Dear campus community,

I am pleased to announce that Western Oregon University looks forward to having the campus community Together Again for an in-person fall term. We expect to offer an expanded range of course delivery options so that students, faculty, and staff can make the best choices.

Masks and social distancing will likely still be necessary, but we expect most campus activities to be closer to “normal,” with events such as arts, co-curricular activities, intercollegiate athletics, music, theater and myriad others organized with safety guidelines in place.

Dean of Students Tina Fuchs said University Housing will configure residence halls to maximize capacity while also following COVID protocols. Dining establishments on campus are expected to operate much more extensively than they did during the 2020-21 academic year, when the number of students on campus was greatly diminished. Dining service will continue to follow all dining related health protocols.

Starting March 8, campus will be open for in-person admissions tours on an appointment-only basis, and the spring sports season gets under way in earnest this month. However, all athlete competitions will NOT allow any spectators.

The format for Commencement in June is still under discussion; an announcement is planned for the first week of spring term. Course modalities for summer term traditionally are largely online, and that remains the plan for summer 2021.

In closing, I will say I’m so happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel in what has been a very challenging year. Every day, I marvel at the resilience of our community and commend students, faculty, and staff for their perseverance. As we (hopefully) near the journey’s end, I implore everyone to continue following safety protocols and to get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible. We’ve fought this fight together for a year, and we must continue in our unity to weather this storm.

For questions about fall course delivery, please contact Academic Affairs at 503-838-8271.

For questions about student activities in the fall, please contact Student Affairs at 503-838-8221.

For questions about University Housing or Campus Dining, please contact University Housing at 503-838-8311.

Thank you!

Rex  Fuller