November 10, 2020 – Governor places Union County on two-week pause

EOU Community, 

You may be aware that Gov. Brown has placed a number of counties on a two-week pause, including Union County, beginning Nov. 11. The county is experiencing a rise in cases, as is the university. Students and employees have tested positive following external interactions. 

Existing university protocols, including those for the EOU fitness center and on-campus dining facilities, are consistent with the governor’s recommendations during the two-week pause. Students and employees will not experience any interruption in instruction or work due to temporary restrictions associated with the pause.  

As outlined in EOU’s Resumption plan, fall term courses will proceed until Thanksgiving Break and go fully remote afterward. Online classes and regional centers will continue to operate as they have been throughout the term. The university plans to test all on-campus students for COVID-19 before resuming activities for Winter Term (additional details about testing plans will be shared soon). Employees’ work arrangements will continue as previously determined by HR and their direct supervisors. 

The main campus in La Grande remains closed to the public, but accessible for students, faculty and staff. This Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting will be held solely through Zoom, rather than in a hybrid format. 

With the recent increase in cases among both employees and students, we are making every effort to keep the community informed. One employee and five students have tested positive since Halloween (visit the data dashboard for additional updates). You can also look for updated case counts in daily Infolines, beginning this week. 

We are actively seeking a balanced approach that keeps our community informed, without identifying those who have (or may have) contracted COVID-19. If there’s a chance you’ve been exposed, you will be notified. In all cases, any potentially impacted spaces will be cleaned. 

It is imperative that employees and students follow directives on physical distancing, mask-wearing and hand washing. 

• Daily self-evaluation: Complete the EOU Daily Self Health Check on the Mountie Hub before you arrive on campus each day. Stay home if you are unwell. Even minor symptoms like a sore throat, a runny nose or a cough are reason enough to stay home from work or school. Employees are required to contact their supervisor and students need to contact Student Affairs if you have any symptoms. 
• Mask-up, Mounties: Wear a required face covering inside all buildings and whenever you cannot maintain six feet of distance outdoors. Both your nose and mouth must be covered at all times. EOU face coverings are available at the sanitizer stations in every building. 
• Physical distance, social solidarity: Stay six feet away from others, whether you’re indoors or outside. Take care of your mental and emotional health, too. If you’re feeling isolated or down, reach out to someone for help. 

We encourage everyone in the EOU community to consider your actions outside of campus because they affect you, your colleagues, our students and our community. All members of the campus community are urged to cease social gatherings, keeping interactions within households. Think before you gather. 

Sincerely, 

Executive Leadership Team
P.S. Visit eou.edu/coronavirus for more information or to submit questions about EOU’s ongoing pandemic response.