Office of the Registrar

From: Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President

Dear OSU Community Members,

I write to provide you with several COVID-19 updates as we close out fall term.

Outdoor Face Covering Requirement

On Nov. 30, the Benton County Board of Commissioners lifted its county-wide outdoor face covering requirement, bringing the county into alignment with the updated Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 333-019-1025 now in effect statewide. As a result, effective Dec. 1, face coverings are no longer required in OSU Corvallis outdoor public settings.

Please continue to adhere to the remaining statewide indoor face covering requirements and the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Recommendations for face coverings. OSU’s policy is found here. Wearing of face coverings indoors remains an important public health measure and continues to be recommended in outdoor settings for individuals who are unvaccinated, immunocompromised, at risk of severe COVID-19 disease or live with someone in one of these categories.

Vaccine Boosters

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age 18 and above receive a COVID-19 vaccination booster. Guidance on boosters can be found on the CDC’s website. Visit Vaccines.gov to locate a vaccination provider near you. Providing proof of having received a booster is not currently necessary to maintain compliance with OSU’s vaccination requirement. However, you are encouraged to upload the latest version of your CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card on your OSU health portal.

Planning for Winter Term

Oregon State University anticipates maintaining primarily in-person and on-site learning, teaching, work, programs and activities during winter term. We are confident we can continue to do so with the many plans and tools in place to help reduce the risk and spread of COVID-19. While we are hopeful that public health conditions will continue to improve, thereby allowing for the loosening of certain policies and requirements, please be prepared to adhere to many of the same public and personal health measures in winter term that have been in place this fall. This is currently anticipated to include testing for those required under OSU’s vaccination program.

Reminder for OSU Employees

In order to meet compliance requirements as a federal contractor under federal Executive Order 14042, all OSU employees — including student workers — regardless of whether they perform their duties on-site or remotely, are required to receive a vaccination against COVID-19 and upload the proof of vaccination by Jan. 4, 2022.  If you have not yet done so, please upload your proof of vaccination as soon as possible.  If you must request an exception to being vaccinated, do so by Dec. 6, 2021 to allow for time for processing the exception request and to be vaccinated if an exception is denied. For questions regarding this policy, please email [email protected].

Thank You,

Dan Larson, Vice Provost for Student Affairs

OSU Coronavirus Response Coordinator