Frequently Asked Questions

• Testing is available on the Colorado Campus:
  
  • Harbeson Hall (L Building, entrance on Colorado)
• Also available on the Foothill Campus
  • Room B-4
• And Rosemead Campus
  • Student Center Patio
• Information on times and locations

Students who test positive must go home, isolate themselves, and fill out a Covid Support Form. PCC's Covid Support Team will be in touch with instructions related to isolation and/or quarantine. Students may be required to confirm the test result with a second laboratory-confirmed PCR test. Students who test positive will not be dropped from classes, and arrangements will be made for them to maintain their academic standing.

Select individuals may still be required to test weekly if you are on a testing regimen or if the Covid Support Team requires it. If you test positive and have no symptoms during these 90 days, your positive result will most likely be a false positive, and the Covid Support Team will clear you to be on campus. Please call Covid Support at (626) 585-7348 or email covidsupport@pasadena.edu if you have any questions.

You may choose to use an alternate testing provider. Outside test results must be submitted using the college's forms:

• Submit alternate results for students
• Submit alternate results for employees

Yes, to submit proof of your positive diagnosis with an at-home Covid test, please email a picture of your positive at-home test with your name and date written next to it to Covidsupport@pasadena.edu. Please also fill out a Covid Support Form. 

PCC provides a range of testing options and times to meet students' needs. You should plan for a test that fits your schedule and meets the college's testing requirements.Please visit this page for details.

Some classes, such as Athletics or Performing Arts classes, may require testing before class. This is something that will be communicated to you by your professors. The Covid Support Team may also require testing before attending your class if you are recently exiting isolation due to testing positive.

Your Covid test results will be sent to your Pasadena email account from "Quantgene-Serenity."

If you do not receive your results in your Pasadena email, please contact CovidResults@pasadena.edu, speak to the testing site manager, or visit the Covid Support Team in person in room G2 (available Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm)

We are glad to answer this question. You may test as much as you'd like! Testing is a great way to know your status and help keep you and your family and friends safe.

When a positive case is identified, PCC's COVID Response Team will reach out to students and employees identified as close contacts with further instructions. Following these instructions will help us reduce the spread of this disease and manage the impacts of this pandemic. Please remember that COVID-19 status is confidential medical information and should not be shared with others.

Starting January 31, you do not need to show proof of a negative test prior to entering a campus building. However, some classes may still require a negative Covid test before attending, such as Athletics and Performing Arts. This will be communicated to you by your professor.

If you are well enough to teach from home if you are positive, this may be possible with your Dean's approval.

When a positive case is identified, PCC's COVID Response Team will contact any persons identified as close contacts with further instructions, or an in-person on-campus physical notification will be posted in the areas where a known Covid exposure is known to have occurred. All on-campus exposures are also available online at this link. Following these instructions will help us reduce the spread of this disease and manage the impacts of this pandemic. Please remember that COVID-19 status is confidential medical information and should not be shared with others.

Please refer to this page https://pasadena.edu/hr/ffcra.php for instructions or reach out to Barmey Ung in Human Resources at bung1@pasadena.edu. 

Yes. You will be notified if one of your students tests positive and needs to be absent from class for a period of time. The Covid Support Team will also identify and notify other students who are close contacts of positive cases.

An OWL camera will be distributed to your class for the duration of the student's isolation or quarantine period. This camera should be used so the student may attend class remotely and maintain their academic standing.

Faculty may ask their students to fill out a Health Survey. If a student is cleared, they will receive an email with the date, time, and green checkmark saying that they are cleared to be on campus. Faculty may ask to see this clearance email before entering the classroom.

If a student or colleague tells you that they know someone with new symptoms, a positive COVID test, or close contact with a COVID case, refer that person to the COVID Support Form. These forms bring relevant information to the COVID Support Team, who will then consult with the student or employee, inform them of any necessary steps, and consult with other college personnel to implement a plan of recovery.

For more information, watch this video:

No. PCC Covid Support Team reviews all responses and reaches out to students or employees with further instructions. Professors and supervisors may also be notified. Those who are cleared to come to campus will receive a clearance email with a green check mark, the date, and timestamp. That email is intended to be available upon request. 

The college will balance the need to maintain public health and the educational environment for our students. Responses to COVID cases will change depending on the circumstances of any particular occurrence. If you have questions, please contact the Covid Support Team at CovidSupport@pasadena.edu and your division dean or the Office of Instruction.

PCC’s vaccination requirementsubmission of a completed exemption formcovidsupport@pasadena.edu.

Students need to submit valid proof of full vaccination prior to registering for classes. You will not be able to complete your registration without a valid vaccination record. Students who are partially vaccinated and not yet due for their 2nd dose can still register for classes. They will need to contact CovidSupport@pasadena.edu.

No. If you are not planning to take face-to-face courses, you are not required to submit proof of vaccination.

No, unless specified under your re-entry procedures. People are considered fully vaccinated:  

• Two weeks after their second dose series (such as Pfizer or Moderna) or 
• Two weeks after a single dose vaccine (such as Johnson and Johnson vaccine)  

No. Unvaccinated students, taking credit or noncredit classes, may enroll in online courses and receive non-instructional (student services, library, tutoring) services through remote means. In addition, students demonstrating an approved exemption to vaccination may be physically present on campus, provided they follow other safety measures at the direction of the college.

Vaccination records are sent to state agencies to be verified.  Once verified, a message will be sent to your PCC-assigned email account that your vaccination submission has been verified and recorded. Please allow for 1-2 working days for processing. You may reach out to CovidSupport@pasadena.edu to check on your status. 

Individuals who seek an exemption must complete a request form and submit using the following links:

Students: https://pasadena.edu/about/president/coronavirus-updates/student-covid-19-vaccination-exemption-submission.phphttps://pasadena.edu/about/president/coronavirus-updates/student-covid-19-vaccination-exemption-submission.php
Employees: https://pasadena.edu/about/president/coronavirus-updates/employee-covid-19-vaccination-exemption-submission.phphttps://pasadena.edu/about/president/coronavirus-updates/employee-covid-19-vaccination-exemption-submission.php

Exemption forms will be reviewed as quickly as possible. Once a decision is rendered, a message will be sent to your PCC-assigned email account with the decision of your application. Follow-up questions can be sent to covidsupport@pasadena.edu

Depending on your individual health background, you may be eligible for a temporary Exemption on medical grounds for up to 90 days following your diagnosis or certain treatments. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, however, “a positive result from an antibody test does not mean you have a specific amount of immunity or protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection … Currently authorized SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests are not validated to evaluate specific immunity or protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection.” For this reason, individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had an antibody test are not permanently exempt from vaccination.  Medical exemption request forms can be accessed and submitted here: https://pasadena.edu/about/president/coronavirus-updates/vaccination.php

Yes. PCC has a similar vaccine program for employees and service providers. These individuals are registered through DSP&S with Human Resources and they will be contacted with instructions to demonstrate vaccination status.  

https://pasadena.edu/about/president/coronavirus-updates/student-covid-19-vaccination-exemption-submission.phphttps://pasadena.edu/about/president/coronavirus-updates/student-covid-19-vaccination-exemption-submission.php
https://pasadena.edu/about/president/coronavirus-updates/employee-covid-19-vaccination-exemption-submission.php

Police and Safety Services will be resuming enforcement of parking permits on February 13, 2022. Digital parking permits will be required for anyone visiting the Colorado campus and CEC/Foothill Campus. Permit sales will start on January 31, 2022, through LancerPoint. Daily permits can be purchased for $2 at the parking permit machines located in each parking lot.

Learn More About Parking

Human Resources ensures all students and employees have complied with PCC's vaccination requirements. There is nothing that needs to be done by professors or supervisors, but they may be contacted if more info is needed, or to inform you of any developing status of certain individuals. Any inquiries can be directed to Barmey Ung at bung1@pasadena.edu.

Vaccination-related information is confidential. The District will not disclose vaccine status of any persons except on a need-to-know basis.

The health and safety of our educational environment depend on every individual doing their part for our collective success. Although we expect most members of our community to respect their colleagues and classmates by adhering to appropriate guidelines, we must prepare for those who choose to do otherwise.

Speaking generally, disputes over COVID-19 guidelines should be resolved between individuals wherever possible. Please reach out to CovidSupport@pasadena.edu for guidance, or reach out to your division dean, supervisor or vice president, the Office of Student Life, or the Office of Academic Affairs as necessary using existing dispute-resolution channels.

Disputes that intersect with any protection mandated by law, policy, or employment agreement must be referred to the appropriate campus authority for resolution (i.e., Title IX, unlawful discrimination, ethical complaints, grievances, sexual harassment, etc.)

Any COVID-19 vaccine that has (i) received a License or an Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, or (ii) for which the World Health Organization has an approved Emergency Use Listing. 

https://www.vaccines.gov  

PCC’s COVID Support Team serves as the college’s clearinghouse for information related to COVID-19 exposures, conducting contact-tracing activities in conjunction with appropriate local public health authorities.

If a positive case is discovered to have been on campus, a notice of the time, date, and location will be posted on the door of the location of the exposure for 14 days. Also, all potential on campus exposure info can be found on our website at our On-Campus Exposures dashboard.

PCC is a large institution comprising multiple campuses, with more than 25,000 students and more than 3,000 employees. The college will continue to balance the imperative to inform those within our community impacted by COVID-19 with the need to maintain continuity of operations during a pandemic, in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations.

Students and Employees should fill out their respective health surveys each day before they are on campus.

Student Health Survey

Employee Health Survey

More information about our operations during this time are available on the Reopening Information & Updates website.

Businesses, institutions, and organizations across the state have been authorized to return to full-capacity operations, with limited exceptions that generally do not apply to PCC.

This depends. With capacity restrictions and remote work authorizations lifted, individual meeting organizers are responsible for determining the format that works best for their participants.

In the case of co-located campuses, each institution will be expected to report positive cases to the City or County health departments, which will then contact other institutions as part of the contact-tracing process.

For more information on reporting a COVID-19 case, watch this video: 

One of our strengths as a community is our collective instinct to help our friends and colleagues in need. As is the case in any passing of a member of our community, faculty, staff, and students are advised to share their views with trusted colleagues or professors, and to utilize the professional resources made available by the college as appropriate. Students can contact Personal Counseling Services at personalcounseling@pasadena.edu. Full- and part-time faculty and staff are advised to use the Employee Assistance Program.

As is always the case, all employees of the college are expected to honor the terms of their employment as defined in each employee group’s collective bargaining agreement or other employment contract. Any exceptions will be addressed through the procedures identified in the relevant collective bargaining agreement(s), contract(s), or student handbook, and in accordance with any applicable laws or regulations.

The planning process governing our ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic is an operational matter and is handled through corresponding procedural models, including engagement with the college's collective bargaining units and various Senates as appropriate.

A return to in-person operations means that computer labs and other learning resource centers will be open again to students. The college will also continue its laptop lending program for students who need access to technology to complete their academic programs of study.

As of July 1, 2021, all campus instructional and work spaces have received appropriate protective barriers, markings, and occupancy determinations to meet college guidelines. In mid-June 2021, public health agencies lifted capacity and physical distancing restrictions. Businesses, institutions, and organizations across the state have been authorized to return to full-capacity operations, with limited exceptions that generally do not apply to PCC.

Facilities Services has ordered and installed hand sanitizer dispensers, hand-washing stations, and other facilities to promote the health and safety of our community.

The college improved air-filtration and HVAC systems to meet the needs of a return to in-person operations. Filtration systems have been upgraded to MERV-13 standards. (More information about filtration specifications). These systems take into account the ability of individuals to open or close windows as appropriate. Individual air purifiers have been installed in every classroom, office, and workspace on campus.

The college continues to evaluate the need for covered outdoor areas for programs and activities that require large spaces to congregate.

In mid-June 2021, public health agencies lifted capacity and physical distancing restrictions. Businesses, institutions, and organizations across the state have been authorized to return to full-capacity operations, with limited exceptions that generally do not apply to PCC.

Facilities Services is responsible for cleaning all college spaces in accordance with established COVID-19 guidelines. Individual departments have made arrangements with Facilities personnel to accommodate unusual space and equipment requirements.

Facilities Services continues to thoroughly clean and sanitize all areas of campus. Improvements have been made to ventilation and other climate support systems to ensure their continued operation. If you notice an area that needs attention, please submit a ticket to Facilities Services and they will respond.