SOU Campus Notifications
Latest Updates:
- UPDATE: planning for reopening May 15, 2020This message was sent to SOU employees on May 12 ---- Dear SOU community, We continue to hear each day that our country may be several months from fully resuming "normal life" as we knew it before COVID-19 arrived in March. But I have some optimistic news to share, sprinkled with caution and caveats: SOU […]
- IMPORTANT: Commencement 2020 April 27, 2020This message was sent to students and employees on April 20 ---- Dear campus community, We regret that due to continued uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic and a return to normalcy in Oregon, the timing and format of Commencement 2020 remain unresolved. You were notified a few weeks ago that commencement would be postponed due […]
- IMPORTANT: encouraging use of cloth face masks April 8, 2020Dear students and colleagues, The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Oregon Health Authority now recommend wearing cloth face coverings when near others in public settings. SOU encourages those who are able to wear cloth face coverings to do so when they may be around others as a voluntary measure to help […]
- PROVOST MESSAGE: faculty updates April 6, 2020Dear Colleagues: Good morning! In collaboration with Provost Walsh, we bring you a series of campus updates relevant to all faculty. I’ll begin with a list of the topics covered within: Covid-19 Main Website Information Technology Resiliency In Remote Teaching New Channel For Faculty Communication Instructional Requirements: Executive Order 20-09 Sou Cares […]
- IMPORTANT: cleaning protocols and sanitizing kits April 3, 2020Facilities, Management and Planning (FMP) has increased sanitization efforts for common areas and public spaces such as computer labs, restrooms and classrooms, in an effort to protect our campus community. FMP has focused on sanitizing buildings that are currently open and active, including Churchill Hall, Computing Services East, Computing Services West, FMP, the Science Building and […]
- IMPORTANT: remote work April 3, 2020Dear administrative and classified employees, Thank you for your responsiveness to my March 22 email and making the quick shift to performing jobs remotely, where feasible, during the two-week spring break. I know it required many adjustments. It remains a top priority for the university to provide the resources and opportunities for each of you to remain […]
Sign-up for SOU Alerts and Notifications
This notification system is open to parents, relatives, and the general public. By signing up, you can receive communications specific to the COVID-19 situation at SOU. SOU will post to this notification list periodically as events transpire and as decisions are made. You can unsubscribe at any time by logging in below or replying UNSUBSCRIBE to any text messages you receive.
Other Resources
Want to read more about COVID-19?
A great deal of information is now available, and we’ll add more relevant links as we learn of them:
- General, up-to-date information can be found on a dedicated CDC web page.
- Information about our area is provided by Jackson County Public Health.
- A statewide perspective – and updates by email subscription – are available from the Oregon Health Authority.
- Information and resources for those affiliated with colleges and universities is provided by Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission.
- A global view of the COVID-19 outbreak is provided by the World Health Organization.
- COVID-19 from the academic and medical viewpoint is available from the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine – Coronavirus Resource Center and that university also offers an updated map of COVID-19’s spread.
- An epidemiologist from the Bloomberg School of Health at Johns Hopkins University provides a clear explanation of what we might expect from COVID-19 as the outbreak spreads and recedes.
- SOU’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning offers faculty members an Instructional Resiliency Guide with information about maintaining continuity during challenging situations.
Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19
We all have questions about the global COVID-19 outbreak and how it may affect us, our university, and the state, region and world. We offer a few answers below.
What offices are open on the SOU campus?
COVID19 – Office Staffing
- Business Services: Payroll, Print & Copy, Bursar’s Office, 8 am to 5 pm weekdays.
- Service Center: Service Center office open for deposits 10 am to 2 pm weekdays; support specialists, and purchasing and contracting personnel available by phone or email from 8 am to 5 pm weekdays.
- Raider Student Services: phone and email hours, 9 am to 5 pm weekdays, call or email for essential physical appointments, email from sou.edu account and include student ID number to arrange Zoom or Google Hangouts meetings regarding general questions (StudentServices@sou.edu); financial aid (finaid@sou.edu); scholarships (finaidschol@sou.edu); VA benefits (vabenefits@sou.edu); or collections (collections@sou.edu).
- University Housing: Front desk at Greensprings, 8 am to 10 pm daily for rent, keys, check-ins, mail and packages; The Hawk for takeout food, 7 am to 9 am, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, 5 pm to 7 pm; The Landing for takeout food and beverages, 7:30 am to 1 pm.
- Information Technology: available by phone, email or Google Chat, or arrange communication by Zoom or Google Meet, 8 am to 5 pm for help desk, network, systems administration or classrooms and labs, and from 7 am to 5:30 pm for the Banner and Applications team.
- Campus Public Safety: office closed to walk-in traffic; services available 24/7 by phone through dispatch; Parking Services Office closed but available by phone or email for customer service.
What is SOU doing to protect the campus community?
We are following the CDC guidelines and reminding students to practice basic hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, and self-care. Our custodial staff members are going the extra mile to clean and (where appropriate) disinfect spaces and surfaces. If students, staff or faculty feel ill, they should stay home. SOU will monitor the situation closely and stay in regular communication with the community as details emerge.
How can I protect Myself?
Here are some simple tips to keep yourself healthy and help protect those around you:
- Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Stay home while you are sick and avoid close contact with others
- Call the Student Health & Wellness Center (students) or your personal doctor (employees) if you’re very sick
What is the COVID-19?
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not previously been identified.
What is the source of COVID-19?
Coronaviruses are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people. Health officials suggest COVID-19 may have originated in a large, open seafood and live animal market.
How does the virus spread?
The virus probably emerged originally from an animal source but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization report that the virus now spreads primarily from person-to-person. It is transmitted between people who are in close contact (within about 6 feet), primarily through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It may also spread when people touch surfaces or objects contaminated by the virus and then touch their own mouth, nose or eyes.
What symptoms does COVID-19 cause?
Symptoms reported for patients with the virus include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and shortness of breath.
What if I start to feel ill?
People who have traveled internationally (especially to China, Iran, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong or South Korea) in the past 14 days – or have had close contact with someone who is confirmed to have, or is under examination for COVID-19 – should closely monitor their health and follow the CDC’s guidelines if they start to feel ill. SOU students are encouraged to check-in by phone with the Student Health & Wellness Center (541-552-6136) and employees may contact their personal doctors.
Where should SOU employees go for leave and alternative work options?
SOU faculty and staff should visit the Human Resources COVID-19 Webpage for information about leave and telecommuting options.
Is there a policy on Isolation?
General Isolation Policy
Following updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week, any travelers to the U.S. returning or coming for the first time from any country under a CDC Warning Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel) are expected to self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of whether that direction is specifically given to them at the U.S. point of entry. Those Level 3 countries are China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea, but there is a strong possibility that this list of countries will grow. Individuals who have transited these nations do not need to self-isolate if they did not leave the airport. If they left the airport or remained in the airport for more than 24 hours, self-isolation is required. Updates will be announced and posted to the University’s new FAQs as soon as possible if more countries are added to the list.
*Please watch this brief video from the CDC regarding COVID-19. Remember, viruses don’t discriminate and they cannot target people from specific ethnicities or racial backgrounds. Associating an infectious disease with a specific group or nationality perpetuates stigma and harms the people targeted.
COVID-19 is not connected to any particular ethnicity or race. Racist behaviors or stereotyping are not acceptable at Southern Oregon University. If you experience harassment or discrimination, please file a bias incident report here.
