Mary Poitier: Hello everyone.
My name is Mary Portier and I'm the president of the Associated Students. First of all, I'd like to thank the students who have reached out to me concerning the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
We at the Associated Students have listened to you and took your concerns seriously, which has led us to this town hall meeting today.
Thanks for advocating for yourselves and your fellow students. Hopefully you will get the information needed to inform you of what Moorpark College is doing to keep it's students safe.
And now I will turn it over to Vice President of Business Services, Dr. Jennifer Clark.
Vice President Mary Rees: And before we start on that Jennifer, can I do a little bit of housekeeping, if you don't mind, Mary? I want to welcome everyone to the Your Voice Matters, Student Town Hall.
I want to let everyone know that this session is being recorded. It is also closed captioned. So if you're interested in seeing the closed caption, please just click the CC at the bottom of your screen. If you are participating virtually. We also have a great group
in person to join us as well. So we will do our best to
mix both groups here so that we can hear from all voices as much as possible. So thank you, we do have signing. Is there anyone here that,
Shyan has had a full day, so she is more than glad to stay, if there is anyone that would like to have her continue signing. Otherwise we will just go with the closed captioning and the signing was present on the morning's version. Is that okay with everyone?
Certainly don't want to. And, of course, you've signed that.
If you can understand. Okay, so thank you.
Everyone: Thank you.
If we look at our agenda for today, we're going to just start with the agenda and the structure. Looking at what we're going to be talking about.
Welcoming remarks. Mary kind of started us up strong and then we'll also hear from President Julius Sokenu.
And then we'll answer the question that really looks at what is the campus done to improve safety on the campus. And we've got Vice President Jennifer Clark and John Sinutko, our
esteemed M&O supervisor that's going to help answer that particular question. Then we'll be looking at an introduction to vaccine mandates from Dr. Sokenu and
from Allison Barton, our Student Health Center Coordinator. We'll have questions and answers there. So if people do have questions and answers,
we do want to make sure that this is a student function. So if students have questions or comments, we really do want to hear
from you. So please go ahead and type them into the chat or the Q&A, and we have someone monitoring that, so we can make sure that we do.
If people do, here in the room have questions or comments, students that have questions or comments, please raise your hand and I will do my best, I'll look around
more than I did this morning to identify people and we'll go around answering the questions. Then we'll go
from the vaccine mandate questions and answers, talking about the survey and then, if we have time, we'll talk a little bit about what's on the plan for our spring instruction and student services. And closing marks remarks from
both presidents, student ASMC as well as the college. Questions on the content for this afternoon?
Audience Member: Not the content, but maybe for the people online. I was online earlier and I don't know if
they have to ask questions to her specifically, that she'll see them, but none of my questions were not acknowledged, but didn't get answered either. So I don't know if that people online have to make sure to
put her name in the thing before she'll see it. So just to give you a heads up. [Vice President Rees]: Thank you for that heads up. We'll certainly double check, looking for that. Audience Member: I've been hearing the same comments
from some of my students too. [Vice President Rees]: Okay, thank you that's really good input. So
we will do our best to check that out. So the suggestion was that for those of you online, for your questions, please you can address them to Kristen Robinson
to make sure that she can see them. So thank you for that heads up. Appreciate that. Okay anything else about the content, while we're talking about this evening. Thank you all so much.
Mary now that I've distracted from the opening, do you have anything else you wanted to say for the opening remarks, before we go to Julius? [Mary P.] No. [Vice President Rees]: Okay, thank you. Dr. Sokenu?
Dr. Julius Sokenu: Yes, good evening everyone. Thank you for joining us, those of you who are in the room, with us in the CCCR, as well as those of you who are joining us virtually.
The student town hall is an opportunity for us to listen to our students. And so the town hall focus is really about listening.
I think it's really important for us to reiterate that, because we have a limited amount of time and opportunity from the ASMC, as well as from the Office of the President and administration of the college is to listen to you.
We will not have correct answers for you, or we will not have accurate answers or very specific answers for you right now, because our goal is to hear what you're saying. Our goal is to document what you're saying. Our goal is to take what you're saving and
contrast it with what we've actually done. So, if there's something you're saying that has not reflected what we've actually done, we'll respond back to that.
The recommendations that you need to make so that you're going to make to us, we welcome those recommendations and that you share those with us today.
As you know, we each have gone through the past year and a half, just sort of struggling with COVID, and our Board of Trustees has done the same. So
any kind of information that we can get from this venue will be put towards sharing with our college district leadership and making sure that folks get more input as decisions are being made.
I think it is very important for us to understand the intentions of this moment, and also for those of you who are here, that you have appropriate accurate, expectations. We don't want to put you in a situation
where you're expecting there will be solutions which we cannot provide today.
It is very important that you know that we all are committed to meet the success, the safety, and well being of our student population. When
we started, that was one of the first things we looked at. How can we make this campus a safe place to be? And, secondly, how do we continue to deliver instruction?
And I can gladly say to you that we have done the very best we can, and we continue to the very best we can. And the vaccine mandate is one of that but there's a whole range of things that we've done and you'll hear that
shortly. So thank you for being here. We appreciate it. This is a student forum. So we want to really hear the voices of students and then document that and then continue as we address the pandemic.
[Vice President Rees]: Jennifer, can you update us on the...? [Vice President Jennifer Clark]: Absolutely. I'd love to. So really, really happy to be with all of you here this evening. I'm going to spend just a few moments, and just
bring your attention to some of the more apparent things that we've done here at Moorpark over the last year and a half to keep everybody safe on campus.
The first thing that everyone in this room, because you're here, so you're well aware of it, you went through screening. So we have an app. The Ready Education app, which is used throughout the district to
it's sort of a first layer or first means of sort of screening everybody's health and well being before they come onto campus.
You answer a few questions about sort of general health questions, symptomology that sort of thing.
You submit that and then you go through screening. You show that you've answered those questions and you get a wristband. And that wristband signifies that you've
done that and complied, and it makes us all feel good that we've all gone through that basic screening.
A couple of other things that are sort of obvious, and that is and John will show you some pictures, but we put up the barriers sort of,
non-intrusive barriers that sort of plexiglass, sneeze guards, if you will,
all throughout campus. The high traffic locations: division offices, the Welcome Center and Counseling, the library. You'll see them all over campus but, again, those are things that we did right away, they were put in probably a year or so.
Put those things in place, because we knew,
it goes a long way in keeping all of us safe. So without further ado, I'm going to reintroduce John Sinutko,
our Director of Facilities Maintenance and Operations. He's going to talk about the things that the campus has been doing and spending a lot of money and resources and energy on
keeping us all safe that are not so apparent. Things that are not able to be seen visually. John? [John Sinutko]: Thank you. Thank you all for coming. Really
appreciate you coming here. It shows me that there's true interest in what we have and what we've been doing to safeguard
not only you, but the faculty and employees of the district here. So if we can go to the next slide? One of the things that's pretty hard to see is what we've done for indoor air quality.
We refer to that here as an HVAC system, which is heating ventilation and air conditioning. It's in every building on campus. It's run by a very sophisticated energy management program.
And we're on top of this. We have somebody that's dedicated to nothing else, but this particular
field. And as you can see up here,
one of the first things that we started doing, and this was, like Jennifer said, we started a year ago. It's actually probably longer than that ago.
As soon as this hit, and we said, "What can we do?" because while everybody else was home, me and my guys were here.
So and they're still in the buildings. We're everywhere. What we did is started flushing the buildings two hours before we got into a building with fresh air. We've been doing it, since the pandemic started.
We're continuing to do that till today. We do it in the evening after everybody leaves. We do it first thing in the morning. We get stale air out. We get the fresh air in,
before we start heating or cooling what we need to do for that particular building on that particular day.
So we do that in each building and we do it in such a way that it provides a proper amount of oxygen for the environment. Not every environment is the same. Sometimes you have labs that have
vent fume hoods. They take more air out. So you'll be getting more in a room like that. And just to know that every space is individualized and treated that way. No one's just lumped into a big ball of the same.
So we do that. Next slide please?
And one of the things that we do here. We're very fortunate at Moorpark College all of our systems were sufficiently robust that we could put MERV 13
filters in. MERV, it says right there, is your minimum efficiency reporting value. MERV 13 filters will
filter the incoming air that's 75% for particles from point .03 microns to 1 micron.
And all of our buildings have at least that. Some of our buildings go beyond that and have MERV 15, which will filter out 85% of particles, .03 to 1 micron.
This meets the conditions for ASHA. This meets the conditions for OSHA, actually goes beyond it, because what the regulations actually say is to
as well as you can do with your particular system. Some buildings and other places, I'm not going to say where, but they don't have the ability to us
this dense of a filter, it will collapse their ductwork. We're fortunate here. So you gain that benefit.
Next slide please?
So one of the other things we did, and this is time consuming, and it was quite invasive and,
also very costly, but we cleaned all the ducts. We knew we're having this meeting here, so I picked a duct from this building.
You can see the before, that grayish, that's all the guck that was in the duct system. That's that same duct afterwards. So
if you can appreciate it, it made sense to me, if we were going to try to be cleaning air and make sure that all the air we're sending is clean, that we clean the ducts. So we perform that everywhere
on the campus, prior to starting UV lighting. Next slide please?
We are in the process of, we're not complete, but we're in the process of installing UV-C lighting in all of our HVAC systems on this campus. What the UV-C lighting is capable of doing, it will
significantly reduce the amount of pathogens, molds, mildew, any other organic matter in the systems.
This picture that is up there is actually off of our physical science building. So that is in one of the air handlers on that building.
And we are moving along with it. I'm hoping by next week, we'll be maybe 75% done but,
quite a bit of the material is now here. That was one of the difficulties we had, was just in securing the materials. We ordered it a long time ago and it's taken forever to get here. But we're we're working on it every day and we're making progress every day. So we're going towards that.
It's good to know that this process of using, excuse me, UV-C lighting,
goes above and beyond what ASHA asked for, above and beyond what OSHA asked for, above and beyond CDC asked for, it's a step beyond.
It's not necessarily recommended by anyone else because it's costly, but in our mind, it was worth it. It will kill pathogens. When this
pandemic is over, it will continue to help us with any airborne pathogens. So on a long term basis, it's definitely a worthwhile investment.
Next slide?
Jennifer touched on this a little bit, and there you have some pictures. Some of our stop the spread
strategies, these are in the sneeze guards. And the picture on your right, is in Fountain Hall, in fact, both these pictures are in Fountain Hall. That's at the Welcome Center you can see the sign there, and the one on your left, I believe, is at our
drop in counseling center, right in Fountain Hall. Those guards are all over campus. If there's a counter area where public comes to meet with someone over a counter, there are opportunities at those counters for everybody that comes to be separated by that
plexiglass layer. It's not perfect, things can go high, they can go wide, but it's an improvement, and we also have sufficient counter space. So we've done this all over. It's in the library. Every building has it.
I think every dean's office has it at their desks and many more places. It's literally everywhere. And so next slide please?
We've also brought the inside out. We happen to be in Southern California, we have a wonderful environment here.
Most of the time we can enjoy the outside, as much as we enjoy the inside. So we've taken advantage of that, and in the pictures here, you can see
we've put tables out with umbrellas. Multiple places here on campus. I think there's a total of 13 places on campus that we've added more tables and seating outdoors. The center one is a large area under our 3.184 megawatt solar
canopies and
we just have that area, it's shade, there's place for a number of people that can be out there.
150 or something that could fit there socially distanced.
The opportunity to eat, to study, to gather, to get out of the indoors, have a place with a little bit of shade, we've been working on that all over campus. The other ones at the gym terrace. Like I said they're literally all over.
And we tried to do that to give students faculty and employees an opportunity
to get that break, find that place outside.
Next slide please?
Cleaning and sanitizing. This was one of the greater challenges we had here.
When I say that, it was because we were trying to get in between every class. Get into a classroom and clean it. We asked the deans to create us a schedule that give us a half hour in between, and with that half hour time we felt like we could get in there and do it.
In order to do this, we also brought on about 10 more custodians. We originally had 16, now we have 10 more. So 26 about 60%. Maybe one more by a week or so. So we are
staffed up, if you will, to help us meet that
goal. Our goal is to get in there to clean and sanitize
every area in between classes. We're doing our best. Sometimes the schedule's get a little tight and we can't necessarily get those, but the ones where we have a half hour we're definitely making it.
To give you some examples, a picture on the left the custodian is using a backpack vacuum. That's a HEPA filter. So whatever he is pulling up from the floor, is not going back out into the air.
See we're cleaning on the boards there. Next slide over,
he is sanitizing high contact areas that happens to be in the library and on the far right, you can see that we're using electrostatic spray gun.
What they do is put out a chemical that there's a surface contact killer. It will kill the germs and it's electrostatically applied. That means everything in the air, 360 degrees,
gets that on it. So if someone's touching under the table, top of the table, those surfaces have been sanitized. And this is what we're doing in between every class and on a regular cleaning basis. So
that's the steps that we have taken to try to make this place as safe and helpful an environment is anywhere you can be.
Vice President Rees: Okay. Are there any questions about what we've done physically on the campus?
And I was hearing from the clapping. That is a huge kudos to all the M&O staff and all the custodians and all that, they really have been working very hard. So thank you on that. Great. Any questions online, Kristen? [Kristen Robinson]: No. [Vice President Rees]: Okay, thank you.
On the next slide. So a little review on the vaccine mandate, Dr. Sokenu?
Dr. Sokenu: So, as I said earlier, one of the commitments we made as a college and made as a district is to make sure that there is a safe
and secure learning environment for our students to engage in, a safe and secure work environment for faculty and pur staff, and for our community to be and ultimately be apart of our learning environment.
So that was one commitment. The other commitment was that we would try our very best to make sure that we engage in the continuing of instruction, so that we'll not interrupt instruction
unless there needed to be for safety reasons. And I believe that we've done that work. So we've offered instruction a variety of loads.
We've done good work of making sure, as you heard, that the environment is safe enough so that our students can study. And they can study whether they want to do it online, whether want to do it on-ground,
or they want to do it in a hybrid format, which is on-ground on some days, online on other days, or HyFlex format, like just as we're doing now. People online, people on-ground, here.
And our faculty have learned how to do that and we all grow in this context.
What is also important is that, prior to the vaccine mandate being introduced and then being approved by the Board of Trustees,
we heard from our students, we heard from our faculty, and we heard from our staff. And there were folks were in favor of a mandate. There were folks who were not in favor of a mandate. But we heard on campus because we conducted surveys
asking students about their COVID experience and one of the questions asked them about what where they take class, and when they take class, what are the circumstances, and then we also had people come to our Board of Trustees and articulate either their support or their
concerns around the mandate. So we've gotten information and that information was of course, shared with our Board of Trustees and directed at them, and they made the decision to go ahead and approve a mandate. And when they made that decision to put the mandate, the mandate says,
it was approved on August 10 by the Board of Trustees. It requests that students and employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 15.
And there's option for medical, as well as a religious exemption. And the the mandate doesn't tell us how to do it, it says there will be.
And then it also gives us the opportunity to provide resources to support our vaccinations for our students and our community. So we have a vaccination clinic here on campus.
We we've had multiple vaccinations clinics. We actually had one that ended at 2:00 pm. And we also have a testing facility on campus
that supports our campus community. We continue to gather information and get feedback from our campus community as well as from
our larger community on the work that we're doing to keep folks safe on campus. You do need to know that when the pandemic first started, the bulk of the campus was often taking classes remotely.
Then we gradually brought people back. So last spring, an average we had about 400 people on campus on any given day. Some days a little bit less and some days a little bit more.
And right now on most Mondays and Tuesdays we have about 2200 to 2300 people on campus.
And for this fall, that's for the fall, in the spring we're expecting to have more people on campus.
So, as we talk about the vaccine mandate, we talk about the vaccine mandate in the context of safety precautions for populations of people that are on campus and that will be gradually increasing.
We've done really great work around making sure that this place is safe and we're bringing people on, but there is no guarantee that and we'll continue to
bring more people on campus and we'll have a campus that we do have now, which is one where there has been no transmission on this campus. Have there been people exposed and people how
have contracted the virus as well? Yes, of course, and Allison will talk to you about that. But again, this
town hall is an opportunity for us to get more information from you, our campus community and it's also an opportunity for us to communicate to what we know
from the research that supports and that supported our vaccine mandate,
and what we continue to work on to make sure that we're here to provide as best a set of services to students and and support our faculty and staff as it's meaningful. So I'm going to pass it on to Allison Case Barton, who is our Student Center Health Coordinator.
Audience Member: To the best of your knowledge, did the Board of Trustees see the results in that survey?
[Dr. Sokenu]: From which survey? [Audience Member]: The one that was taken at the center. [Dr. Sokenu]: We said we did multiple surveys and we shared the information from those surveys with our board. [Audience Member]: Did they look at it? [Dr. Sokenu]: I don't know. We shared the resources with them.
Allison Barton: Okay. Well, hello everybody. Thank you again for being here. I just want to extend my thanks too. Next slide please? So a few things that
we wanted to just go over with you. All of you got on campus today, so I'm assuming you all went through the screening process. And if you're students here at Moorpark College you maybe did it with your phone on the MyVCCCD app and
Dr. Clark mentioned that earlier. You have to stop at a screening table and get your wristband. We have QR codes
everywhere, on our campus and hopefully everybody checked in with the QR code if they have their smartphone with them today. And that's part of our
contact tracing. And then the other thing that's really important to understand is that we work very closely with Ventura County Public Health on not only our policies on campus, but also their recommendations. So if we have somebody who
is positive for COVID, we communicate with them, they communicate with us and that's another way that we work together to keep this as safe,
because we're a community within a community and that definitely affects the operations as far as contact tracing goes. Next slide please?
So some people were interested in hearing about how many cases. So we've had 69 cases, or people are reporting that through the app. So in that sense, you know, a year ago.
And then, since this the school year started we've had 15 reported. We've had 22 different either classes or parts of
teams, for example, that have had to be quarantined because of a contact in the class. And that's another thing that we have to do to keep everybody safe.
What's been gratifying is that we've had people, more and more people vaccinated on campus, and that means that the people that are vaccinated don't have to quarantine.
Only people that aren't vaccinated have to quarantine because they are at higher risk for contracting
the virus. And so that's part of that. So it's been nice to see smaller groups having to quarantine, as more and more of us have gotten vaccinated. Next slide please?
Great. So a lot of people earlier were asking about the medical waiver process, and so, and I think Michael are you putting in the chat the link to the Student Health Center? [Michael Ashton]: I don't presently have that capability, but I'll see what I can do.
Yeah it's just our web page. [Kristen]: Okay, I can do that. [Allison]: So we have a COVID-19 page on our website, and it has all kinds of information about COVID, about myths and facts, and all kinds of information on there.
But additionally, it has the link to the district page where you can find all the either religious or medical waiver forms. You can go right to there. It may actually show you where to send those forms too.
And then, so you would go there, get the form, you could print it out, or you could fill it out online either way. And if it's a medical waiver and that's what my office manages, right? We're the ones that review them to make a recommendation.
So it's important to understand, first of all, that the form has to be completely filled out. There are three pieces of paper
that need to be filled out. One by the student and then two by the students health care provider. And the health care provider must be licensed in the state of California.
They must be a an MD or a physician assistant or nurse practitioner. And again, you have to use the form that the district created.
Earlier today, there was a concern about somebody who sent in just a letter from their doctor. That is not the form. We need the whole form filled out and
the other thing that we're finding is that we do a search because we've actually had some students forge
different documents around COVID. We've had shot cards forged. It's unusual. It's rare, but because that has happened, we now have to check on all of that.
So just be aware of that. If you are thinking of filling out a medical waiver form, it's important to have
your physician's office or your health care provider's office even use the office stamp that most of the doctors are putting a stamp on there and it's just very helpful to us when we have to do the research for that.
In any case, the next step, once we receive it and we time stamp it and sign it, that we received it,
then, we have a representative from each of the three sister campus student health centers and we review each and every one of these, to make sure that it meets all the standards. And when it does, we would send our recommendation to Dr. Clark
for
her final say, but she knows that it went through a pretty rigorous process to make sure that the students'
needs are being met and that we verified that it's really a physician or whoever is practicing here
and has a license and all of that. And then those we will put a letter, together for them to let them know what this waiver means
and then we have it sent. And we have not disapproved any of the medical waiver forms yet
That are properly filled out. Have we received some that are not the form? Yes, we notify the person that that is not a properly filled out form.
And that they have to send us a properly filled out form. But that has been rare. I think we've only had one of those. And we have a couple that are now being looked at, that we just got.
So that is the process for the medical waiver.
Next slide please? So I just want to make sure everybody sees this. This is vaccinated versus unvaccinated cases in the United States.
And it's really important for people to understand that this is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated. If you look at that bottom line there,
those are cases in people who are vaccinated. Are there cases? Yes, there are cases, but if you look at the red line you'll see that there's a far greater percentage, astronomically greater percentage of people with cases who are not fully vaccinated.
So the other thing to know about it is that the unvaccinated have usually a milder case. They are less able and transmitting COVID to other people. And so that's, that's how vaccination works. It's why our board agreed voted into fact
mandate, because we really want to do the very best thing that we can to protect our campus community. The vaccination is the gold standard for vaccine preventable disease. [Audience Member]: Can I just confirm, you said that it makes it harder to spread? [Allison]: Yes.
[Vice President Rees]: Was there another slide, Michael? [Allison]: Not for me. [Vice President Rees]: Okay, then questions and answers for the students. Yes in the back?
Audience Member: I just had a question on the restriction on the licensing of the doctor. So what you're saying is if the students international, if the student came
out of state, if a student has a complicated medical history
with a specialist that's not located in the state of California, that they can't have a medical
exemption? [Allison]: So we are
bound by our licensure.
[indiscernible audio] to California doctors, was written by Senator Chan in a Senate that relates to K through 12 students.
That bills that relate to K to 12 students do not relate to your community college and you can't say that international students' medical exemptions is invalid because you suddenly decided to pull out your hat you're going to stick it to California licensure.
[Vice President Rees]: Thank you. Thank you.
Audience Member: I had a question about the exemptions. If someone were do a religious
or medical exemption, you said that it's easy to see where you're supposed to turn them in.
I didn't see anything like that.
I wanted to get a clarification on where to
turn them in, per se. So they don't get loss. Stuff like that. And I also wanted to ask,
what necessarily [indiscernible audio]
to say, what is religious exempt or not religious exempt?
[Allison]: So I'm not in charge of religious waivers. [Kristen]: I'm sorry can you repeat the question?
[Vice President Rees]: Absolutely. [Allison]: So she's asking about what the requirements are for the religious waiver, and I can't answer that because I'm not in charge of that.
Dr. Sokenu: So, first and foremost we're not seeing one religion is more valid than another, because we're not assessing the authority of that religion.
We can't. What we're doing, is there's a rubric that we're using to validate that folks who are documenting necessarily have a belief and that's it.
And that's the documentation that we employ. We employ a rubric that does allow us to then assess the documentation that's been presented, not validity of the religion. We are not
invested in doing that, while we're not interested in doing that work. What we're interested in is making sure we accomplish is getting the information from the individual
who is asking for a religious exemption and that that exemption is documenting that sincerely held belief and the religious structures that support that. That's it.
Audience Member: So any religious exemption that does that will be accepted?
Any really religious documentation that has that particular
support that connects to the religious tradition or the belief structure will be valid. So that we can then review it. [Audience Member]: Have provided to the students? [Dr. Sokenu]: No. [Audience Member]: So how do they know what hoops they have to jump through?
Dr. Sokenu: So that is a very good question and part of the work that we're doing with our religious exemption process is to look at how transparent that process is so that we can make sure that information that is shared is
useful, right to the students.
[Audience Member]: What legal ground do you have to determine someone's religious exemption qualifications? [Dr. Sokenu]: We're not determining
their religion.
Audience Member: What grounds do you have? Or what special training? Or what gives you or this committee or anybody the right to determine a yes or a no?
If somebody's submitting a religious exemption they have the right to that. You're saying you're providing that.
Why would it ever be declined? [Dr. Sokenu]: So just to repeat the question.
[Vice President Rees]: So we've had several questions dealing with religious exemptions. There was a question asking where they get turned in.
If people do have questions on that, maybe we can put that in the chat where to turn in any exemptions.
There was a question asking about which religions are more valid, which Dr. Sokenu acknowledged, that there is no difference. It doesn't have to be a formal
religious group. And then there was a question about documenting whether
sincerely held belief and that. And then there was a last question dealt with what training is involved, and
what enables one to be able to make a judgment as to whether this is a sincerely held belief. [Dr. Sokenu]: So in terms of your question, what we have done is looked at other institutions that have similar
exemption processes and policies and to integrate the documentation. What we're also doing is providing our
VCCCD our district council, an opportunity to weigh in on our process, so that they can validate that process based on the law.
And mostly based on their understanding of what we are liable. So the goal in the
process is not to validate anyone's religious beliefs, per se, it is to say, looking at what the individual has documented, does that documentation
identify an objection to vaccination in that religious tradition, in that faith community or that belief structure. That is all we're doing. We are not validating a religious tradition over another. And that's it. [Vice President Rees]: Thank you. Kristen you had a question? [Kristen]: I was actually asking the person if you answered it,
maybe you had answered it, but first off there were some comments, saying that the audience is acknowledging they can't hear the people here. [Vice President Rees]: We'll repeat the questions. [Kristen]: I'm letting them know that's normal and then the question said,
"Why is VCCCD offering religious exemptions if separate religious leaders from some of the largest global religions have come out in support of the vaccine and recommended their followers to get vaccinated?"
Okay, I won't repeat that, because I think,
but okay, I'll repeat it just so that we're consistent.
The question was given that there are several religious leaders that have come out in favor of vaccination and encourage their people that belong to that group to get vaccinated, why do we have a religious exemption.
And Dr. Sokenu?
Dr. Sokenu: And again, as you know, and as we know, there are institutions where the
doctrine from the head of the organization of the religious group, folks may choose
opposing or divergent viewpoints and then there are, what do we call it?
sets or groups within a larger religious tradition. So this is why the goal is looking at sincerely held religious beliefs. And using that as the yardstick, and not just the fact that the
modern church or whatever their major organization presents.
If we could, we would ideally do that, but we again, want to make sure that we're as inclusive as possible, but I do want to remind you that we are continuing to look at our religious exemption process.
And to make sure that we're clarifying that process. And to make sure that we're communicating clearly to people that we are not assessing the
validity of the integrity of their religious beliefs, or their held belief systems. Thank you, gentlemen in the blue and then we'll have two in the back.
Audience Member: Yeah I'm in support of the religious exemption and all, but I do understand that there's 115 law after an outbreak of measles at Disneyland,
overturned saying that they don't have to offer religious exemption
or any exemption beside medical in California. So my question is I guess why are we offering religious exemption?
[indiscernible audio]
Vice President Rees: Okay.
So there was a question that talks about that there was religious exemptions and then after a measles outbreak there was
a judicial decision that there was not a need to provide religious exemptions for vaccinations. Given that there is that tradition, why would our district continue offering that as an option. [Dr. Sokenu]: Yes, and again,
the point that I made earlier, is that, as a college district we're trying to be as expansive as possible. And so, in trying to be as expansive as possible, we are provided for school have that
need for an exemption the opportunity to do so. But you're right that we don't have to, but we're doing it and we're doing it because, again,
our goal is to make sure that we provide access to as many people as possible. And that's a value that we hold dear. Not because it's a high school
law, it's of loyalty because we're trying our very best to make sure that we're open to as many people as possible. [Vice President Rees]: Thank you I'm sorry the woman in the back? Yes.
Audience Member: So from the comment of accessibility for all, the bottom of the board approved
process talks about your dual enrollment students. So
I think that there's a lot of assumptions made, that you're talking about students that may not
have a disability filling this out. You have dual enrolled students, not only enrolled somewhere else on campus, but 14 year olds, you have students with autism who come to your
campuses to take classes. How are you expecting them to articulate in a way that it would meet your students. I mean ACCESS students can't even come in
three weeks to do anything without an accepted religious exemption, but you're expecting your ACCESS students, your students with dyslexia, your students with down syndrome, your students with autism to articulate in a lengthy
fashion, their religious beliefs. [Vice President Rees]: Okay, so the question and I'm repeating it just so that we can have people online can understand, so sometimes I
do attempt to paraphrase and that's why I do apologize if I missed it, I think the question was specifically given the forms and we have student dual enrollment, disabled students, students in ACCESS,
I think the implied is there support for them to complete those forms, is the questions.
Dr. Sokenu: As far as our disabled students, we have an ACCESS Office that is available and provides a range of support services to our disabled students. So thus, we had earlier here Shyan from that office.
And so, if students have a challenge on completing the paperwork,
the office and the support staff can assist them
in that work, in making sure that they're able to complete that. As for the high school students, when the high school students come on to our campus or when they participate in a dual enrollment experience,
the assumption is that we treat them like they are adults. I mean that is the assumption when you come into a college environment as a dual enrollment student.
And so, again, we have a dual enrollment program and we have support for our dual enrollment students. So for those students, as they as they navigate the institution,
we provide them some individual who can provide them support and counseling and help them understand what they are articulating in the documentation.
In the policy it specifically says, the board of K through 12
districts
regarding applicability of the provisions of the COVID-19 vaccine interim policy and procedure, so this says it doesn't require them
and if you're going to communicate with the school districts and many students who are dual enrolled here are home schooled students, which would mean that you would need to communicate with every
private school that is listed on every dual enrollment form submitted, and that has not occurred.
Vice President Rees: And before we move into that, Kristen can we put in the Access links
for that, because that would be part of what Julius mentioned just a minute ago. Just so people have that. I think the question was asked,
given the for dual enrollment it does talk about, in the policy talks about working with the school districts to establish our requirements. [Dr. Sokenu]: Yes. Yes. So,
if we're delivering a course at say Moorpark Unified School District or Simi, we work with Simi and
Moorpark in that context to identify what the protocols are on their campuses. And when our faculty member is delivering instruction on that campus,
we go ahead and honor their protocols on that campus. When students come to our campus, onto the Moorpark College campus,
we abide by the protocols of our campus and our college district. So in a dual enrollment environment, if we are delivering a course at a high school where there is no protocol for mandated vaccine or mask wearing,
we would have to work within that context of that school district. When those students are at Moorpark College campus, they follow the protocols and we follow the protocols of the Ventura Community College District. [Vice President Rees]: Thank you. Yes?
Audience Member: Just saying how I feel. I feel that we all have our own beliefs for vaccination, which is totally fine,
but we need to respect each other's beliefs. It does it matter one person wants to be vaccinated, one person doesn't. I'm vaccinated.
I don't care if you're not vaccinated. Some people can't get vaccinated. But we shouldn't be punished for not being vaccinated. Teachers, professors, are possibly getting fired for not
having a vaccine. How is that fair? We all have our own beliefs here and that shouldn't make us not be able to come to school because of that.
There should be other options, which we have options, which has been great, which have been working, such as
wristbands, COVID tests once a week. There are other things we can do to make sure people are safe on campus. So
that's just what I think. And also, I was online. Everyone was online last year.
And I just I didn't learn anything. In my opinion, it was just so, so incredibly hard and I'm an ACCESS student. I struggle with learning as well, so that just made it 10 times harder for me to process the information.
So I feel like most of us benefit and do so much better being in person, and that was just not be okay for us. It's not fair to shut down a class just because someone's not vaccinated. [Vice President Rees]: Thank you for your comments. I'll try to just summarize them just so that others can hear your comments.
Again,
we do thank you that you are here and your comments were that last year was very hard as an ACCESS student working online and you do feel that
the on ground has been a very positive experience for you moving toward your educational goals.
And there is a construct of a concern that people not be punished for not being vaccinated and that there's a need
to respect other people's beliefs. And that we, as a district, and the college need to look for options. So we thank you for your comments. Yes? I'm sorry Kristen?
Audience Member: Well, so I'll try to make it brief, but
I wanted to add to that.
So I wanted to say that I'm impressed with all the protocols that are in
place. We have so many protocols. It's been
very thoughtful and is trying to provide us the best opportunities to make us feel safe. I'm vaccinated, but if I were unvaccinated, I would feel safe because as you mentioned earlier we have the UV lights, the air filters, the screening,
there's sneeze guards in place, there's opportunities for classes to be outside for good proper social distancing. That's all impressive. I'm impressed.
And I'm sure that's impressed as well for all that has been done. And so that's why I don't believe the COVID mandate, the vaccine mandate is necessary or fair, because we're also going to add the
COVID testing, and I believe that's an appropriate substitute for the vaccine mandate. I believe that it's more fair. Also, education wise,
I have professors that are not vaccinated and
next spring, there will be classes that are required on ground. I want to major in nursing and professors will not be here on the ground. Therefore, I can't take the classes, therefore, I can't have
opportunities to take classes and learn to in order to become a nurse. The
required classes. I don't know what they're called. [Vice President Rees]: Your prereqs? [Audience Member]: Yeah, exactly. I just feel like it also takes away
opportunities from vaccinated people, like myself.
It takes away the opportunities of vaccinated and unvaccinated students,
who can't take classes, because professors can't be on ground. [Vice President Rees]: Okay.
Okay. Thank you very much for your comments, again, just a brief summary. You commended the groups for all of the work.
Protocols in place provide us a safe environment, because of that there was a feeling that there perhaps is not necessary nor fair to require the mandates and that
belief that testing would be a good alternative in addition or in place of the requirement. So thank you for your comments.
Kristen? [Kristen]: There's two questions from people online. The first one is, "Why don't forms 2A and 2B have all the available options for medical exemptions that are listed in administrative procedure manual Chapter 3 Code AP 3506 such as mental health or disability?" That's the first one.
Vice President Rees: Okay. So that question dealt with on the medical exemption form, why does 2A and 2B not have all the medical exemptions defined in Chapter 3
AB 3506, which includes mental health and other disabilities. Is that what it was? Do you know? Okay, I think we'll
have to do some research. I don't know that particular Chapter 3. So I apologize. [Kristen]: Okay, the second question was, "When were the exemption forms released. I called the health office about two months ago, and was told exemptions are not an option."
Vice President Rees: Okay, there was a question as to when the exemption forms were released,
and because these exemption forms are both medical and the religious, and they're from the district, I don't know if Allison do you want to or Julius you want to address? [Dr. Sokenu]: I'm
guessing here and I think that the religious and the medical exemptions were introduced, three weeks ago, two to three weeks ago. So they were not introduced two months ago.
Kristen: And then I'm sorry another one came up, and I think Allison, one of your slides kind of touched on this, but it
asked, "Is it true that 100% of students religious exemption requests have been denied and all but one medical exemption request has been denied?"
Vice President Rees: Okay, again, the question asking have have all the all the religious exemptions been denied. Julius you want to answer that? [Dr. Sokenu]: Yes. There have been no religious exemption denials sent to any student on this campus. None.
[Vice President Rees]: Okay, and then, have there been any acceptance of religious exemptions been sent out? [Dr. Sokenu]: No none.
As I said earlier this morning, that the whole religious exemption process has been reviewed and so for Moorpark College, those individuals who submitted that
request, those requests are being held and being reviewed as we review the process and as we address the process itself.
So for those people, I asked your patience, knowing that we will be getting back to you shortly. It will be way before October 15, but that I ask that you're patient with us, because, again,
you'll realize that August 10, the mandate went into place and as a college district, we went ahead and as colleges, creating protocols and processes
to put in place. We created processes and protocols, get them to the legal so they can review it and all of that takes time.
So that is for those of you who are waiting. I apologize for the delay, as you perceive it and as you've experienced it, but again,
you will get that information before the October 15. [Vice President Rees]: So we haven't sent any religious exemptions? [Dr. Sokenu]: Not from this institution. [Vice President Rees]: And as far as the medical exemptions? [Allison]: We sent out
four or five approvals and we haven't disapproved of any that are complete forms. So I just want to verify that everybody understands. It has to be complete. It has to be
following the rules. It has to it has to be sent to the Student Health Center, either via email or delivered by hand. And we look at them as they come in. [Vice President Rees]: Thank you Tiffany, then Ruth, and then Kristen, again.
Oh I'm sorry, excuse me. I apologize okay.
Audience Member: So some question. I'm going to take a minute. I know you guys try to be short for most of you. I hope you guys can hear
me, by one, sharing that I really appreciate all of you. Thank you for all your hard work with making the school not only gorgeous, but safe. Really appreciate it.
And also for any of the students out there, I know people shared that they have been vaccinated, if you're not vaccinated, I just want to share and encourage you, and let you know that you're not alone. And I know this is scary,
because we get all these emails, but, if any of you need a hug, I'm willing to give one. So come on up here after. You're not alone in this and I'm really proud of you for advocating for yourself.
[Vice President Rees]: Thank you. [Audience Member]: And then secondly, sorry I have prepared and I probably spent about three hours this afternoon, preparing for it to try to make it short and sweet.
Religious, I know someone mentioned that all these religious leaders that have jumped on board and said get vaccinated, a lot of those religious leaders as well have accepted money from our
government. So that in itself puts them into question on whether or not that religion is even, what's going on there. And then thirdly,
I want to just advocate one, for the future nursing students who might not want to get vaccinated because I've heard it's now mandated, required regardless if you're coming into our program that you are required to get this vaccine,
that has no proof of what's going to happen to your body in five years. That maybe you want to have children, and you have no idea if it's going to affect you.
So keep fighting that fight, because we need more information. And on those terms, I sent an email out to President Julius who I really appreciate his response, and that we get
so many emails and we're inundated probably weekly with an email stating vaccine required by October 15. Times ticking vaccine, required by October 15.
Here's the places to get it, with no information on where and how to get these religious, and even if they're available, religious and medical exemptions, and then who once we get them, who to turn them into.
And as a student in our nursing program, third semester, which I'm so proud to say, because it's the hardest freakin' program, if anyone in here wants to be a nursing student, the hardest program.
I got COVID from a patient, last November 3 and 4. Amazing patient who solidified why I am going to be a nurse,
because I didn't want that patient to be alone, and they didn't know she had COVID, but I made sure I did all my documenting. I shared
all my time that I can be with her so that she was not alone. And this is what I learned in my nursing program
that informed consent, which is what we should be giving as a medical right to all of our people, is done under three conditions. Three, which are, first, there must be adequate disclosure
of the diagnoses, of the nature and purpose of the proposed treatment.
Of the risks and consequences of the proposed treatment. Of the probability of successful outcome. Are you going to be okay in the end? In five years are going to be okay?
Of the availability benefits and risks of alternative treatments, which is interesting, because if you guys know this about a vaccine, in order to get this
exemption as an experimental vaccine, they cannot have not one other drug available to give people
to keep that exemption as as an experimental vaccine, which is why unfortunately, so many people are dying because this vaccine is the only way, and the only thing that is being offered to people. It is not the only thing that's out there.
And I am thankful for our doctors that are who are pushing for medical freedom. And then lastly, the prognosis, if the treatment is instituted.
That's not something they can give you with the COVID vaccine. Secondly, the patient must show a clear understanding of the information being
receiving if they have sedating preoperative drugs and if the patient is sedated prior to signing the consent surgery may be cancelled or delayed.
Thirdly, most important, the recipient of care must give consent voluntarily. This is my nursing book that we are learning from here. Okay, and with that, they cannot be persuaded or coerced in any way. And then lastly, I just want to share with you guys,
that with the strain of this vaccine was created off of what strain of COVID. The Alpha strain. Is that correct?
Now we have
in the states, [indiscernible audio] this was released in September 2021,
that right now,
the variant that is
most
basically around, it's like the highest strain, right, is the Delta variant.
And they also released that the protection rate of the vaccine released in Israel, this is a study released in Israel, decreased. So the protection rate decreased from 94% to 39%. That's in a peer reviewed studied article that I'm happy to send anybody to 39%, but
we're still pushing this one vaccine that's going to just solve it all. And so I hope that you guys and the Board of Trustees, which
I never got an invitation. I didn't hear about it. I have no idea we could go to that. So I hope I get to go to the next one.
We'll consider that and maybe admit that we don't know everything about this yet. And I know that we're trying to do our best to protect as many people as possible, but in so doing, we're also now.
I've got a seven and a nine year old that I left in Reno to be here by myself to finish nursing school, so that they could go to school and have a normal life. I'm here on my own. It sucks so bad, but I need to be able to provide for them, so I can come here. And I want to know
that I'm going to be able to finish this school and provide for my kids.
Vice President Rees: Thank you very much for your comments.
just to summarize it and then I know we got three people here. Just to summarize, strongly advocating for people to that
are not vaccinated to speak up for themselves. A nursing student who provided a lot of information regarding informed consent and also raised concerns about the different strains of COVID, as far as what.
Audience Member: Every time we send out a COVID email, there should also be the religious exemption, and the other exemptions attached to every email, so it's not like
[indiscernible audio] just pushing it. [Vice President Rees]: Okay so I'm hearing suggestion, that we should include exemption information with any
information going out, regarding that. Thank you for that. Ruth and then Tiffany and then in the orange? [Ruth Bennington]: Hi, for those of you who don't know me, I am an accounting Professor here, often the most difficult discipline, I think.
I would first of all say, that I was very disappointed that the board left it as late as they did. If we could have had this decision earlier, we would all be in a much better position.
That said they did, and we're in this position now, and I would just like to
speak on behalf of myself alone, but there are a lot of us that are very afraid to be on campus with people who are not vaccinated.
I come from a country where we still have to vaccinate against TB, because thousands upon thousands of people died before that vaccination was made available. I understand that the vaccine is not 100%. This vaccine is actually a lot more effective that many vaccines.
I realize it is not the solution to COVID,
but there's a lot of talk about how this is unfair and I do understand.
Online teaching is very difficult.
I know I'm not as effective online, as I am in the classroom.
And I do appreciate your point of view, but I do think you have to also acknowledge that there are people like me who are very afraid to be here
amongst people who are not vaccinated and will not become vaccinated.
And I volunteered to come back. I was told I could have all my classes online, but I wanted to give an option to students. I come in person to committee meetings to show leadership.
But I think you have to understand not everybody feels about vaccinations the way of people in this room do. Thank you. [Vice President Rees]: Thank you for your comment.
Just In summary, there was the point was that there's a variety of opinions and that there are many people that are concerned about being around the non vaccinated for their personal health risks. Thank you.
Tiffany? But Kristen was it somebody?
Okay, so Tiffany, the woman in orange, and then we'll go to online. [Tiffany Pawluk]: Thank you, for those of you that don't know me, my name's Tiffany Pawluk, I'm a professor in the Chemistry Department, and I am also unvaccinated. My comments tonight, are first, being a public
campus update that the person that heads the committee reviewing religious exemptions stated that 100% of those exemption requests was denied by the committee.
I just wanted to provide that clarification, although the campus administration recognizes that doesn't seem quite right, and they are working to
make a fair and equitable decisions of those students. The second thing I wanted to point out is that our religious exemption form, you stated, was based on other colleges around us.
And I have extensively looked at other colleges around us and around the country and our religious exemption form is much stricter than any other religious form I have seen. I haven't seen a single one that matches the level of scrutiny and detail required.
None the other ones require a religious practitioner signature. I would challenge you to find one and I cannot. They simply have a open box when students states their personal religious or deeply held personal belief,
and they sign the form. It's one page and ours is four.
And I cannot find another form as restrictive as ours. [Vice President Rees]: Okay.
Audience Member: Why would that be?
Vice President Rees: The question was that
was a concern first to get some clarity as to what was reported out in a campus update and I I wasn't there, so I don't know what happened at that.
The second was about the religious exemption form the belief that one that would currently are using is more extreme then others around. And then there was a support question that asked why we have such a
extreme or complicated form compared to some other schools. [Dr. Sokenu]: We would have to do that research to be able to respond to your question. So I don't have that information on hand right now.
But we will do that because I certainly want to make sure that we put people's minds at ease. [Audience Member]: It puts the appearance of discrimination.
Vice President Rees: So, and just sorry for just some comments. We'll look into that. So thank you, Kristen?
[Dr. Sokenu]: Yes. [Audience Member]: She's had her hand up.
[Vice President Rees]: Oh I'm sorry, excuse me, go ahead in orange. [Audience Member]: I was going to say too, just the point of the online question of if
pastors or if people have supported the vaccine or [indiscernible audio], how is that really going to speak for every other church? [Vice President Rees]: Oh I'm sorry, excuse me, go ahead in orange. [Audience Member]: I was going to say too, just the point of the online question of if
pastors or if people have supported the vaccine or [indiscernible audio], how is that really going to speak for every other church?
Because everyone knows here, there's different denominations, different churches, different religions.
So how can you really say that the religious exemption doesn't apply to us? Some pastors support it. What if I don't go to that church? What if I don't believe in that religion? What if I
go to one that doesn't support it? And also, I wanted to address the people who are scared if they're vaccinated, if the vaccine is so good, why are you still scared? If it's so good, and pushing it
so much, then why woud you be scared if you have it? [Ruth]: Because there are breakthrough cases.
Vice President Rees: Okay I'm sorry could we go?
Okay.
Thank you. [Ruth]: I just asked you to hear. I didn't say you have to get the vaccine. It's not my mandate, I just wanted another [indiscernible audio].
That was all.
Vice President Rees: So to summarize, there was a support for the idea that, because of there's a lot of different denominations because they
some church leaders have come out in favor that doesn't mean that all religions are. That was your support of that particular response to that other question earlier. And then a question about
why people would be afraid, when there were
when they're vaccinated. It was a response that because of breakthroughs, there was another question about that people that are
not vaccinated are scared as well. So I think,
Kristen? [Kristen] Okay, so the first question.
"What will the spring 2022 semester look like, for those who have an approved religious or medical exemption?"
The question was what will the spring look like for those with a approved religious or medical exemption.
Dr. Sokenu: So, right now, those with approved religious and medical exemption, well approved religious we'll just start off with that, they will go through a testing regimen.
So they will be required to test twice a week and that testing will then be provided to them, and they will have to upload their results of their tests to the college districts app.
And then there are some comments, that since people here have been able to express their comments versus ask a question, I'll allow them to say that too, but in the chat, so the first one says,
"As someone who is vaccinated, I would much rather not be able to take a class or two due to the mandate, then potentially become a breakthrough case because someone chose
not to get a vaccine, that is free and FDA approved. I will only be taking in person classes next semester, if I know for certain that a good majority of my classmates or professors are vaccinated.
I've done my part to keep myself and others safe and would like to go back on campus for the spring next year."
Another comment is, "I am a little frustrated. I am asthmatic, lung cancer survivor, never smoked, and have multiple autoimmune conditions. I believe everyone has the right to control our body, but why should I or people like me have to live in fear?"
And that person clarified that they're vaccinated. And then
last is a question, they say, "Will we have to fill out a new exemption form for the next semester?" [Vice President Rees]: There was a question as to whether the exemption is for each semester. [Allison]: It's once a year.
It will have to be redone every year.
Vice President Rees: Thank you. Are there other questions? I do know that ASMC has... Thank you.
Okay, thank you. Sir?
First of all, thank you for providing the religious exemption form and the medical exemption form.
It was stated earlier, the religious exemption form being optional, which I would like to protest, they say it was [indiscernible audio] was not provided.
[indiscernible audio] she further stated, that executive chiefs and senate, [indiscernible audio] that
academic sectors that are affected and this
based in preschool, kindergarten and grades 1 through 6, inclusive and transitional kindergarten, and grades 7 to 12. [indiscernible audio]
This religious exemption,
I'm assuming that when you say it's based on colleges in the area,
of VCCCD mandate and Valley CCD. So at Valley CCD, they're a larger district with more students. I would expect at a larger school like UCLA, they would have a more intensive religious exemption form.
So when I went to look up the exemption form, it's one page. Allow me to each of the specific fields. Student name, ID, phone number, and email. There's a checkbox, based on [indiscernible audio]
So each of the boxes says, identify a personal religious belief [indiscernible audio] as basis for a request for religious accommodation, please explain it, describe the accommodations you're requesting, and the
checkboxes, please provide any additional information, give your signature, date [indiscernible audio] by the official and official use only by UCLA.
It says you should have a religious [indiscernible audio]
person sign on off on your form. I would like to add to that, because [indiscernible audio]
with religion being a hot topic, of whether or not it is a personal or institutionalized
beliefs, if we're basing it off the [indiscernible audio], religion is a service of worship of God or the supernatural,
or devotion to religious faith or [indiscernible audio]
The second definition says personal set or institutionalized system for [indiscernible audio] of beliefs and practices.
Yes, it can be defined as a
group or organization that's headed by a religious leader, but it is not necessarily so.
Definition of a cult.
The object of such devotion, usually a small group of people who are present in such devotion. Another definition is a system of religious beliefs or ritual [indiscernible audio] commemoration.
If the religion who would be more individualized such as Buddhists. If there are any Buddhist students, [indiscernible audio]
And with the people that are other religions, such as let's say to [indiscernible audio], Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, they do not ask be going to church, mosque, or synagogue
to be considered religious. I know this, I am a Jew. I used to go to synagogue. I do not practice anymore. [indiscernible audio]
[indiscernible audio] All that said. [Vice President Rees]: Okay, thank you. [Audience Member]: Excuse me, let me finish. [Vice President Rees]: Sure. [Audience Member]: I don't have to go to get a signature, because he is not telling me what to believe [indiscernible audio].
Vice President Rees: Okay. Thank you so much. Okay,
just to summarize.
Provided some clarity on some medical document, legal and then, I believe,
is a request that we look at the religious exemption to simplify it. Is what I'm hearing that that there's
again, pointing out the complexity of the religious exemption form, particularly with the request for a signature on that. So thank you for that comment. We do need to move to the survey and to the students talking on that. So I do see
Kristen are there comments online and then I do see you as well. [Kristen]: There's a few I wanted to mention.
[Dr. Sokenu]: Let's do that first. [Kristen]: Can we do these at the end? [Vice President Rees]: Absolutely. Absolutely.
[Audience Member]: So I just want to address the comments from the vaccinated individuals who are saying that they are...[Dr. Sokenu]: Can you put your mask to your face please?
Thank you. To cover your nose? Thank you. [Audience Member]: who are saying that they are scared of breakthrough infection and don't want to be or don't want to be a part of breakthrough infections.
And I just I pulled this off of the CDC website. It was updated on September 7, 2021,
and it clearly states, a vaccine breakthrough infection happens when I fully vaccinated person gets infected with COVID-19. People with vaccine breakthrough infections may spread COVID-19 to others.
It goes on further to state, people who get vaccine breakthrough infections can be contagious. And a perfect example of this, is
what happened in Israel, where about I believe it's about 70% of their population is vaccinated, yet they're experiencing the largest COVID-19 surge. So just wanted to address that.
Vice President Rees: Okay, thank you. The student did discussed about what breakthroughs were, and talked about a serious breakthrough in Israel.
Katrina would you want to tell us a little bit about the COVID alternates survey? [Karina Arteaga]: So I first want to thank you all for being here and so, earlier today there was a survey sent out to students and so that's going to give you the opportunity to advocate for either yourself or others and so.
I know that surveys can like feel kind of pointless at times, but I just want to emphasize that we are going to look through the data. We have a committee of students set to look through the data.
And students are going to be represented at the Board of Trustees meeting on October 12 to present this data. And so
I just want to emphasize I've been at the Board of Trustees meeting for the past, for August and September,
and one thing that I keep on hearing is that they want to see data. So that's why I emphasize that you complete the survey because
they need to see the data, they need to see the proof, because they can't get in contact with every single student, but if they see these comment or sorry, one thing I need to mention is that, at the very end, you can comment. So if they see these comments and they see the data for
what you selected for each question, they'll get to know like they'll understand your point of view, and what to do next.
Also, I want to mention that anyone is allowed to go to the Board of Trustees meeting. The next one will be on October 12. And so you can go on our website to look at all their meetings. You can also look at like the previous meetings that are recorded. And
so I really encourage you guys to write comments or go in person or also over Zoom. If you go over Zoom, you do have to let them know in advance that you're planning to go over Zoom and you're going to speak your comment on Zoom.
But yeah so that was like,
and thank you for being here. Please complete the survey, if you haven't already. It was sent through text message.
Vice President Rees: A question on the survey? [Kristen] Oh yes. I'm just sharing the link to the Board of Trustees. Okay,
so there were three things. The first one says, "I'm currently a second year student in the EATM program who's applied and I'm awaiting a response on my religious exemption form,
but I'm curious if they're, taking into consideration, each student's specific situation. In my instance, I'm in a program which does not have an online alternative and if I'm denied it would ultimately mean, me leaving the program just months before I have to graduate."
Vice President Rees: Thank you. The question and the I think you probably addressed it that we have not sent out the religious, we are re-looking at the religious exemption forms and have not sent out the responses.
But we absolutely do hear about the need for many to be present on ground. So we do absolutely get that. Was there other questions? [Kristen]: The second one says, "Students who turn in exemption forms will need to get tested, but those who are vaccinated do not. Is that true? [Dr. Sokenu]: Yes.
[Audience Member]: Why is that the case when you can still spread COVID, even if you're vaccinated? [Dr. Sokenu]: As the data that Allison shared earlier, this is currently
a pandemic of the unvaccinated and that's the data that we're using. That is the data that Public Health utilizes. That's the data that Cal OSHA uses, and that's the data that CDC uses.
Vice President Rees: I could mention also, though, that is one of the questions on the survey. So if people do have opinions on that, that's a perfect reason to do the survey and provide input on that as well. [Kristen]: Actually, Matt reminded me that we receive questions via chat earlier.
So it's not related specifically to this, but Matt reminded me to ask it. So somebody asked, "How often do we spray the rooms for COVID?" So both classrooms and I think, maybe communal spaces, non instructional like this?
John Sinutko: The classrooms, we try to get in between each class. So that would be the case, when we have at least a half hour between classes. The classes that are closer together than a half hour,
we get it in the morning and we get it after the classes are used. So they're done at least once a day. Some of them are done three times a day. Some of them are two times a day. We get in as much as we can with all 26 people we have working on that.
Vice President Rees: Thank you John. Are there any questions? So we will handle the questions and then we'll move to the conclusions for
for Mary and for Julius, because I do know the lost people and we're running out of time, but I do want to respect to your conclusions, as well as the questions. Not comments, but questions.
Okay cool.
Audience Member: There seems to be a real push for
encouraging people to get the vaccine
data,
put out to students about a week ago, saying that the vaccine prevents you from getting COVID, prevents you from transmitting COVID, and will prevent you from dying from COVID.
Do you still believe that that is true? It's science? [Vice President Rees]: Well all of our data indicates. Sure I'll repeat the question. The question is, does the vaccine... [Audience Member]: The email. The email put out by Moorpark College to students, stated,
[Vice President Rees]: The email. [Audience Member]: I'll read it. I'll read it.
Vice President Rees: The email that talked about that the vaccine
prevented the spread and the transmission of COVID and asking if that is our position or still believe. [Allison]: Yeah, it's it reduces all of those things.
Audience Member: The vaccine prevents you from getting COVID-19. It prevents you from spreading COVID-19 to your family, friends, and
fellow students and professors. It prevents you from becoming
seriously ill or dying of COVID. It prevents COVID-19 from spreading and replicating. That is complete misinformation. That's not true. So are you spreading this misinformation? [Allison]: So let me just say that prevention is on a spectrum.
It's not 100%. Absolutely. Vaccines are not a 100%, as you pointed out. That's why everybody has to get one.
Audience Members: That's how it sounds. That's how it's worded. It doesn't say there's a spectrum of prevention, and this is on the good side of the spectrum. It sounds like it prevents it. This is the data. It prevents it. You're safe. [Vice President Rees]: So we're hearing that there was some serious concerns about that particular email
on the wording and the accuracy, as far as the interpretation of that. Thank you for bringing that up. [Audience Member]: I would like to finish my question. I'm saying there's this information being spread, but yet there's a lack of information being
provided to students on their risks. So for informed consent, you to notify students of the risk of whatever you're promoting or offering.
How is Moorpark College or VCCCD educating students on the potential health risks, associated with the vaccine? [Vice President Rees]: Okay, so the question is, is how is the VCCCD providing information to students on potential risks associated with vaccines?
Allison: So you get that information and you sign your consent, when you get your vaccination. That's when that happens. It is not our job as the college to get your consent for a vaccination. That happens at the point of service.
You're threatening people's education. You're threatening people's employment and promoting a vaccine and saying that it does things that we now know that does not do. That's false information.
And not acknowledging the risks of what we're promoting. So people could be harmed or even die or something that you're promoting,
and requiring in order for people to maintain their status as a student, complete their education, or stay employed by the school district. That seems extremely irresponsible.
And then you're acting like a medical expert, and yet this email that went to every student
is false information and at minimum, you should have adapt it and put out the truth and acknowledge that there are risks and that's why there are human rights.
And people should have an opportunity to decline something that they're not comfortable with, medically, emotionally, physically, religiously, it doesn't matter. People have rights. Thank you for your comments.
Are there other questions? Questions? [Kristen]: There are questions online. There were two from somebody, [indiscernible audio]. The first one is
[indiscernible audio] who couldn't express concern. "Would our campus community still be scared of being in person, even with the option to regularly test every person, regardless of vaccine status?"
Vice President Rees: Yeah I'm not sure that, that's because we had several people talk about being afraid. I'm not sure that that would be a fair question to ask somebody.
Kristen: And then her follow up question was, "What options are available for our students can't go online because their program is 100% on ground? Are on ground classes going remote? Do we give incompletes? Refunds?"
Vice President Rees: Okay, so the question I guess is, for classes that are on ground or need to be on ground in order to accomplish those outcomes, are they going online. Or will students get an incomplete or an EW for a class if they
drop.
Dr. Sokenu: So in the cases where a student decides to drop a class, by virtue of their inability to comply with the vaccine mandate, the student will get a refund and they will get an EW.
For the question you asked, it is a very legitimate one, but what happens in those disciplines where you can really only do instructional outcomes
as best as possible on ground. And again, part of our work over the next couple of months is when we're in preparation for the spring, is to see how we can create learning opportunities that will
provide students as best as possible the approximation of the on ground experience. That's one. There are instances where we know that we may have to modify
things that we'll base so that students can participate in that experience. Now again, as I keep saying, this is an opportunity for us to hear your experience, to hear your questions, to get your concern and document that.
We can't provide you a solution today, but clearly we're hearing the folks who have classes and programs where they're predominantly on ground,
we're going to make sure they have an opportunity to continue their instruction.
We've heard that. So I appreciate that insight. We've heard that insight. I also need you to please understand that there are programs where there's a requirement
not only that you will get on ground instruction and have an on groudn experience, but that those programs there are requirement for vaccination.
So again, you have to pay attention to those programs and the needs of those programs, as we go ahead and provide students a learning experience.
Vice President Rees: Thank you. Mary do you want to, I want to make sure you have an opportunity to have your comments. [Mary P.] Well, I want to thank everyone for coming. And to let you know your voices are very important.
We want to hear what you have to say. And what you did have to say here today and I'm glad you feel like you have been heard.
And if you want to get any more information, you can get in touch with me. I know there's a slide that has all the information that you can take down. And I'll be happy to talk with you or advocate, whatever it is.
[Vice President Rees]: Thank you. [Mary P.]: So thank you. [Vice President Rees]: Thank you.
Julius do you want to. I do notice there's two more hands up. If they're questions? [Dr. Sokenu]: If you have really short questions, because I do know we need to close up. [Audience Member]: She was up first.
[Vice President Rees]: A question? [Audience Member]: Yeah, the testing that is common on campus, but not provided on campus, do you the number of PCR test cycles being used, and do you know the accuracy? The accuracy?
[Dr. Sokenu]: I have no idea, the number of PCR test cycles. I could request that information from the COVID clinic. [Audience Member]: Can I send you the information for the more reliable test that UCLA is using?
Vice President Rees: Sure, we would love to get that. Please send us the information. Probably send it to Allison at the student health, that would be the best place, because they come the testing comes out of student health.
Thank you for that. We appreciate that. [Audience Member]: Sorry, I didn't ask questions because you initially said that we're here not to answer questions. So I was more just sharing. But I do have one specific and that is
when we got into the nursing program we came we had our blood drawn, we had our titers checks and make sure all of the past vaccines and/or.
I had chicken pox when I was six. They took my titer and they said, "You don't even need a booster shot, because you still have the antibodies for that," right?
But I've had COVID, why aren't we accepting as an additional option, checking our titers and seeing why, maybe, "I don't even need the vaccine." [Vice President Rees]: Okay. Her question was
having COVID it is not adequate, is not equal to the vaccine.
And I think that, that might be a Public Health.
[Dr. Sokenu]: That is a Public Health question. [Audience Member]: I guess, my question why are we as a college and even with the Ventura, like you guys are our advocates. Why aren't you pushing back on these hospitals and saying, "Okay, well if you don't let us in, because not all of our students
are vaccinated," or with the Public Health like we need you guys now to advocate for us, and knowing that not everyone is... What is it 50% here, only 50% of the students are vaccinated? [Dr. Sokenu]: No it's more than that.
Audience Member: It's more than that. Okay, I know so many. I wish I could speak longer. I know several who felt forced into this in order to stay in the nursing programs,
sadly. There's a whole group of people. Her and I are the only two left.
So we need now, you guys as our advocates and why aren't you pushing back even with like the hospital saying, "Well we're not letting our students in here because they're not vaccinated, these are nurses you're not going to have."
You know, like you, guys are gonna have a bigger impact than we. [Dr. Sokenu]: I appreciate your perspective but, again, we are in a
partnership with those hospitals. And there are grounds of context, with that partnership. So when we enter into that partnership, they take our students, based on the
precepts based on the context that is set for that. And I appreciate the fact that
you believe that we have the opportunity or the authority to change that. Our reality is that in that dynamic, we don't have the authority to change that.
They set the context in which the learning experience of the students in that practicum, will be undertaken. And so I can't go, we can't go as a program to
Simi Adventist or go to Los Robles and say, "Here's what we will do. We can say, "Here's what our students would like you to do. And here's what we're doing on campus." But, ultimately, they have the authority in making that decision and then we work within the context.
Vice President Rees: Thank you for that.
Thank you all, please use the survey
to provide other options and to give additional information so that your voice can be, and your opinions and your concerns can be
resonated and put in front of the district and the board. So we do appreciate the opportunity to to meet virtually with you all. Thank you, as well as in person, and I want to
thank all the people that really worked on this. Michael has been standing up in front of that computer. I hope he's not been doing his homework.
That for helping orchestrate that Dan was down trying to help us with the
microphones. ASMC was putting together that survey, putting together the town hall.
So thank you. Thank you for your time. Thank you for putting this together. And we want to thank the panel members.
And Kristen, thank you for bringing
student effort on this. So I look forward to the next student town hall. I think that they are a wonderful opportunity to provide
good dialogue and conversation and new insights. So thank you all. Have a wonderful evening. Thank you.
Thank you.