Policies

Firearm Policy

Portland State University has distributed information to students, faculty, and staff regarding the implementation of a new policy on firearms passed Friday, March 2, 2012, by the Oregon Board of Higher Education.

Vice President for Finance & Administration and Campus Public Safety Director/ Chief of Police sent an email to the campus community outlining the new policy and how it will be enforced at Portland State University, please see below to read this letter.

OUS Policy on Firearms

Students and Colleagues:

On Friday, March 3, 2012, the Oregon Board of Higher Education approved a new policy on firearms for the Oregon University System, including Portland State University.  The new policy took effect immediately. It forbids students, employees, individuals with a business interest with the campus (such as vendors and contractors), event attendees, those who rent or lease University property, and campus visitors from carrying a firearm on University-owned or controlled property. Such property includes all PSU campus buildings, sports or performance venues, and workplaces. The prohibition is effective whether or not an individual holds a concealed handgun license. The policy provides several exceptions to the firearms prohibition, including for on-duty law enforcement officers and public safety personnel, and military program participants.

Individuals found in violation of the policy may face disciplinary action through means specific to their relationship with the University. Students will be held accountable under the student conduct code, and employees under PSU's employment policies and collective bargaining agreements.  Contractors, vendors, event attendees, those who rent or lease University property, and other visitors to PSU will be subject to exclusion from campus.

PSU supports this important advance in policy as well as the Board's "recognition of its obligation to provide a safe environment to its students, employees, visitors, vendors, and patrons," as the Board's memorandum on the new policy states. If you have questions regarding the policy or its enforcement at PSU, please contact the Campus Public Safety Office at (503)725-4407. As always, in the event of an emergency, call 911 or the dispatch emergency line at (503)725-5911.

Monica Rimai
Vice President, Finance & Administration

Phil Zerzan
Director, Campus Public Safety Office

PSU Tobacco Smoke-Free Policy

In 2007 the PSU Tobacco Policy Committee conducted an extensive evaluation of the PSU smoking/tobacco policy. The evaluation consisted of a review of the literature, state law (ORS 433.835-433.990), web-based survey responses from the campus community, along with the policies, procedures, and trends in other Oregon state colleges and universities, including a sample of five urban institutions in other states. The committee concluded that a more comprehensive policy was needed.

Portland State University is committed to maintaining a greener and healthier campus environment for all PSU community members. With this policy, our hope is to protect all who live, work, study or visit the campus from a major health concern: secondhand smoke. In the 2006 report, the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in both children and adults who do not smoke. Further, secondhand smoke exposure in adults has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer. While the scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke, our intention is to substantially reduce the risk to nonsmokers across the PSU campus. Please the Human Resources website for more information regarding this policy

Missing On-Campus Resident Policy

If a student living in PSU on-campus student housing is determined to be missing, the University will initiate notification procedures. There is no time period that will delay this notification procedure. Below is the University Housing policy on missing residents and the Campus Public Safety Office’s missing resident policy and procedure.

Reporting a Missing Student
If a member of the university community has reason to believe that a student who resides in on-campus housing is missing, he or she should immediately notify Portland State University Campus Public Safety Office (CPSO) at 503-725-5911. CPSO will generate a missing person report and initiate an investigation.

Definitions:
Missing Person - Any person whose whereabouts are unknown to the reporting party, including, but not limited to, a child taken, detained, concealed, enticed away or retained by a parent in violation of ORS 163.245 and ORS 163.257.

Missing person also includes any child who is missing voluntarily, involuntarily or under circumstances not conforming to his or her ordinary habits or behavior and who may be in need of assistance.

At-Risk - Includes, but is not limited to, evidence or indications of any of the following:

1. The person is missing under suspicious circumstances and may be victim of a crime or foul play.
2. The person missing is in need of medical attention or medication without which he/she may experience serious medical problems.
3. The person missing has no pattern of running away or disappearing
4. The person missing may be the victim of a parental abduction or is otherwise believed to be in the company of a person considered to be dangerous to the missing person.
5. The person missing is mentally impaired or considered to be a danger to self or others.
6. The person is likely to have been the victim of a boating, swimming or other similar accident, or may be a victim of a natural disaster.

Child - While Oregon considers a child to be a person under eighteen years of age, for purposes of this section federal law considers any person under the age of twenty-one years to be a child.

Initial Investigation:  

The employee accepting the missing person report should request initial information from the reporting party information or material likely to be useful in identifying the missing person including but not limited to:

1. The relationship to the reporting party and why the reporting party believes the person is missing.
2. Information on the missing person including alternate names the person uses, the person's date of birth, physical appearance, clothing, identifying marks, physical anomalies, surgical implants and any prosthesis used by the missing person.
3. The blood type of the missing person.
4. The driver license number and Social Security number of the missing person.
5. A description of items believed to be in the possession of the missing person and the description of any vehicle the missing person may have been driving or riding in at the time of disappearance.
6. Time and place of last known location and the identity of anyone believed to be in the company of the missing person.
7. History of prior missing incidents and the extent to which this incident is a departure from established behavior patterns, habits, or plans.
8. The physical and mental condition of the missing person and whether they are taking, and currently have with them, any medications.
9. The name and address of the missing person's doctor and dentist.
10. Any personal, family history or relationship issues that may be a factor in the person's absence, including the names and addresses of any people the missing person might visit.
11. Any circumstances that indicate that the missing person may be at risk of injury or death.
12. Any circumstances that may indicate that the disappearance is not voluntary.
13. Obtain recent photographs, fingerprints and/or DNA samples (such as hair) that might be available.
14. Attempt to identify the types and account numbers of any credit cards the missing person might have access to, and the location of any bank accounts or other financial resources.
15. The name and addresses of the place of employment, schools and other places frequented by the missing person.
16. Whether information regarding the missing person has been entered into the Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS) Medical Database (ORS 181.735).

The employee gathering this information will ensure that the Portland Police Bureau is immediately notified to conduct and coordinate the investigation. Employees will assist at the direction of the Portland Police Bureau.