University of Hawaii West Oahu Seal

Bulletin No. 67

Date/Time sent: 09/27/2021 9:00 am

E ala! E alu! E kuilima!
Awaken! Come together! Join hands!

“You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Kaiāulu Moment

The University of Hawaiʻi System Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao presents another yearlong He Ukana Kā Kīlauea webinar series that acknowledges and celebrates the leadership accomplishments of regional aliʻi through historical accounts, stories, and song from the 10 UH campuses. The first presentation for fall is on Wednesday, Sept. 29, hosted by the UH Mānoa campus. By the way, UH West Oʻahu will host May 2022.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Noon – 1 p.m.

Presentation Topic: Kalākaua and the Hawaiian Youth Abroad retraces the path of 1 Hawaiian youth who were personally selected by King David Kalākaua between 1880 and 1892 for an educational diplomatic program designed to train future leaders for Hawaiʻi in areas of engineering, medicine, art, music, military science, and foreign languages in six countries around the world.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/97428528339?pwd=V0tFakJLK2J4aEUyUndSeXZsNE5EZz09
Password: ukana2
Visit Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao for more information about the series.

Important Message Regarding Spring 2022 Semester:

Aloha mai UH West Oʻahu campus community!

  1. Return to on-campus instruction in Spring 2022. In Spring 2021, the UH System messaged broadly across all 10 campuses and to the public that fall 2021 semester would be a transition period from online to on-campus classes. The goal for spring 2022 semester would be substantially more on-campus classes close to pre-COVID numbers. This fall we have housed both fully and hybrid on-campus classes successfully and safely. We are preparing our class schedule and our campus for a return of students to on-campus learning.
  2. Student Vaccination Policy. We are messaging NOW a vaccine mandate for all students who will be taking on-campus classes. Faculty teaching on campus will be able to access their class lists (as they do now) that will let them know (w/a green check) the vaccination status of their on-campus students. NOTE: Students cannot register for ON-CAMPUS classes without their full dosage of one of the COVID-19 vaccinations.
  3. Enforcement of LumiSight UH and Masks. We will maintain our face covering policy and require daily LumiSight UH check-in.
  4. What do on-campus classes look like? On-campus can mean fully in-person or a hybrid format. We are looking to offer on-campus courses for our freshman and sophomores – these are our hardest hit enrollment numbers. Additionally, offering on-campus classes that are “required” for graduation.
  5. Classroom capacity. Facilities will be returning the classrooms back to pre-Covid capacity. We will maintain our COVID-19 cleaning schedule.

More information will be forthcoming. For concerns or questions please reach out to your Vice Chancellor.

Important Message For Students:

Effective January 3, 2022, the University is requiring that all Students be Fully Vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to entering any University campus or any University facility or office (collectively, “University Site”), subject to the following provisions and exemptions. Nothing in this policy is intended to alter or excuse University requirements for in-person attendance relating to education or employment.

A. Students

  1. All Students must provide verification of being Fully Vaccinated for COVID-19 before entering a University Site in accordance with Section III.B., Verification of Vaccination & Submission.
  2. Any Student who has not provided verification of being Fully Vaccinated for COVID-19 may still enter a University Site provided that they both (1) request and are approved for an exemption as set forth in this policy, and (2) provide proof of a current negative COVID-19 test prior to arriving at a University Site in accordance with Section III.C., Exemptions and Testing Requirement for Less Than Fully Vaccinated Individuals.
  3. There is no vaccination requirement or COVID-19 testing requirement for Students who enroll only in online courses; only engage with student services online; and only participate in virtual student activities.
  4. Non-vaccinated students and less than Fully Vaccinated Students, regardless of test result (i.e., even if the test is negative), may be ineligible for some educational activities (e.g., clinical and field work), that may prevent them from completing educational requirements, employment opportunities, and/or participation in certain face-to-face activities.
  5. Any Student who is Partially Vaccinated may still enter a University Site provided that they provide proof of (1) Partial Vaccination and (2) a current negative COVID-19 test prior to arriving at a University Site in accordance with Section III.C.2., Testing Requirement.
  6. Students who (1) are less than Fully Vaccinated, do not have an approved Exemption, and do not comply with the Testing Requirement, or (2) are Partially Vaccinated and do not comply with the Testing Requirement, may not enter any University Site, may be disenrolled from in-person courses without tuition reimbursement, and may be subject to appropriate corrective actions for a violation of the student conduct code if they enter a University Site.
  7. Students in University resident halls may be required to submit to additional surveillance testing when COVID-19 cases arise.
  8. Students who provide false documentation will be subject to Executive Policy (“EP”) 7.208, the Systemwide Student Conduct Code.

B. Verification of Vaccination & Submission

All Students must provide verification of their current vaccination status by uploading a photo of their vaccination record and the requested information to LumiSight UH while signed in with their UH ID.

C. Exemptions and Testing Requirement for Less Than Fully Vaccinated Individuals

  1. Exemptions: Medical and/or non-medical exemptions from this policy may be requested consistent with state and federal law by submitting an Exemption Request Form (See Student COVID-19 Medical Exemption (PDF) and COVID-19 Religious Exemption Request Form (PDF)).
    a. Medical Exemptions: Students who are not able to be vaccinated for a medical reason may seek a medical exemption and shall provide supporting documentation from a health care provider.
    b. Non-Medical Exemptions: Students may seek a non-medical (e.g., religious) exemption and shall provide sufficient information to support the request.
    c. A person who is granted an Exemption may be required to adhere to additional rules, including non-pharmaceutical interventions (e.g., wearing a mask or personal protective equipment, physical distancing, quarantining upon exposure to someone else with the illness, or no/limited entry into certain facilities, spaces, or learning opportunities until they are Fully Vaccinated).
  2. Testing Requirement:
    a. Any less than Fully Vaccinated Student, prior to entering a University Site, must receive proof of a current negative COVID-19 test from a UH-recognized testing facility. The length of validity of a negative test result will depend on the type of test. At this time the following tests are approved:
    i. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test: Negative test results valid for 7 calendar days;
    ii. Rapid Antigen Test: Negative test results valid for 3 calendar days; and
    iii. Any other testing protocol approved by the UH Health Committee.
    b. All test results must be uploaded to a Student LumiSight UH account for verification purposes.

D. Vaccination and Testing Sites
This policy does not apply to those Students entering a University Site for the sole purpose of participating in a university-sponsored COVID-19 testing or vaccination program for that identified date(s), time(s), and location(s).
E. Privacy
Information under this policy is classified as “Regulated” under EP 2.214 and shall be managed and controlled consistent with that classification. The use, storage, privacy and security of data under this policy shall be in accordance with EP 2.210 and EP 2.214-217.
F. https://www.hawaii.edu/covid19/vaccinate/covid-19-mandatory-vaccination-for-students-policy/

Important Message to UH Employees (including student employees):

As a reminder, under the University of Hawaiʻi Vaccination and Testing Policy effective August 23, 2021, employees are expected to show compliance with the policy through the LumiSight UH daily health check app by uploading their COVID-19 Vaccination Card OR negative COVID-19 test results into the system within the applicable period (7 days from time of test for PCR, 3 days from time of test for antigen). Supervisors may validate policy compliance with their employees on a regular or irregular basis by checking the employee’s “green” or “red” status via the LumiSight UH app.

Employees unable to upload their documents to LumiSight UH should email LumiSightUH@hawaii.edu for assistance or reach out to their HR office. Those employees who do not upload their documents should maintain a paper copy of their vaccination card or valid negative test when on campus to validate compliance with the policy with their supervisors.

Employees seeking medical or religious exemptions related to the COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Policy should inquire with their HR office.

The OHR website has been updated to include policy compliance FAQs, forms and other information for both employees and supervisors.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Policy Compliance Information for Employees
COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Policy Compliance Information for Supervisors

If there are any questions about the policy, please contact reporthr@hawaii.edu.

Mahalo for your time and attention,
The Office of Human Resources