COVID-19 increased response

EOU increases response to prevent spread of COVID-19

March 13, 2020 LA GRANDE, Ore. –  This morning, Eastern Oregon University reviewed the most recent directives from the Governor and met with student health, county public health and county emergency services to ensure campus plans align with the best guidance from these regional authorities.  

Out of an abundance of caution and increased concerns about exposure to the illness, EOU is making further accommodations for remote instruction and final exams. 

Effective Saturday, March 14, EOU will move to a plan that maintains the essential operations of the university, and works to decrease the number of interactions among students, faculty, staff and visitors, including the following:

• Faculty and students will not meet for in-person final exams March 16 to 20. Remote-access finals already announced to students will proceed as planned. 

• Technology resources such as Canvas, Zoom and conference calls will be used in lieu of non-essential in-person meetings and interactions. As duties and responsibilities allow, supervisors will work with EOU employees to arrange for remote work as needed. 

• All non-essential EOU travel and activities are suspended until further notice.

• Students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to avoid personal travel over the spring break. EOU’s residence halls will remain open. Sodexo is working to provide adequate social distancing in Hoke Union Building. Food will continue to be available for students, including by delivery to Residence Halls if students are ill. 

• Spring term classes will be offered as scheduled via remote access. Courses that need to take place in-person will limit group sizes or expand classroom space to provide more distance between participants. Student computer labs will remain open to ensure students have access to remote delivery of classes.  

• For on-campus classes moving to remote access due to COVID-19 mitigation, there will not be a tuition differential for students. Scholarships for on-campus students will not change due to the modification of classes to accommodate remote access. 

• Employees who may be impacted by the school closure should contact their supervisors to document their situation. Supervisors are encouraged to work with employees on flexible work schedules to stagger hours and/or accommodate remote work. Students who have school-age children and may be impacted by the K-12 closures should contact their faculty if accommodations are needed. 

Eastern Oregon University is open and plans to remain open and operational. University leadership is focused on decreasing the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities and protecting the health of EOU students and employees while ensuring students can continue their academic progress. 

EOU leadership is continually evaluating the situation. Social distancing guidelines and any other adjustments will be communicated as quickly as possible. EOU continues to stay in close contact with other Oregon universities, the Governor’s Office, the Oregon Health Authority and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. 
Please continue to monitor eou.edu/coronavirus for updates and new information.