Effective Jan. 3, Brookdale Community College will require COVID-19 vaccinations or weekly testing for all students taking classes on a Brookdale campus. Students will be required to provide proof of full vaccination or agree to weekly testing when registering for the 2022 spring semester.
“Since it became clear in late September that no vaccine/testing mandates would be issued for community colleges, but that colleges were encouraged to make their own requirements, I secured the support of the Board of Trustees to begin moving forward with our own requirements,” said Dr. David Stout, president of Brookdale Community College.
According to a recent letter to the student body from Stout, “during the week of November 15, 2021, students will be asked to upload their vaccination cards, indicate the choice to test weekly, or indicate the intention to take classes remotely.” Students are asked to “keep these options in mind while planning classes for the spring 2022 semester as priority registration begins next week.”
“The specifics of our testing contract were endorsed by our Testing Tactical Team on the evening of November 2. The processes we went through to implement such requirements took a great deal of thought and time, so I’m proud of the tremendous amount of work that the leadership of the college has done to develop the implementation plan for our vaccine or testing requirements,” Stout said.
“I think that this is a thoughtful decision moving forward for Brookdale. Many students have not returned to campus because there is no guarantee that every student is vaccinated. With the guarantee that every student is vaccinated or tested weekly, Brookdale can open its doors to many more students for in-person learning. Overall, it promotes a safer environment for everyone,” said Zafira Demiri, a 19-year-old English language and literature major from Freehold.
“Most people get tested only when they start feeling symptoms, but with weekly testing, not only will we be catching it sooner and tracing it, but we will also be stopping the spread,” said Tatyana Labovka, a 19-year-old undecided student from Brookdale Community College.
“People with the vaccine also get COVID; although their symptoms might be lighter, they can still spread it. I think everyone should get tested so that we can have a new normal,” Labovka said.
Free COVID-19 vaccines are available 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, in the former Children’s Learning Center Building near parking lot four, on the Lincroft campus. No appointment is necessary. Vaccines are also readily available at local pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens. Additionally, free COVID-19 testing will be available on the Lincroft campus for all who opt for weekly testing.
While vaccines are not currently required to access Brookdale buildings, mask mandates are in place. Please refer to Brookdale’s official mask mandate for complete masking requirements.