January 26, 2022

UC San Diego is on schedule to return to in-person instruction beginning Monday, Jan. 31. Campus employees who have been working from home are able to return to in-person work on campus (supervisors should communicate specifics). Meetings and special events that can be held remotely should be held online unless the in-person experience is critical. 

All faculty, staff and students who are now eligible to receive their booster should do so no later than Jan. 31 to meet the UC vaccination mandate. For those who are not yet eligible, you must receive a booster within 30 days of becoming eligible (or 15 days for health care employees). If you are eligible but were recently COVID-19 positive, you will have up to 90 days to receive your booster. Currently approved religious and medical exemptions extend to boosters. Click here to submit documentation if you received your booster outside of UC San Diego Health.

All UC San Diego students and employees across campus and health sciences are eligible for free testing for Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in combination with a standard PCR test as part of a voluntary research study. The purpose is to learn whether antibody levels correlate with a person’s risk of contracting the virus. Findings may help in developing recommendations for vaccine boosters and determining whether antibody testing can be used to assess individual immunity to the virus. Sign up to participate.

In support of the health and well-being of all Tritons, any UC San Diego student who receives a COVID-19 booster by the end of January will receive $10 in Triton Cash to be used at any campus vendor that accepts Triton Cash. Students who already have a documented booster will automatically receive the booster bucks. This initiative, funded by University Centers, Student Affairs, Associated Students and the Graduate and Professional Student Association, was created to encourage students to get boosted so that we can safely resume in-person experiences. 

All you have to do is:

Answer: Yes, students and campus employees can pick up a free KN95 mask at two locations in the Price Center. Masks can be picked up during building hours, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Locations include:

For departments seeking to purchase large quantities of masks for their employees on an urgent basis, orders can be placed through Oracle Procurement via Single Sign On. Please note, UC San Diego’s OSI and IPPS teams are working on developing a system for departments to order free mask supplies, which should become available in mid-February. Visit Ordering COVID-19 PPE on Blink for a list of available items and the latest updates.

Answer: Employees and students can access a digital copy of their COVID-19 vaccine records through MyUCSDChart or MyStudentChart. You can generate a QR code that can soon be read by participating organizations or download a PDF record of your vaccine doses. This digital vaccine record is also known as a SMART Health Card. Students may also submit vaccines acquired outside of UC San Diego Health.

Steps to access your vaccine record:

Answer: Yes, the CDC has authorized a mix-and-match approach, so you can select which brand of booster vaccine you want while scheduling your appointment. Currently, UC San Diego Health is offering all approved boosters, including Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. For further guidance on which booster you could receive, please consult with your health care provider.

To learn more, visit the Return to Learn Questions & Answers page.

If you have specific questions or would like to submit feedback about the Return to Learn program, please email rtl@ucsd.edu.