RCC not requiring vaccines for return to campus

MEDFORD, Ore.- As Rogue Community College prepares for a return to campus, it says it won’t require vaccines.

President of RCC Cathy Kemper-Pelle says with no state mandate, it will not require students and faculty to get vaccinated.  The only exception is health care program participants.

She says the lack of a college vaccine requirement is because RCC largely serve very underserved populations.

“Those are the populations that are often very fearful of vaccines and also populations that have transportation issues and difficulty getting to vaccines,” she explained.

She says they are working to get vaccine information and education to all of their students. They are also taking over mitigation steps, like enforcing the state’s mask mandate, doing self-check ins with symptoms, and rigorous cleaning.

Kemper-Pelle also says part of their federal Covid-19 relief funds goes towards their “Cash for College” program, which she encourages students to check out online.

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Grace Smith is co-anchor for NBC5 News at 6. The Chicago native is a recent graduate of University of Miami with a Communication Honors degree specializing in Broadcast Journalism. She minored in Creative Writing and focused her senior thesis on social media usage and engagement. During her time at the University of Miami, she anchored multiple award-winning student television programs, covering everything from music festivals to the Super Bowl. Though she loved Miami's beaches, she's thrilled to be in the Pacific Northwest where she can experience all four seasons and have a real Christmas tree! When she’s not at work, you can find Grace glued to any television showing live sports (especially if it's the Chicago Bears) or attempting a new recipe as she learns to cook.
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