First 2 weeks of new Oakland University semester is online only to slow Covid spread

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Oakland University has a 95 percent vaccination rate on campus amongst faculty, staff and students.

Oakland University has had mandatory vaccines since August of this year with a campus of 17,500 students. But Covid is not going away - and starting January 5, classes will start out online- for two weeks.

"We'll make decisions as the virus surges or downtrends," said Glenn McIntosh, VP of student affairs.

FOX 2: "You can't rule out continuing online?"

"No we can't rule it out right now," he said. "We're not necessarily a trendsetter, but we are the first university in the state of Michigan to make the decision early to start the semester online."

Which puts Oakland University in the league with Harvard, Yale and Princeton for starting off the semester - online.

FOX 2: "You're not getting people saying I paid to be in the same room with the professor, I want my money back?"

"You'll get some of that, but I think most of our students knows we're trying to provide a safe environment for them," McIntosh said.

So with mandatory vaccines, and online learning at least for now, what about mandating the booster at OU?

"We haven't mandated the booster, but it's something to consider," McIntosh said.