Dear Campus Community,
We hope that fall term is going well for students and faculty, and I want to let you know how much I appreciate all the work that you’ve done to adapt to remote teaching and learning. I know you need to make plans for winter term, and I’m announcing today that we will continue with mostly remote instruction at PSU when winter term begins January 4.
We will continue virtual courses because COVID-19 continues to pose a risk to our campus community. Coronavirus cases have been steadily rising since September, with an average of 356 daily cases reported statewide last week alone. Since the pandemic outbreak last spring, more than 37,000 cases have been reported in Oregon, and we are approaching 8 million cases nationwide. As a result, remote instruction is key to curb the spread of the disease and help protect the health of students, faculty, staff and visitors.
What does mostly remote instruction look like for winter term?
The PSU campus will continue to be open on a limited basis during winter quarter as it is this fall. While most courses and many services will be conducted virtually, we have plans to offer in-person services such as the residence halls, the library, study spaces, child care, and health and wellness services. Precautions and protocols will remain in place, including mask requirements, physical distancing guidelines both inside and outside buildings, size limits on meetings and events, enhanced cleaning and other safeguards recommended by local and state health officials
As part of our planning for winter, we will conduct a survey of students in the coming weeks to help inform us about how support services can best be provided while classes are largely remote.
Planning your course schedule
The winter course schedule will be available online starting October 26, and it will include information about the delivery format for each course. Also online are instructions on how to register for classes. The pass/no pass grading policy that has been in effect this fall will continue during the winter term.
For regular updates through the fall term and as we plan for the winter term, please visit the New Way Forward website for students and the related site for faculty and staff.
I can assure you that we will be closely monitoring COVID-19 cases in our community in the coming fall and winter months to determine whether changes or adjustments will need to be made to campus services and operations. Your health and wellbeing are our top priority.
Thank you for your commitment to Portland State, and I look forward to working together for a successful winter term.
Sincerely,
Stephen Percy
President
Portland State University