August 06, 2021
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
The Community College of Philadelphia is requiring COVID-19 vaccination for faculty and staff by Oct. 1, 2021. Students will be required to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 18, 2022 to start the spring semester.
The Community College of Philadelphia announced Friday that all faculty and staff will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The decision makes CCP the region's first public college to require vaccination, a trend that has become more common in the private sector in recent months.
Faculty and staff are required to provide documents proving they are vaccinated by Oct. 1. Students will need to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 22, which is the start of the spring semester, the college said in an email.
CCP cited particular concern about the spread of the delta variant in reaching its the decision to mandate vaccination. The college also noted the vulnerability of its predominantly Black student population.
Masks will be required through the fall semester for all faculty, staff and students on CCP campuses, regardless of vaccination status, and six-foot social distancing rules will continue to be in effect. The college plans to operate at approximately 50% capacity this fall.
The vaccine requirement from CCP comes as larger public education institutions have held off from taking similar measures, including Penn State University and the state-related Temple University. The 14 schools comprising the The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education cannot mandate the COVID-19 vaccine unless authorized by legislation.
Private universities in Philadelphia including Penn, Drexel and Villanova all are requiring vaccination for faculty, staff and students.
At CCP, faculty and staff who qualify for a valid medical or religious exemption will be subject to regular testing and will not be permitted on campus if they test positive for COVID-19.
