Big Bend to require vaccination for all on-campus students

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College announced Friday all students who want to attend classes on campus or instructional sites during the winter quarter will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to a press release, students registering for the winter quarter, which begins Jan. 3, will need to show proof of vaccination or have an approved medical or religious exemption by Dec. 16.

Students who have already shown proof of vaccination will not need to do so again, the press release said.

Registration begins Dec. 6, and students enrolling in online-only courses and not coming to campus do not need to provide proof of vaccination or seek an approved exemption.

Big Bend’s president, Sara Thompson Tweedy, said she wanted to give students the best opportunity to be successful, and with cases and exposures rising among the student population, more students were being forced to isolate and quarantine, contributing to a decline in course success rates.

“The most effective strategy that will enable us all to return to some semblance of normalcy on our college campus is the vaccine,” Tweedy said in the press release. “I know that everyone will not agree with this decision, but after deep considerations of many points of view, I have come to the conclusion that in order to continue our mission of providing access to education while supporting student success, the vaccine offers the most promising path moving forward.”

More information, including exemption forms, can be found at www.bigbend.edu/about-us/covid-19-vaccination-information.