Required COVID-19 Testing for Pepperdine Community

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Last week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) announced guidance for institutes of higher education, which expects the implementation of several testing practices to maintain the health and safety of university campuses. Pepperdine continues to prioritize the well-being of the University community, and, consistent with this guidance, will require COVID-19 testing beginning this fall for all students, faculty, and staff. As you prepare for the new academic year, please review the following information carefully for the types of required COVID-19 testing that will impact you.

Entry Screening Testing

As a precautionary measure and screening tool for the start of the semester in compliance with LACDPH guidance, Pepperdine requires students at all five schools accessing a Pepperdine campus or facility, regardless of vaccination status, to obtain a diagnostic test for COVID-19 no earlier than 72 hours before arrival at one of Pepperdine’s campuses or facilities. This is a one-time test required prior to arrival on campus.

REQUIRED FOR:All students accessing a Pepperdine campus or facility, regardless of vaccination status, including students arriving from international locations
COVID-19 TEST TYPE:Either a rapid/antigen test or a PCR test
TESTING TIMELINE:No earlier than 72 hours before arrival on campus; results received and submitted to the Student Health Center 

Before coming to campus, all students referenced above must do the following:

  1. Take a COVID-19 test (either a rapid/antigen test or a PCR test) no earlier than 72 hours before arriving on campus. If you are unsure of how to get a COVID-19 test, visit your state, tribal, local, or territorial health department’s website to look for the latest local information on testing or contact your healthcare provider.
  2. Upload the test results (positive or negative) to the Student Health Center patient portal before arriving on campus:
  • Login to the Student Health Center Patient Portal using Pepperdine credentials (CAS).
  • Select “Upload” in the gray navigation bar/menu at the top of the webpage.
  • Select “COVID-19 Test” and upload the test results. 

Routine Screening Testing

Screening testing refers to the periodic testing of individuals, regardless of whether they exhibit symptoms of COVID-19. Because people with COVID-19 can show no symptoms at all (asymptomatic), screening testing helps proactively identify COVID-19 cases and reduce further transmission in the community. Screening testing will be provided at no cost to the community.

REQUIRED FOR:All students, faculty, and staff accessing a Pepperdine campus or facility, regardless of vaccination status
COVID-19 TEST TYPE:PCR test – saliva or mid-nasal swab
TESTING TIMELINE:Weekly (subject to change based on conditions)

Screening testing at the University is simple and quick, and community members do not need to quarantine while they wait for test results. Community members will do the following:

  • Use a web-based software platform to schedule testing 
  • Once a week, go to an on-campus testing site
  • Use a nasal swab or saliva tube to submit a sample 
  • See their test results in the web-based software within one business day

An email invitation will be sent to all students, faculty, and staff required to participate in routine screening testing, including details on how to register for the web-based testing software, how to schedule a weekly test, and the on-campus locations and times for the available testing sites.

Prioritizing Health and Safety

For each type of COVID-19 test, the University has also outlined important steps community members should take when receiving either a positive or negative result. Community members should familiarize themselves with these steps, which can be found on the Pepperdine Restoration Plan Testing webpage.

The University has given deliberate attention and invested considerable resources to ensure its testing program is effective, simple, and adaptable to changing conditions. The frequency of and types of testing required will be determined by an ongoing analysis considering many factors, including following public health orders and guidance, the number of people on campus, the presence of COVID-19 cases on a campus, the level of COVID-19 transmission in the local community, and the percentage of Pepperdine community members who are vaccinated. The University continues to review its testing protocols with its medical professionals and infectious disease specialists and will make adjustments as necessary.

The University is confident community members will comply with these important health and safety provisions. In the unlikely event of non-compliance, these matters will be directed to the Office of Community Standards for students, the Office of the Provost for faculty, and Human Resources for staff. Consequences will be aligned with other failures to comply with University policy.

If you have any questions about testing, please contact the University’s COVID-19 Information Line at 310.506.8111 or via email at covid19info@pepperdine.edu. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as the University works to keep the community safe.

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