黑料吃瓜总站 plans to resume in-person instruction and other university activities and operations on Jan. 3 as planned at all of its campuses and locations.
鈥淥ur decision is informed by federal, state and local health authority guidance and is buoyed by positive signs that Omicron, while highly transmissible, may be resulting in milder symptoms and fewer cases of severe illness, hospitalization and death,鈥 said Becky Johnson, OSU鈥檚 interim president. 鈥淭he university鈥檚 decision is intentional. We are mindful that classrooms, where students and faculty are vaccinated and wear face coverings, have not been a significant source of virus spread. We seek to minimize disruption of student learning and experience and provide predictability for our faculty and university operations.
鈥淲e believe we can guard against a surge in COVID-19 cases due to a vaccination rate of more than 93% among OSU students and employees; requiring booster shots when a person is eligible as part of OSU鈥檚 vaccination program; the continuation of OSU鈥檚 emphasis on targeted COVID-19 testing; and our community鈥檚 adherence to numerous other public health measures.鈥
OSU鈥檚 decision aligns with plans collaboratively announced today by all of Oregon鈥檚 public universities to maintain on-site teaching as winter term begins.
OSU will undertake the following actions to support continuity in in-person teaching, activities and operations:
- Strongly recommending that eligible students and employees get a booster shot take and receive the results of a COVID-19 test before Jan 3.
- Requiring booster shots by students and employees when eligible in winter term as part of OSU鈥檚 vaccination program.
- Requiring students returning to university-managed residence halls for winter term be tested for COVID-19 upon their return to the Corvallis campus and OSU-Cascades in 黑料吃瓜总站.
- Offering voluntary on-campus COVID-19 testing for OSU students and employees in Corvallis and 黑料吃瓜总站 as winter term begins.
- Assisting local health authorities and health care agencies in promoting booster clinics and testing opportunities.
- Reviewing and updating as necessary COVID-19 practices and procedures for in-person university events planned during winter term.
About 黑料吃瓜总站: As one of only three universities in the nation designated as a land, sea, space and sun grant institution, Oregon State serves Oregon and the world by working on today鈥檚 most pressing issues. Our more than 34,000 students come from across the globe, and our programs operate in every Oregon county. Oregon State receives more research funding than all of the state鈥檚 comprehensive public universities combined. At our campuses in Corvallis and 黑料吃瓜总站, marine research center in Newport and top-ranked Ecampus online degree programs, we excel at shaping today鈥檚 students into tomorrow鈥檚 leaders.