LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon University’s new COVID-19 vaccination rule is not having an impact on the employment status of its on-campus staff and is unlikely to in the future, according to statistics from the school.

The rule took effect Oct. 23, and all of Eastern’s on-campus staff is complying with it, according to Tim Seydel, EOU’s vice president for university advancement. The new rule requires all of EOU’s on-campus staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or to have an approved religious, philosophical or medical exemption.

Eastern’s website indicates that, as of Oct. 14, 80.1% of its on-campus employees are vaccinated and 17.7% of the others have received religious or medical exemptions. Seydel said that of Eastern’s 450 on-campus employees only three have not met the requirements of the new rule, including one who is a new employee. Each of the three are now in the process of coming into compliance with the mandate.

“Among employees, we have had a 100% response rate,” Seydel said. “All employees have a vaccination or exemption on file, or are in process.”

He said Eastern officials are happy with the staff’s buy in.

“We are very pleased with the responsiveness to ensure we maintain a safe and healthy campus,” Seydel said.

The compliance rate for on-campus students is now about 88% in terms of how many have submitted vaccination or exemption forms as of Oct. 23. A total of 76.7% of these have been vaccinated and 23.3% have submitted exemption forms according to EOU’s website. Eastern data indicates 131 on-campus students have not submitted COVID-19 forms. The 131 represent about 12% of EOU’s on-campus students.

Seydel said any of the 131 who do not comply with the new rule will not be allowed to register for winter term classes.

Exemption rates

A report by Oregon Public Broadcasting indicates the student exemption rates at EOU and Oregon Institute of Technology, where the rate is about 22%, are roughly double what’s found at the state’s other public universities. Seydel said the reason is many of the students EOU recruits are from Eastern Oregon, Southeastern Washington and Western Idaho and these areas have a higher number of people who do not want to be vaccinated.

“Our recruits reflect this,” Seydel said.

The vice president for university advancement noted Eastern and all public universities in Oregon have high on-campus vaccination rates compared to their surrounding communities.

“Pubic universities are a safe place to be,” he said.

All of Oregon’s public universities are testing students and employees weekly, except EOU, Portland State University and Western Oregon University, according to OPB.

Seydel said it would not be feasible to test students and staff every week. He noted all students who suspect they have COVID-19 can get tested at EOU’s student health center. He also pointed out that free testing is provided in the community.

Many students now coming in to get tested at the student health center do not test positive for COVID-19.

“A lot of students have colds,” said Seydel, who said that this is not unusual for this time of year.

Spreading the word

EOU has more experience, Seydel said, than any other public university in the state with providing on-campus instruction during the pandemic. He noted that in the fall of 2020, Eastern was Oregon’s first public university to offer on-campus classes since the pandemic started. The operations plan EOU used then, before a vaccine was available, is similar to the one now in place.

“We have had the same protocol for more than a year and it has been successful,” he said, adding all students were tested for COVID-19 at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

Dixie Lund, a member of EOU’s board of trustees, is impressed with how EOU got the word out about its forthcoming vaccination rule well in advance of Oct. 23.

“A lot of preliminary work was done. Nobody could say, ‘I didn’t know,’” she said.

Lund, who served two stints as interim president of Eastern, said any potential objection to the vaccination rule dropped off after people learned exemptions were available.

Eastern is continuing to require all students and staff to wear masks. Lund realizes this rule is hard on students and staff.

“I sympathize with students. Masks make it hard to stay focused on a lecture because communication is not as clear,” she said.

Lund also noted the challenge masks pose to faculty because they interfere with delivering information. Still, she said, masks are essential.

“They help keep the virus controlled,” she said.

Nicole Howard, an EOU history professor, praised the university for keeping its COVID-19 plan current. Howard noted Eastern recently provided new information to staff and students to help them with contact tracing.

“I appreciate how the plan is being updated and adjusted to ensure that it works on the ground,” she said.

EOU men’s and women’s track and field coach Ben Welch said the student-athletes he works with support Eastern’s new vaccination rule.

“It has been well embraced,” he said. “People want to get back to normal as much as possible.”