DURHAM – Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut criticized University of New Hampshire after it announced Friday a mandate for employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

UNH President James Dean Jr. said that as a requirement of working on federal contracts, all employees on the Durham campus, including student employees, will have to be vaccinated by Dec. 8.

Edelblut said UNH been incredibly successful keeping the campus community safe.

“I am deeply disappointed that the University of New Hampshire was put in a very difficult and untenable situation with unwarranted pressure from its federal partners,” Edelblut said in a news release.

“This pressured overreach requiring the implementation of a vaccine mandate for University employees was unnecessary and unproductive in our efforts to keep our communities safe.

“Institutions of higher education should not be imposing vaccine mandates, but instead should be focusing their efforts on supporting students and staff, improving academic achievements and also allowing employees to decide what works best for their families,” Edelblut said.

Last month, President Biden ordered all federal workers, those in the military, federal contractors and others to be vaccinated.