North Dakota college presidents to decide on Biden vaccine mandate

FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota Board of Higher Education says university presidents and system leaders should have the flexibility to decide what to do about President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The board voted Thursday to support the idea after a 90-minute discussion that included pleas from presidents of the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University.

The state’s two research institutions said they could lose tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts if they didn’t comply with Biden’s requirements.

The vaccine mandate covers people who work with federal contractors and their subcontractors, as well as student employees and support staff in areas such as billing, human resources and custodial service.