No Mask Requirement for the Fully Vaccinated at CSCC

Napierra Alexander
Tuesday, May 25, 2021 12:00 AM
Employees, Academics, Students, Community

As people across the country continue to combat COVID-19 with vaccinations, policies and regulations are becoming less stringent. On May 14, the Tennessee Board of Regents followed the guidance released from the CDC that fully vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks on campus. Effective immediately, all Cleveland State Community College sites will reflect these same guidelines.

Cleveland State is not making vaccinations mandatory for anyone on campus or off-site centers, however; the college encourages those who have not been fully vaccinated to continue to wear a mask and to engage in social distancing.

“In an effort to keep our students, employees and guests safe Cleveland State has continued to follow CDC and State of Tennessee guidance during the pandemic.” Stated Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC President. “While those who have been vaccinated may opt not to wear a mask on our campus, we strongly encourage non-vaccinated individuals to wear a mask indoors until further guidance is provided.”

CSCC has been committed to keeping everyone safe and healthy throughout the covid-19 pandemic. Last year, Cleveland State faculty joined the fight by providing those on the front line fighting the disease with the equipment they needed. Chris Jones, Mechatronics Instructor, took on the challenge to help doctors, nurses, and other staff by creating face shields. Jones used 3-D printers to produce parts for medical masks to reduce the risk of COVID-19. Since then, he has made dozens of masks and distributed them to workers in need.

Just like Jones, the college made a way to continue despite the adversity by creating methods for instruction during the pandemic. On-campus classes turned virtual and students, faculty, and staff adjusted to working from home. Check-in stations were put in place at the beginning of the year as a limited number of classes and events were held on campus. These stations allowed the campus to remain within the TBR and CDC guidelines and made it aware of the college’s duty to keep everyone safe in a learning and working environment.

As of May 10, the check-in stations were taken away as CSCC plans on allowing more access for students and staff on campus. As more people are getting vaccinated, the school is providing more face-to-face classes in the fall hoping to return to a high level of student engagement in and outside the classroom. 

Coming this fall semester, CSCC will encourage everyone who plans to be on campus to get fully vaccinated while also offering an environment for those to learn safely and comfortably. 

For more information on Cleveland State Community College, visit the website at

clevelandstatecc.edu or email clscc_info@clevelandstatecc.edu. If you are interested in applying,

visit mycs.cc/applynow. Students are currently enrolled online and on-campus through the CSCC

main campus in Cleveland, Tennessee, as well as CSCC’s Athens Center in Athens, Tennessee

and Monroe County Center in Vonore, Tennessee.

CSCC earned the Tennessee Board of Regent’s 2019 College of The Year. CSCC directly serves

Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, and Polk Counties in Tennessee. The College System of

Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 27

colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving more than 140,000 students.

Photo Cutline: Students walking on CSCC campus in Cleveland, TN