Oregon State University Provost and Executive Vice President Edward Feser today released the following statement about the university’s response to the new coronavirus COVID-19 situation:
Oregon State University is committed to state, national and global efforts to reduce the risk and spread of COVID-19, while appropriately continuing the essential activities of teaching, research, OSU Extension and engagement. While at this time, the public health risk in Oregon from the coronavirus is lower than it is in other states, we became aware today of a presumptive COVID-19 case in Deschutes County and testing for a possible case in Benton County is underway.
Effective Saturday, March 14, OSU will move to a higher level of response that continues the essential operations of the university, but seeks to reduce the frequency of interactions among students, faculty, staff and visitors throughout all university campuses, centers, facilities and operations. Our focus is on continued university operations and social distancing.
In taking these steps, we remain mindful and informed by the public health guidance of our local county health departments, the Oregon Health Authority and the CDC.
Effective March 14, 2020:
• Campuses and OSU facilities and operations statewide will remain open.
• Winter term finals week exams and activities will be delivered remotely where possible. Where remote teaching, coursework and testing is not possible, maximum social distancing measures will be utilized.
• University academic and remote meeting tools, including Canvas and Zoom, will be used to minimize in-person meetings.
• All non-essential OSU-sponsored travel will be suspended.
• All OSU employees will be encouraged to work remotely where work responsibilities and duties allow.
• All OSU students, faculty and staff are encouraged to avoid personal travel over spring break. Students should instead consider remaining at our campuses in Corvallis and Bend.
• We are taking these immediate steps while OSU employees and students prepare to take expanded public health measures at the start of spring term.
Effective March 30, 2020:
• All of the above actions are maintained.
• All spring term courses, labs and exams will be delivered remotely, where possible. Where remote teaching, coursework and testing is not possible, maximum social distancing measures will be utilized.
• Until at least April 30, no non-essential OSU-sponsored events of more than 50 attendees will be permitted. All events with fewer than 50 attendees will be held with maximum social distancing.
The status of these measures will be evaluated every two weeks.
Source: Oregon State University