Frequently Asked Questions

With COVID-19 safety guidelines and recommendations rapidly evolving, please visit our Community Messages page for the latest information. Pitzer’s guidelines are subject to change throughout the year depending on medical and public health guidance.

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Vaccination & Boosters

Are students required to be vaccinated?

Yes. Students are required to be up to date on their vaccines before coming to campus. Students are considered up to date when they have received all doses of the primary vaccine series and all recommended boosters.

Exemptions for this requirement will be considered only for documented medical conditions or religious exceptions.

Are students required to have a booster?

Yes. Pitzer notified students that boosters would be required in a message sent on December 17, 2021.

How do I submit my vaccination status?

Students can upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination to the Student Health Services Portal.

Faculty and staff should submit their vaccine status—including the date they received their booster—via the Healthy Pitzer platform.

If your vaccination verification is in another language, please translate as much of the information as possible so the nurse can verify it is authorized by WHO.

Are all WHO-authorized vaccines and boosters accepted by Pitzer?

Yes. All WHO-authorized vaccines and boosters are accepted. According to the CDC, WHO-authorized boosters are considered “up to date” for public health purposes.  

What if my vaccine verification is not written in English?

If your proof is in another language, please translate as much of the information as possible so the nurse can verify your booster is WHO-authorized.

Students can upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination to the Student Health Services Portal.

Faculty and staff should submit their vaccine status via the Healthy Pitzer platform.

Testing

Will students need to test at least once a week through the first two weeks of classes?

Yes. All students will complete return-to-campus testing at least once a week through the first two weeks of classes. They will also be required to test following return from Winter Break, Spring Break, and other breaks, as determined necessary by the College.

Students will test on the specific day of the week outlined for their class:  

  • First Years: Monday
  • Sophomores: Tuesday
  • Juniors: Wednesday
  • Seniors: Thursday
  • Students who may have missed their assigned weekly testing day: Friday
  • Students with an approved exemption (unvaccinated): Tuesday and Friday

Where are COVID testing sites for students?

Student Health Services (SHS) will be coordinating on-campus testing and vaccine access. Testing hours are available as listed at SHS. Testing can be done at any time during testing hours—appointments are not required.

SHS-administered COVID-test vending machines for students and staff have been installed at each of the 5Cs and The Claremont Colleges Library. Pitzer’s is located at the northwest entrance of Atherton Hall. The vending machines dispense free saliva-based PCR tests on demand, allowing students to test at their convenience. For more information, visit Student Health Services’ COVID-19 Test Kit Vending Machines page.

Are students required to take routine screening tests?

Students will participate in mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing through the first two weeks of classes. Students not up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine or with an approved exemption will be required to test weekly until further notice.

After the first two weeks of classes, students will be able to participate in voluntary screening tests. Pitzer must have 10-15 percent of students testing voluntarily on a weekly basis. In the event that we don’t meet this threshold, or if there’s a shift in COVID trends, we may require students to engage in regular weekly testing.

What if a student is symptomatic, identified as a close contact, or instructed by a medical professional to test?

Students who are symptomatic, who have been identified as a close contact, or who have been directed by a medical professional are required to test.

Students instructed to test by a medical provider must test immediately or contact SHS immediately.

Symptomatic students must test by no later than 48 hours from the onset of symptoms.

What happens if you are a “close contact”?    

Students who are determined by contact tracing to be a “close contact” with someone who tested positive are not ordered to quarantine but must test via Student Health Services as soon as they’re notified. If their first test is negative, they must test again three to five days after their last contact with the positive case.

Close contacts are required to wear a well-fitting face mask at all times while around others (both indoors and outdoors) for 10 full days after their last contact with the positive case.

Close contacts are also required to monitor for symptoms for 10 full days from their last contact with the positive case, and if they become symptomatic, they are required to test immediately. In this circumstance, students will be able to attend class with a well-fitting face mask unless they receive a positive test result of their own.

What happens if I test positive?    

Please see COVID-19 Symptoms and Close Contacts Protocol and Support.

Masks

Are masks required during Move-in?

Everyone—students, family, staff—will be required to wear masks indoors during the move-in process. Masking outdoors is optional. We fully support community members who choose to mask outdoors, and masks will be available at check-in.

After Move-in Weekends in August, are students, faculty, and staff required to wear masks?

Barring a shift in guidance from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, indoor masking will be encouraged but not required on campus at the beginning of the fall semester. We strongly support persons who continue masking in all circumstances, and Pitzer will continue to make masks available upon request.

However, specific offices, classrooms, programs, and individuals will be able to determine the masking policies for their spaces on campus. Community members are expected to cooperate with any such expectations or requirements, including those set forth at sister campuses within The Claremont Colleges.

Also, anyone identified as a close contact with someone who tested positive is required to wear a well-fitting face mask at all times while around others (both indoors and outdoors) for 10 full days after their last contact with the positive case.

Consistent with public health guidance, well-fitting, high-quality medical masks should be worn when required. Masks are available for free in the Office of Student Affairs, Dean of Faculty Office, Facilities, Gold Student Center, Dining Hall, and the Nurse Clinic.

Is masking required on Pitzer-provided transportation?

Yes.

Does Pitzer provide students with masks?

Masks are available for free in the Office of Student Affairs, Dean of Faculty Office, Facilities, Gold Student Center, the Dining Hall, and the Nurse Clinic.

Isolation

Do students who test positive have to isolate?

Yes. Pitzer students who test positive for COVID-19 must remain in isolation for 5-10 days as determined by the campus contact tracing team. In this circumstance, students will not be able to attend class. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 Symptoms and Close Contacts Protocol and Support and Isolation Plans for Students pages.

Do students identified as close contacts have to quarantine?

No. There is currently no requirement for our college-aged students to quarantine, regardless of their vaccination status.

However, students who are determined by contact tracing to be a “close contact” with someone who tested positive must test via Student Health Services as soon as they’re notified. If their first test is negative, they must test again three to five days after their last contact with the positive case.

Close contacts are required to wear a well-fitting face mask at all times while around others (both indoors and outdoors) for 10 full days after their last contact with the positive case.

Close contacts are also required to monitor for symptoms for 10 full days from their last contact with the positive case, and if they become symptomatic, they are required to test immediately. In this circumstance, students will be able to attend class with a well-fitting face mask unless they receive a positive test result of their own.

Where will students isolate?   

Student Affairs staff will work closely with students who test positive for COVID to place them in isolation with a peer or to isolate in place along with positive suite/roommates.

We recognize some students prefer to exercise the option to isolate off-campus at the residence of their family or a friend, and we will continue to grant waivers for students who prefer this option.

While historically this close partnership with students has allowed us to maximize our isolation space capacity, in the event that we should not have isolation space immediately available, students may be instructed to isolate in place until an isolation space is available.

If a student is isolated, will they be able to continue their coursework?

In the event that a student needs to be isolated or quarantined for a period of time, their professors will work with the student, their adviser, the Office of Student Affairs, and the Dean of Faculty’s Office to help them to continue their work or do extra-credit work (health permitting).

Faculty will be notified by the Pitzer Student Affairs Office when a Pitzer student tests positive and enters quarantine/isolation. Pitzer Academic Support Services will assist with appropriate accommodations, as needed.

Mental Health Services

Does the College provide mental health services for students?   

Yes. All Claremont Colleges students have access to Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services (MCAPS) and 7C.Health, which provides 24/7 teletherapy counseling support. Monsour will host drop-in hours for students in isolation online. More information will be sent via email, or you can contact 909.621.8202.

Additionally, students in isolation due to COVID-19 will receive personalized outreach from our Strive2Thrive Program team and be granted the opportunity to engage safely in pre-approved mental health and wellness walks.

Our Strive2Thrive health and wellness initiative also has multiple programs dedicated to cultivating self-care and supporting mental health. More info on Instagram @pzstrive2thrive.

Residence Life

After Move-in, can students have non-5C guests in the residence halls?   

No non-5C guests will be allowed in the residence halls after Move-in for at least the first two weeks of classes.

Some FAQs are outdated and have been archived but are still available for your reference.

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Last updated: August 4, 2022