prevent or slow the spread of COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses.
Medical and Disability Exceptions
- May be granted if a licensed health care provider certifies in writing that such vaccination may be detrimental to the student’s health or is otherwise medically contraindicated.
- Must indicate the length of time for which it may be detrimental.
- Should be based on the most recent guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
- Will be granted on a temporary basis up to the point when the condition supporting an exemption is expected to resolve or expire; if related to a permanent condition, will be granted for no more than one calendar year.
- Must be resubmitted annually.
- The option of a pregnancy deferral has been eliminated for both employees and students. Existing pregnancy deferrals will be honored.
Religious Exceptions
- Religious exemptions are not available to students.
All medical and religious exemption requests should be submitted on the exemption request forms provided by SMC and accompanied by a waiver form signed by the student, or a minor student’s parent or guardian. The forms can be accessed by following the process below. Exemption requests will not be reviewed if incomplete documentation is submitted. Complete submissions will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if they are valid.
Students will be notified by college email whether or not their exemption request was approved. All decisions of the College are final and are not subject to appeal. If an exemption is granted, the student may be required to comply with additional safety protocols, including ongoing testing requirements, and/or temporarily excluded from certain facilities or activities in order to protect the health and safety of the student and the community in accordance with public health guidelines and college policies.