COVID-19 Safety & Success

At this time, non-essential travel out of one’s residential community is discouraged. Students are advised to limit their trips outside of the area where they currently reside to minimize the risk and spread of COVID-19.

January 4, 2021 - March 19, 2021 Winter Term

The university is currently planning for the main floor of the Valley Library building to be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday; hours of operation may be extended after the first three to four weeks of the term. 

ACCESS TO LIBRARY SPACES/FLOORS

We plan to offer study space on the main floor of the Valley Library by reservation only in winter 2020. Use Reserve a Seat to request a study space or computer workstation in advance, or library staff will help you make a reservation when you arrive. Library personnel will assess the usage of space to determine if additional floors (levels 3-6) can prudently be reopened, depending on health guidance.  

 SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS

• Digital services including Ask a Librarian, research consultations, instruction support and more will continue throughout winter term.
• Interlibrary loan services will remain available, and we plan to continue Scan and Deliver services and to mail physical items to users. Summit services may resume at a later date.
• We plan to process purchase requests for course materials and other resources. 
• Staff of the library’s Special Collections and Archives Research Center are available to consult via virtual reference by appointment only on Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. We anticipate that staff will be available for in-person reference by appointment only for winter term. For more details, please visit the SCARC website.

GUIN LIBRARY (HMSC) AND OSU-CASCADES LIBRARY

The Guin Library building is currently closed to the public. Starting January 4, holds may be picked up during the library’s doorbell pickup hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Guin Library’s virtual hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. For more information about the Guin Library, contact [email protected].

The OSU-Cascades Library in Bend is dependent on the operation levels at their respective sites. For information about the OSU-Cascades Library, contact [email protected].


This fall, the Memorial Union, the Valley Library and other locations plan to provide regularly cleaned spaces for studying with distanced seating, printers and Wi-Fi. The Valley Library is available by reservation only. Visit the student resources dashboard for more detailed information on computer, printing and study resources.

OSU-Cascades students can learn about on-campus study areas at its website.

OSU policy requires the use of face coverings for community members and visitors when in enclosed common areas, enclosed areas when interacting with others or outdoor areas where physical distancing isn’t easily maintained.

Exceptions to this university policy include:

a. Use goes against documented industry best practices for a specific position, or by law or regulation, including the use of standard personal protective equipment (“PPE”) per Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards;

b. When working alone in an enclosed workspace; 

c. When exercising and working outdoors as long as a distance of at least six (6) feet is maintained at all times;

d. When engaging in an activity that makes wearing a face covering not feasible, such as swimming, eating or drinking;

e. When an individual is under the age of five;

f. In situations where face coverings for minors are advised against and not required for participation in youth activities, as per OHA Guidance for School Aged Summertime Day Camps (PDF) or Specific Guidance for Child Care Sector (PDF); or,

g. Where space can be designed to provide for adequate barriers.

Exception requests based on accommodation for a disability may be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access for employees, and Disability Access Services for students. 

Violation of university policy can lead to disciplinary action. 

No. Sections offered remotely will have remote exams. Please contact the department or instructor for details.

Due to the unprecedented circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, OSU has made available greater exceptions to the First-Year Experience Live-On Requirement for first-year students for fall term 2020, including for students choosing to live with family at their address of origin.

Please see the Office of Student Life website for updates to the First Year Experience live-on requirement.

To learn about policies for OSU-Cascades, visit its website. 

As long as the student does not change their primary OSU program to Ecampus, they can enroll in Ecampus courses and remain eligible for OSU centrally awarded scholarships such as the Evergreen Scholarship.

It is always a good idea to communicate your intentions to the institution you will be attending.

Students may enroll in Ecampus courses regardless of the campus where they are officially enrolled.  However, students that change their campus to Ecampus are not allowed to receive institutional scholarships awarded to them as Corvallis- or Cascades-based students.  So, while you might choose to enroll via Ecampus to save some money this term, it would not benefit you long term if you wish to enroll on campus when it opens fully because you will have forfeited your campus-based scholarship.

The details of your specific situation are going to impact the answer to this question.  Please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 541-737-2241.

OSU is not adjusting its tuition rates, but is currently working with student leaders to evaluate possible adjustment to incidental student fees. Keep in mind that remote courses and Ecampus courses are not the same, including the per-credit cost.

• Remote instruction features synchronous classes held at the same time as would occur in person. Faculty provide instruction and labs with remote conferencing.
• Online learning via Ecampus is asynchronous. Students can engage Ecampus learning at any time, day or night. Ecampus does not feature faculty providing instruction with remote conferencing tools.

Corvallis campus students may take courses specifically offered through Ecampus at Ecampus rates without switching their campus. Additionally, in-state tuition is subsidized via taxes paid by Oregon residents via the legislature. Thus, out-of-state students are not eligible for this subsidy.

Yes, both new and current students may change their campus, but the instructions are different:

Instructions for current students

Form for new, incoming students

All scholarships and financial aid are applied to the student’s OSU billing account at the beginning of each term and will first cover all the charges on their billing account. If the amount of their aid exceeds the amount of their bill, they will receive the excess via a refund check, which they can then use for other education-related expenses (books, rent, transportation, etc.). We encourage students to set up direct deposit if they believe they will receive a refund as it is much easier and faster than a mailed check. See Information on setting up direct deposit.

We expect less than 10% of our new incoming students will defer based on current rates of deferral requests.  Most students are indicating that they intend to get started and not lose time progressing toward their degree.

Yes, see the instructions and form here for new students wishing to change campuses.

Courses will not move from Corvallis campus to Ecampus, but the method of delivery may change (to remote).  Corvallis campus students may enroll in Ecampus courses, however, without changing their campus.  This would impact their overall cost because of the difference in per-credit costs.  However, if a student changes their campus to Ecampus (all courses taught via Ecampus), they will lose any scholarships awarded to them as new incoming Corvallis or Cascades campus students.  This would result in paying more in the long term for many students. Keep in mind remote learning and Ecampus are not the same.

• Remote instruction features synchronous classes held at the same time as would occur in person. Faculty provide instruction and labs with remote conferencing.
• Online learning via Ecampus is asynchronous. Students can engage Ecampus learning at any time, day or night. Ecampus does not feature   faculty providing instruction with remote conferencing tools.

OSU’s cost of attendance is the same for students who live on campus and off campus.  This choice will not impact incoming admissions scholarships.

OSU-Cascades in Bend awards a scholarship specifically for residence hall costs. This would be the only scholarship impacted by choosing to live off campus.

Yes, students may enroll via Ecampus then switch their “campus” to Corvallis or OSU-Cascades in the future.  However, students who change their campus to Ecampus are not allowed to receive institutional scholarships awarded to them as new incoming Corvallis- or Cascades-based students.  So, while you might choose to enroll via Ecampus to save some money this term, it would not benefit you long term if you wish to enroll on campus when it opens fully because you will have forfeited your campus-based scholarship.

The program is open to all undergraduate students pursuing their bachelor's degree. International students may also be in the DPP program with Linn-Benton Community College and/or Portland Community College but are required to work with their international advisors. Post-baccalaureate students may also participate in the program but must first be admitted to OSU.

When you look at the Schedule of Classes, you can search for the courses you need. After you click on a section, the “Meeting Info” will either list the room location for the section or the fact that it is being offered via Remote Learning or Blended Learning. This will display only for those remote learning courses associated with a physical campus.

The July 24, 2020, federal guidance states that students studying from inside the U.S. for the fall 2020 school term will be able to continue studying from within the U.S. if a university changes its mode of instruction to fully online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are required to continue meeting their full-time enrollment requirements or have an approved alternate enrollment, reduced course load or vacation term approval, and have no other violations of status.

Teaching faculty and students can visit the Teaching and Learning with Zoom page or OSU’s Zoom help videos. Employees utilizing Zoom for general work purposes can see OSU's Zoom website for more help and information.

Currently OSU plans to offer a combination of in-person, remote and online courses. Students and faculty should be prepared to participate in remote delivery of teaching for fall 2020.

For students, there are online and telephone resources readily available to help navigate all aspects of online learning, including Zoom, on the Keep Learning website.

Faculty should be ready to use Canvas, our learning management system, as well as Zoom, OSU’s web-conference tool. If you need assistance, please contact the Community Network Service Desk at 541-737-8787 or visit this support website. You can also check out the Keep Teaching website for more tools and resources.

Remote teaching delivery is when a faculty member facilitates the delivery of their in-person course instruction from a different location by using tools such as Canvas and Zoom. There are online and telephone resources readily available to help students navigate all aspect of online delivery, including Zoom, on the Keep Learning website. Remote teaching delivery is not the same as offering a course online through Ecampus. The remote facilitation may occur at regularly scheduled Pacific Time (PT) just as if the class was being taught in a regular classroom.

Ecampus online courses are typically pre-recorded and accessible at time any of the day. While Ecampus classes may be allowed for immigration purposes the Ecampus schedule of courses is limited both in variety and in class-size capacity. Therefore, unless you are already enrolled in Ecampus classes, it may be challenging to find a full-time course load of all Ecampus courses.

You may be able to register for and take remotely delivered courses or Ecampus online courses from outside of the U.S. However, some courses may be delivered in person in later summer sessions and fall 2020. In addition, as we resume to on-site learning, some courses may not have a remote delivery option. It is highly recommended that you please continue to monitor OSU’s resumption planning website for updates and check with course instructors and academic advisors directly with questions. Please also consider that the OSU Ecampus schedule of courses is limited both in variety and in class-size capacity. In addition, access to Ecampus online courses or remote delivery of courses may vary depending on global time differences, U.S. export control laws, local laws and restrictions in the student’s home country, access to reliable internet and a reliable computer. Instructors will deliver courses remotely at their scheduled Pacific Time (PT). Be sure that you will have access to Canvas, Zoom, VPN and other software supported by OSU.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will continue GI Bill payments uninterrupted in the event of national emergencies, such as COVID-19. This includes allowing students to continue to receive the same monthly housing allowance or subsistence payments for on-campus courses that have been converted to remote teaching. 

The Office of the Registrar does not accept digital/electronic signatures. We are temporarily loosening our requirement for wet ink signatures. In lieu of wet ink signatures, current students can submit forms from their OSU email account to [email protected]. Forms requiring an advisor’s signature should be sent from the student’s OSU email account to the advisor’s OSU email account. Approved forms can be sent from the advisor’s OSU email account to the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will work to obtain additional required signatures as needed.

For Change of Grading Basis forms, please see instructions here.

If you, a dependent or a close family member are ill, the university recommendation is to self-isolate and call your health care provider, Student Health Services or an emergency medical care provider. Please email your instructor as soon as you anticipate that illness will prevent you from attending to a requirement or meeting a deadline. The Office of the Dean of Students can also assist you if you are navigating a range of extenuating life circumstances, including but not limited to prolonged illness, hospitalization, financial concerns, etc. They can be reached via Zoom chat or audio Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at beav.es/4qQ or by email at [email protected].

Look through your Canvas site for any resources or alternatives the instructor has made available. If you are unable to find any, communicate with your instructor and explain the situation. The instructor may be able to provide alternative options for completing the activity if they know the challenge you’re experiencing. If you are unable to resolve the situation with your instructor and would like additional support navigating next steps, contact the Office of Student Advocacy. If you do not have access to a computer or other equipment that you need to complete the activity, connect with the HSRC to fill out the single support form. If you do not have access to software or need technical support, contact the Service Desk. 

If you’ve been asked to complete and submit work or paperwork that would generally be printed and completed by hand, consider taking a picture of the document and submitting that. If this is not possible in your situation, consult with the instructor or the person requesting the document and ask for ideas or alternatives. If you need help creating or editing a digital document or have run out of ideas, the Service Desk can help you.

If you are having problems with your internet connection, there are a few things to keep in mind. Ensure that VPN is not active during your session; this can have a serious impact on performance. You may wish to limit other devices, applications and users accessing your internet connection simultaneously; streaming lectures and online meetings require about 2.0Mb/sec to operate well. You may wish to test your internet speed and ensure that the issues are not related to your personal internet connection. If you are unable to resolve your home connection issues, you may wish to explore other connection options. As a final idea, many computer labs and our campus wifi are still open and available on campus and can be thoughtfully used in a way that honors social distancing.