McHenry County College tightens COVID-19 requirements for next semester

McHenry County College students who do not comply with the state mandate to get vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19 cannot attend in-person classes in the spring semester, MCC president Clinton Gabbard said at Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting.

“It’s a change. It’s one we wish wasn’t taking place, but our hope is that the folks who want to be here will step up,” Gabbard said.

Gov. JB Pritzker first announced a state mandate in August, saying all school employees, including higher education staff, and college students either had to get the vaccine or get tested weekly for the highly infectious coronavirus.

In light of this news, McHenry County College used CLEARED4 software to allow employees and students to confidentially upload proof that they got the inoculation, Gabbard said.

Following the mandate, McHenry County College had a “really great response” from employees, Gabbard said, with 100 percent of staff now either showing proof of vaccination or agreeing to get tested weekly.

But for students? “It has been slower,” Gabbard said.

About 80 to 85 percent of students complied with the mandate, but then, he said, the college got stuck there.

There were about 300 students who did not comply. These students were not denied entry to campus. Gabbard said college staff reached out to them “time and time again” to encourage them to submit their information.

The new semester starts in January. If those students comply with the new rule, they will be able to take in-person classes.

Students that refuse will be directed to an adviser to look at remote learning options. Gabbard said students will have only a few weeks to meet the new requirements before they are dropped from the in-person class.

A communication about this policy was sent to students, which prompted a response from around 30 people, Gabbard said.

In-person attendance is preferred, Gabbard said, adding that “it goes against every fiber in our beings” having to restrict access to the campus for those who won’t comply.

“It creates a quick in all of our steps to just interact more with students,” Gabbard said. “We want them physically here if they want to be, but we don’t want to be chasing 300 students all spring semester.”

Tracking students who didn’t comply took time away from other projects, Gabbard said. For instance, last semester, staff members were placed at entrances to verify students’ vaccination status.

The College of Lake County took a similar mandate stance, telling students in October that they had to comply, according to the Daily Herald.

College of Lake County Students who refused have virtual learning and support options available to them, the Daily Herald reported, but compliance is required if they want to be permitted on campus.

Gabbard said the college must be prepared for the possibility that enforcing the mandate may hurt enrollment.

“We hope folks will choose an offsite class, an online class, if they have to sub that out,” Gabbard said. “We don’t want them to lose out on their progress.”