They added: "We rely on the students behaving themselves which last year many didn’t."
The University of Oxford’s Hilary term started this Monday, January 11, with most students learning online.
Martin Williams, pro-vice-chancellor for education, said: “We have been planning for scenarios such as this for several months, and remain confident that we can continue to support our students, and protect the health of our wider community in the weeks ahead.”
Oxford Brookes University’s new semester will start on January 25, with remote teaching for the majority of students, except for those on specific courses.
Face-to-face teaching for most courses at Brookes will not begin until February 14 at the earliest.