A Rutgers University student claims he has been prohibited from taking virtual classes after he chose not to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Psychology major Logan Hollar told NJ.com that he started having issues accessing his Rutgers email and student account after answering a survey where he indicated that a vaccine mandate does not apply to him because he is only attending online classes.
He also revealed that he tried to pay his tuition several weeks ago, but his money was not accepted because his account had been locked.
“After submitting the survey, I got no pop-up indication that I still needed the vaccine…” the student explained to the New Jersey-based news outlet. “Since I was online and the survey said I was all set, I assumed the emails in my inbox pertaining to [the COVID-19 vaccine] must apply to in-person students.”
Although he respects all people who choose to be vaccinated, Hollar insisted that he does not want to receive COVID-19 shots because he is healthy and does not find COVID-19 scary. “I don’t think [people] should be pushed,” he said.
Rutgers Vaccine Mandate
To ensure the safety of students when in-person classes resume in the fall, Rutgers became the first university in the country to impose a vaccine mandate for students at all of its campuses.
However, the university stated that students can request exemptions for religious or medical reasons, or if they are enrolled in fully remote online degree programs or in online-only continuing education programs.
“Students enrolled in fully online degree programs (typically defined as having no access to on-campus facilities), as well as individuals participating in fully online or off-campus Continuing Education programs, will not need to provide proof of vaccination,” Rutgers said in a statement.
University Response
Through a statement sent to Newsweek, a Rutgers spokesperson responded to Hollar’s complaint, saying there is a difference between signing up for fully remote classes and enrolling in an online degree-granting program.
“Registering for classes that are fully remote (synchronous/asynchronous) is not the same as being enrolled in a fully online degree-granting program. Students enrolled in classes are allowed into campus buildings, can attend in-person recitations, labs and office hours, and other activities,” the spokesperson told the American news outlet.