Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a statewide order Monday morning requiring Oregonians to stay at home for all but the most essential activities. Everyone in the state is being asked to practice social distancing at all times and to telecommute to work as much as possible. 

What does this mean for Portland State? PSU is aligned with other Oregon universities and the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission in abiding by this order and previous directives. For the most part, our operations have already been adapted to accommodate remote work, and all classes will be taught remotely when spring break ends and the term begins on March 30. Given Oregon’s “Stay Home, Save Lives” order, only individuals identified as providing core services that cannot be done remotely should be on campus. 

Provost Susan Jeffords will be in touch with faculty about how this order affects their work to prepare for teaching remotely during the spring term. 

A guide to the remote spring term was published today on the PSU homepage. University housing is working with student residents to ensure social distancing in the residence halls.

PSU is spending this week developing detailed plans to operate as a remote campus while protecting the health of our PSU and Portland community. We recognize the great deal of work involved in reinventing learning, teaching and campus operations for this new reality.

We will continue to provide updated information as it becomes available. Information on student fees for spring term, for example, will be announced this week after careful consideration by the Student Fee Committee. For students registering for spring courses, no late fees will be charged for those who have to miss the April 6 deadline for personal or financial reasons.     

Please continue to refer to the PSU Coronavirus Response website for details on campus operations and plans for spring term.