Pepperdine miscalculated its on-campus student COVID-19 vaccination rate due to a programming error, according to a Sept. 10 email released to the community.
The University reported its student vaccination rate was 96%, when the real number is closer to 84%, a difference of 12%.
The error was caused by faulty programming, Chief Operations Officer Phil Phillips shared in a Graphic exclusive. The translation from third-party electronic health service provider Medicat to Pepperdine’s PeopleSoft program resulted in a higher number, an error which Pepperdine noted earlier this week and worked to resolve up to today.
The University’s COVID-19 policies — such as masking indoors and contact tracing — will not change, because the vaccination rate does not effect those protocols, Phillips said. The error also does not affect student privacy, as it was not a data breach or security error.
Faculty and staff vaccination rates remain unchanged, considering they were not reported through Medicat, Phillips said.
Medicat has taken full responsibility for the error, according to the email.
“The logic in the data export has been corrected, and I have confirmed it is now 100% accurate and will continue to be 100% accurate going forward,” said Medicat CEO Daryl Rolley.
Pepperdine’s updated vaccination rates are as follows: 84% among students and 91% among faculty and staff.
The University has yet to disclose the full breakdown of vaccination rates, including how this affects Seaver College numbers.
Phillips shared the University wants to be open with the community about the error and hopes to keep the community’s confidence.
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Contact Ashley Mowreader via Twitter (@amowreader) or by email: ashley.mowreader@pepperdine.edu