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Cal State University students, faculty members, and staffers will be required to get fully vaccinated against the coronavirus before attending in-person classes or activities this fall.
University officials made the announcement Tuesday, as they seek to stem the potential spread of COVID-19 on their 23 campuses.
The Cal State system includes:
Previously, the CSU vaccination requirement would have kicked in after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave final approval to one of the vaccines currently authorized for emergency use.
The University of California system planned to follow a similar trajectory, until announcing earlier this month that vaccinations would be required for in-person participation this fall.
The UC system has 10 campuses and more than 280,000 students.
Both university systems will offer students and staff the option to submit requests for medical or religious exemptions.
In a statement, CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said:
“The current surge in COVID cases due to the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant is an alarming new factor that we must consider as we look to maintain the health and well-being of students, employees and visitors to our campuses this fall. Receiving a COVID vaccine continues to be the best way to mitigate the spread of the virus. We urge all members of the CSU community to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and announcing this requirement now allows members of the CSU community to receive multiple doses of a vaccine as we head into the beginning of the fall term."