Highline is meeting or exceeding COVID safety precautions prescribed by the state, college officials say. 

“As a college we are committed to providing a high-quality educational experience for students, which includes providing the option for on-campus resources and learning opportunities when possible,” said Nicki Bly, Highline public health director. 

Roughly 30 percent of courses will be on campus or hybrid this quarter, meaning a lot more close contact between students, staff and faculty. As a result, masks are required while anyone is on campus inside a room with others, and everyone must attest to being vaccinated or have received an exemption. 

“We exceed requirements in many areas,” said Bly.  “We are seating our classrooms at 50 percent capacity, allowing more air flow and seating students every-other seat.  In situations where we can’t maintain social distancing, a barrier is required.  This is a face shield worn with a face mask.  Plexiglas has been put into place in high volume student service areas, hand sanitizer at entrances of buildings and in classrooms and social distancing encouraged throughout campus.”

Vaccinations are an important part of this, she said. 

 “Highline College made the decision to require vaccinations (with exemptions possible) of employees and students effective Fall Quarter,” Bly said. “This step was taken because our college has an obligation – moral, ethical, and legal – to create and support a reasonably safe and hazard-free campus and work environment for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors.”

Requiring vaccinations means that the college doesn’t have to do more, however, she said. 

“As a campus that requires vaccinations, we are not required to take these extra steps.  We are instead following the much higher safety requirements, as if we were a campus that was not requiring vaccinations and at higher risk.  As a college we are concerned about the safety of those on campus and feel these extra measures are important,” said Bly.

Still, there are challenges, such as “communicating to students about the vaccine requirements and online attestation form and working with students to make sure they complete the form, finding ways to share information with students about the vaccine, and making sure we’re in compliance with rules from the state and local public health,” Bly said. 

The college will enforce the requirements, Bly said. 

“The Covid-19 Leadership Team, along with the Public Health Management Team and Hybrid Operations Management Team, work together with the Executive Council and Dr. John Mosby to help ensure Covid-19 safety plans are followed on campus,” she said.

Students, faculty and staff are required to prove they have been vaccinated. 

“As a campus that requires vaccinations, as a first step we are required to have employees and students either provide vaccination information or complete a process to request approval for exemption, Bly said. “This is done through a form provided to colleges.”

Students have received notification of this attestation form via student e-mail and campus website notifications, and you will find the form in ctcLink.  This allows students to verify they’ve received the COVID-19 vaccine or begin the process to submit an exemption.  

“The second step is to see actual proof of vaccination of all vaccinated employees.  Students will be audited in classrooms, getting notice on a certain day they will be required to provide proof of vaccination,” said Bly.

Highline is also offering a COVID-19 vaccine clinic, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Monday in October.  The vaccination stations will be located in front of Building 6, near the East Parking Lot.  During inclement weather the clinic will be located in Building 4, room 109.

Despite the vaccination requirement, everyone still has to wear a mask on campus.

“Face masks are required to be worn inside public buildings with very few exceptions.  Individuals not in compliance will be offered a new face mask, if they refuse, they will be required to leave the building,” said Bly.

Facemasks can be a cloth face mask, disposable surgical mask, KN95 mask, N95 mask, or a mask with a clear inset for special communication requirements.  They must be worn at all times while in class and cannot be removed for presentations or even briefly to take a drink of a beverage.  They must also be worn while in the hallways, restrooms, or other areas of all buildings.

“To keep our campus safe, we all need to work together, have a lot of patience, and understand how challenging this is for all of us,” Bly said.