By Breanna Fierro
East Los Angeles college will enforce new online self-screening check-in for staff and students who intend to be on campus.
The new vendor Biocept, using the platform Cleared4,will provide new link check-in for ELAC. The process will be required for faculty and students who plan on attending class in-person.
This new program is required regardless of vaccination status to ensure the safety of people on campus.
This follows COVID-19 protocols set by the Los Angeles Community College District.
Cleared4, has taken over COVID-19 testing and screening operations. The new program will replace any self check-in program that ELAC has used prior to Cleared4. It will use a QR code to perform the self-check-in.
The Los Angeles Community College District has insisted on implementing a protocol checklist.
The online self-screening check-in is used to create safety for both students and faculty prior to arriving on campus.
According to the Los Angeles Public Health Department, it is recommended and required that all students and employees be assessed for COVID-19 symptoms on a daily basis.
The procedure should be done before entering any of the LACCD campuses or facilities.
If staff or students find the online forms difficult to fill out the self check-in form is accessible in PDF format. Copies of the form can be located at ELAC student services.
The new Cleared4 QR code mandate was one of the items addressed during the Nov. 30 Comeback Committee meeting.
There is concern among staff as to how the new self check-in will be enforced and if it will be enforced.
There is also concern among faculty and staff when it comes to knowing if students have completed the check-in process while on campus, and how it will be known who has checked in at all.
“In general we will not have ‘check-in police.’ Everyone is asked to use one of the 20 check-in stations. We cannot ask faculty to do check-in, but if faculty feel the need to require proof of check-in(from students), they can do that just because of their own safety they can do that as well,” Roman said.
The new QR code is displayed at 20 locations throughout the ELAC campus.
The self check-in code can be displayed on a mobile smart device to show completion of the survey and verification.
Self-screening may be required if ELAC professors demand it of students.
Currently there is nothing that states that doing the survey will be enforced on campus.
On-campus English associate professor Dr. Vernita Burrell said she is concerned with how the implementation of the survey will work between faculty and students.
“We have enough to do with students and I don’t want to be an implementation police. I understand this process needs to happen as more students come in, but the problem is the honor system.”
“It’s just one more thing I don’t want to do in my classroom,” Burrell said.
“I don’t think the motivation for students to pick up this new information is there. You lay out the QR code and expect students to jump on it when they are hustling to get to their classrooms and get their work done. There has got to be a central website that gives all the information at once instead of it being scattered.”
The first time the Cleared4 online application is completed, both students and staff will receive a text or email with a unique link, and will need to create a new profile in the Cleared4 database.
After completing the initial profile, a daily reminder from Cleared4 will be provided with a link to complete the quick self-health check required everyday before coming onto campus.