OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Open search box
COVID-19 website: To facilitate the ongoing sharing of information about the virus, Oregon State University has added a link on the OSU homepage to a new page that provides detailed and up-to-date COVID-19 information; links to OSU, local, state and federal resources; updates on the latest federal travel restrictions; and previous university communications about the virus and other information. Additionally CDC information (including Spanish resources) can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html
OSU Experience website: We’re in this together. The OSU Experience website has been updated to support the remote learning experience of students. The site includes ways for students to connect with one another while maintaining social distance, to find mental health support and to engage in online co-curricular programming. Keep checking back as the site will be continually updated throughout the term.
Today in the News Media is a synopsis of some of the most prominent coverage of OSU people and programs. Inclusion of any item constitutes neither an endorsement nor a critique, but rather is intended only to make the OSU community aware of significant items in the media. Content appearing includes timely news and feature stories from broadcast, print and online sources. Occasionally, opinion pieces and first-person columns appearing in mainstream media outlets that are written by faculty members and pertain to their academic or professional expertise may be included based on their unique, informative value, timeliness and space constraints. It is not the policy of OSU Today to include Letters to the Editor.
Christopher McKnight Nichols, history professor and director of the Center for the Humanities at Oregon State University, told BuzzFeed News that the 1918 pandemic’s biggest impact on American media was how seriously the press began to take public trust following the outbreak.
Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis approached The Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine and requested if the school's lab could make Virus Transmission Medium or VTM. This liquid sits in a test tube that helps preserve COVID-19 samples after being taken from deep inside a patient's nasal cavity. (see also KLCC, KTVZ)
Beads that contain bacteria and a slow-release food supply to sustain them can clean up contaminated groundwater for months on end, maintenance free, research by Oregon State University shows.
As a kid, Paige Kreisman never imagined that she would one day run for office. “I could barely imagine myself surviving to adulthood,” she says. For her, that meant joining the United States Armed Forces shortly after high school, and later using her GI bill to attend Oregon State University. Now the 24-year-old veteran, who lives in Portland, Oregon, is fighting not just for her own survival, but everyone else’s too. She’s running for Oregon’s State House of Representatives, to represent the state’s 42nd district, on a ticket that prioritizes climate justice while advocating for working class people.
Artificial intelligence can be kind of dumb when it comes to common sense things we usually take for granted as humans. That’s according to Alan Fern, the associate head of research at the Oregon State University School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He is working on a project to help machines learn the same way human babies do, in the hopes of making them more intuitive about the world around them.
“We have found a misconception. It will definitely impact the model of carbon flows,” said Oregon State University microbiologist Steve Giovannoni. “It will require more than just a small tweak.”
Chunhuei Chi, director of the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University, said government leaders who have called for people to don masks when leaving their homes may also have been influenced by the slow growth of coronavirus infections in East Asian places such as Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, where wearing masks is common.
Most Oregonians laid off in the coronavirus economic fallout and who seek unemployment benefits will likely qualify for OHP, provided they don’t have independent income or a working spouse, said Jeff Luck, an associate professor at Oregon State University’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences. Also, some employers are furloughing workers, keeping them on company health insurance while allowing them to apply for unemployment compensation.
For chicken lovers stuck in quarantine during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon State University has just the thing to while away the hours.
About 1,000 people a day are signing up for a free, online vegetable gardening course offered by Oregon State University Extension Service.
Today’s workspace: Minda Stiles with the Marine Mammal Institute takes advantage of a loft space to create an airy home office view. Send your home workspace photos to [email protected]. Follow OSU Today on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/osutoday1/ and catch up on any workspace photos you might have missed so far.
Please be aware that in this quickly shifting environment, some events may be cancelled at the last minute and updates may not have been provided to OSU Today in time.
Board of Trustees: The OSU Board of Trustees will meet from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, April 3, to consider tuition rates, mandatory fees and student incidental fees for the 2020-21 academic year and summer session 2020, and a reduction in spring 2020 incidental fees. The board also will consider public safety and enforcement programming for OSU’s Corvallis campus, the university’s biennial capital funding request to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, updates to the educator equity plan required by state statute, the creation of schools within the College of Business, and other reports. The board will receive updates on the university’s COVID-19 response and on Oregon’s most recent legislative session. The board will hold an executive session pursuant to ORS 192.660(2)(d) to conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to carry on labor negotiations. In keeping with the Governor’s Executive Order to Stay Home, Stay Safe and university measures to reduce the risk and spread of COVID-19, the meeting will be hosted through a remote conferencing service. Members of the public have several options for providing comment during the board meeting’s general comment period and in testimony before board votes on each action item. Instructions for joining the meeting and options for providing comment are located under “Meeting Details” at this webpage: https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/trustees/meetings/board-meeting-04032020. The Finance andAdministration Committee will meet from 8:30-9:45 a.m. that same day. Instructions for joining the meeting are located under “Meeting Details” at this webpage: https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/trustees/meetings/finance-administrative-committee-meeting-04032020. Agendas and meeting materials will be posted as they are available. If you have any difficulties access the meeting, please email [email protected].
SEIU Union meetings by conference call: A Q&A conference call is being held for SEIU members at two different times. For all workers coming to a building/campus: For all employees able to telecommute: Friday, April 3, noon to 1 p.m., dial in: 503-673-1604, participant code: 38516. Email or text/call with questions: 630-699-0281 or [email protected] or see http://local083.seiu503.org/.
Music à la Carte (Facebook Live): Jan Michael Reibach. The Music à la Carte concert series will host a series of Facebook Live events that start today, keeping alive the decades-long tradition while following Oregon State University’s commitment to help reduce the risk and spread of COVID-19. Reibach, a popular OSU music instructor, is a One World Music Radio Lifetime Achievement Award Winner and has received numerous awards as a Native flute player. He will perform relaxing and uplifting music on the Native American Flute live today at noon on the Music à la Carte Facebook page. A list of upcoming performers can be found here.
Punch Through Pandemics spring course open to students, public: Punch Through Pandemics, starting March 30, is brought to you by Oregon State University's School of Psychological Science. This 10-week course is designed to harness the rich tools afforded by psychology to address the current and novel situation we are facing with COVID-19. The PSY 499 course is led by Kathy Becker-Blease, Regan A.R. Gurung, and Kate Gallagher. Students can enroll in an Ecampus or Corvallis section for credit, or sign up for the free public version through Canvas. Members of the public can also sign up for free. For more information, go to https://www.punchcovid19.com/.
NEW! ONLINE Weekend Meditation Retreat: OSU's Contemplative Studies Initiative is hosting teacher, author, hospice chaplain, counselor and five-year retreatant Amita Lhamo April 17-19. The program begins Friday at 7 p.m. and is titled The Healing Nature of Presence. Screen time will be minimized and instruction/guidance maximized. Free and Open to All - some meditation/centering experience recommended. Register by emailing [email protected]
NEW! Oregon State University New Employee Orientation: This session is to orient new faculty and staff to the university. Terms of your employment and benefits will be reviewed. Zoom session, April 7, 9-11 a.m. Register here!
NEW! Webinar: Stress management techniques to cope with social distancing and isolation: Cascade EAP is offering a variety of webinars to help employees and their families navigate and cope with COVID-19. Webinar 1 takes place April 7, 3:30-4:30 p.m. It deals with overcoming social isolation, mindfulness practice and tips for staying connected. Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6141472136477450507?mc_cid=e81c125b1c8&mc_eid=40b6fdee81. If the webinars fill up they can be accessed two days later on the Cascade EAP YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/CascadeEAP/videos?mc_cid=e81125b1c8&mc_eid=40b6fdee81
NEW! Nature & Health, and Community Building Webinars: Join the Adventure Leadership Institute as we host several webinars around health and community building topics during the age of social distancing. Click the links to register: Nature and Health, April 7 at 5 p.m., and Community Building in the Age of COVID-19, April 15 at 3 p.m. Check out more of our webinars offered Spring term here. Questions? Contact Emily Abrams.
NEW! Strategies for Being Effective in Times of Uncertainty: Uncertainty in organizations will affect each of us differently. Some thrive in ambiguity, while others are dominated by feelings of anxiety, fear, and doubt that negatively affect productivity. This class will provide eight strategies with practical ideas to increase effectiveness in challenging, uncertain times. Zoom session, April 9, 8:30-9:30 am. Registration required.
NEW! Developing High Performing Teams: Why do some teams consistently produce outstanding results and other teams perform moderately at best? Distinguishing characteristics of high performing teams with practical tools and principles will be shared. Tips for implementing these practices with virtual teams will be included. Zoom session, April 9, 10-11:30 a.m. Registration required.
NEW! Managing People Through Change: If progress requires change, why can change be so difficult? Understanding how the change process impacts us is important to directing change efforts. You will learn what to expect in the cycle of change and how to work with each phase to ease transitions for yourself and others. Zoom session, April 9, 1-3 p.m. Registration required.
Search Advocate Workshops: All OSU Search Advocate workshops will be offered via Zoom for the next 2+ months. Search advocates are outside process advisors who participate on employee search committees; their goal is to encourage culture and practices that favor equity, validity, and diversity. Search advocacy offers faculty and staff an opportunity to work with colleagues in other parts of the university, build new skills and perspectives, and contribute to the university’s progress towards inclusive excellence. The initial workshop series is a full two-day sequence. Those who complete the series may choose to have their names added to the Search Advocate Directory and will be eligible to serve as advocates until September 2021. Three-hour continuing education workshops for current advocates are also available. To register, go to the Professional Development website. Questions? Contact Anne Gillies at [email protected] or 541-760-6160.
People and Nature Lunch Series: Tuesday, April 7, from noon to 12:50 p.m. via Zoom (https://beav.es/PAN). Kali Abel (Geography) presents “Ice to Waves: Adaptation Limits, Mobility, and Anomic Activity in Santa Marta, Colombia.” The lecture is free and open to all. Sponsored by the Department of Fisheries & Wildlife’s Human Dimensions Lab. For more information: https://PeopleAndNatureOSU.weebly.com.
Health and Community Building Webinars: Join the Adventure Leadership Institute as we host several webinars around adventure, health and community building topics during the age of social distancing. Click the links to register: Nature and Health, April 7 at 5 p.m., and Community Building in the Age of COVID-19, April 15 at 3 p.m. Check out more of our webinars offered Spring term here. Questions? Contact Emily Abrams.
OSU Science on Tap LIVESTREAM: Digging into Archeology — Hear about current research by College of Liberal Arts Professor Loren Davis, a nationally recognized expert. Learn about North America’s earliest people, showcasing the discoveries from the Cooper’s Ferry site in western Idaho and on Cedros Island along Mexico’s Pacific Coast. April 7, 6 p.m., osualum.com/sot.
Kognito: Recognizing and Supporting Students in Distress Training: College can be stressful at times and especially now! Build the confidence to talk with a student whom you’re concerned about. Be prepared to lead real-life conversations with students that build resilience, strengthen relationships and connect them with support. Visit beav.es/Zzp to access the faculty/staff online training so you can recognize and support OSU students in distress. To access the student version visit: beav.es/ZD3 For questions contact Tessie Webster-Henry: [email protected]
FSF online classes: Faculty Staff Fitness is now hosting online classes. Programs offered will include strength/weight training, gentle exercise, cardio kickboxing, swim land training, pilates and yoga, which will be tailored to your home environment with household equipment. $20 for an unlimited three-month package. Register here, and receive an invitation to join the page. New content will be added throughout the term to supplement your well-being while being away from your usual fitness routine. If you were already registered for Spring 2020 Faculty Staff Fitness classes, you have two options: Email [email protected] and let us know that you want to sign up for our Online FSF programming and receive an account credit with the rest of your registration for future classes, or receive a full refund by emailing [email protected]. Contact Dee Gillen with questions about online classes or your account.
STEM Academy: STEM Academy is hosting a broad range of STEM Summer Day Camps from mid-June through early-August for students who will be entering 3rd-12th grades in the Fall of 2020. Registration for the summer program is open. Topics include: Transportation, Color Innovation, Coding, iINVENT, Web Design, Engineering, Computer Graphics, Cybersecurity, Biochemistry, Sketch Up, Computational Biology, Drones, Powered Machines, Science Exploration, Lego Robotics, Wildlife Science, and Computational Mystery of Board Games. For more information, or to register online, please visit http://stemacademy.oregonstate.edu. For questions, call 541-737-8139 or email [email protected]. Scholarships available for many camps.
NEW! Remote Advising Office Hours: To support the current transition to remote advising facing academic advisors and academic counselors, Jenesis Long is offering Remote Advising Consultations via Zoom. Bring your questions or specific situations for in-the-moment problem-solving now through April 17: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 10 a.m. to noon. Join here. Additional resources for remote advising available in Canvas for Advisors.
NEW! Online Professional Development Workshops for OSU Employees Now Open for Registration: UHR Learning and Organizational Development presents a variety of online professional development workshops this spring, including: Strategies for Being Effective in Times of Uncertainty, Developing High Performing Teams, Managing People Through Change, and Core Curriculum for Current OSU Supervisors and Managers. View and register for upcoming workshops here. Is there a topic you’d like us to cover this term? Email [email protected] with your request.
NEW! Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences: Provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The current grant level is $300,000; $75,000 per year for four years. For the 2020 award, one nomination will be invited from each of the participating institutions The internal deadline for submitting a letter of recommendation for a nominee is Monday, April 27. https://research.oregonstate.edu/program/pew-scholars-program-biomedical-sciences
Facilities Services: Facilities Services continues to work hard to maintain, preserve and protect the Corvallis campus, including working with our custodial partner ABM on developing a specialized cleaning protocol for our campus facilities. The Work Coordination Center is open and up-to-date information on services, resources and access during the COVID-19 response is available on the Facilities Services website.
University Ombuds Office Offers Remote Consultations to Staff, Faculty and Students: Finding the transition from on-site work and study to telecommuting challenging? The University Ombuds Office is available for the university community during this time of transition. Whether addressing ongoing conflict that has become more complex, or new issues that are arising, the Ombuds are available to listen to your concerns and help you explore options for addressing them. All consultations are confidential and informal. Ombuds are available Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., via phone or Zoom. To schedule an appointment, call 541-737-4537 or email [email protected]. (Confidentiality cannot be promised in matters relating to threats of public safety, child abuse, or when there is imminent risk of serious harm.)
OSU Homecoming Court 2020: Encouraging all OSU students to apply to represent Oregon State as a member of the 2020 Homecoming Court. Members are honored with a one-time $500 scholarship and opportunities to voice their ideas to distinguished university leaders, partners and alumni throughout the year. Applications will be open through April 20.
Fiscal policy feedback: In accordance with the fiscal policy program, the Fiscal Policy Committee is soliciting your feedback on new fiscal policy drafts for Cash Out and for Gift Funds. For more information and instructions on how to provide your valued feedback, please visit Policy Under Review on the Fiscal Policy Program website.
Updates to University Policies & Standards: Please visit the University Policy & Standards page to learn about recent policy updates: http://policy.oregonstate.edu/whats-new. This page is updated frequently with new developments, so we encourage you to check back regularly. Also, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter here.
Remote Advising Office Hours: To support the current transition to remote advising facing academic advisors and academic counselors, Jenesis Long is offering Remote Advising Consultations via Zoom. Bring your questions or specific situations for in-the-moment problem-solving this week (March 30-April 3): Daily 10 a.m. to noon, plus additional hours 1-3 p.m. Thursday, April 2. Join here. Additional resources for remote advising available in Canvas for Advisors.
Health & Safety: The University Health & Safety Committee wants to promote health and safety by providing the following information from IT in regards to working from home https://uit.oregonstate.edu/keep-working/home-setup. You can also access OSU’s University Health & Safety Committee online at http://ehs.oregonstate.edu/uhsc, including past meeting minutes, information on how to contact a committee member, and a link to report safety concerns online.
Annual Program Assessment Reports, New Due Date: As many faculty are adjusting their courses and student advising to remote delivery, we are extending the due date for undergraduate Annual Program Assessment reports, and Graduate Learning Outcome (GLO) reporting. The new due date is Monday, June 1. Please reach out to Tam Belknap or Heath Henry for questions about undergraduate reporting, or to Steph Bernell or Maureen Childers for questions about GLO reporting. Visit https://apa.oregonstate.edu/assessment-resources for tools and support.
Report Early, Report Often: Unfortunately, criminals and bad actors are responding with as much agility as the rest of us during our COVID-19 response. New fake cures, bad information, scams and phishing emails are popping up by the thousands. Please help us keep our OSU community safe. If you suspect that you have received a phishing email or been the victim of a compromised account, email [email protected] as soon as possible. For more information on keeping your devices safe, check the Keep Learning, Keep Teaching, and Keep Working sites that are being updated regularly.
COVID-19 Resources for Families: With school closures and the need to work/teach/learn remotely, many OSU families are finding themselves home with their children and are unsure how to navigate this new way of work/life. The Family Resource Center has compiled some local resources and parenting tips/tricks that you may find useful during this unfamiliar time. We will continue to update this page as we find new information. Questions? Contact [email protected].
New procedures for OSU Libraries: While entry to Valley Library and Guin Library is temporarily suspended, digital services will be used to support remote teaching and research, and the libraries will focus on delivering materials to all OSU students, staff and faculty on campus and off campus. For more info about how to access library resources and services during spring term, go to https://library.oregonstate.edu/osu-libraries-and-response-covid-19.
Oregon State’s COVID-19 Unsung Heroes: We are looking for submissions from the community to highlight OSU employees and students who are not typically in the spotlight but are going above and beyond during this pandemic. For example, an employee who plays a key role in remote learning technology, someone volunteering on a disaster relief team or someone keeping university buildings operating when many people are working from home. Send your suggestions to [email protected] and our staff may contact them to conduct remote interviews that we would feature in OSU Today and elsewhere.
Mindful @ Oregon State University is an e-newsletter that delivers a weekly care package of mindfulness tips, resources and events to your inbox. Curated by CAPS staff, the newsletter features a weekly guided meditation, "Learn More" section, mindfulness challenge, OSU mindfulness event calendar and crowd-sourced knowledge and recommendations. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/mindfulOSU
Remote Teaching Canvas Template Available Faculty have access to a new Canvas course template that can be imported into empty Canvas course sites to help instructors rapidly prepare for Spring courses. The template homepage provides directions for use. Questions? Contact [email protected]
Arts & Communication BFA seniors on Fairbanks Gallery Instagram: For the next eight weeks, we will be sharing images every Friday of works by graduating seniors who were scheduled to have solo shows in the West Student Gallery this term. Here is work by Jenna Judah, entitled Honeybee. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-craUthXeJ/
Temporary closure of electric vehicle parking spaces near Fairbanks Hall: Closure will take place from 7 a.m. April 6 to 5 p.m. April 7. As part of the Fairbanks Hall Renovation project, the geotech company working on the project will be drilling test holes and there will be a drill rig on site. The site will be set up in two electric vehicle spaces on the west side of Fairbanks Hall (view map). For questions or comments on this closure, contact Construction Manager Amy Keene at (541) 214-1038 or Capital Construction Manager Lori Fulton at 541-737-4625.
Transportation Services: Effective immediately, any valid OSU parking permit may be used in any zone (All A, B, C and R lots) until further notice. Please observe all other signs, as these still apply. Until further notice the Beaver Bus will not be running. The Transportation Services office in Adams Hall is currently closed to the public, but Transportation Services is still offering direct customer service through their online portal, telephone and email during normal business hours, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Please go online to purchase parking permits or pay citations.
Click on image to play video
"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love." ~ Washington Irving, born today in 1783.
Corvallis: Slight chance of rain and snow, and then slight chance of showers, high of 51, low of 33. Chance of rain this weekend.
Central Oregon: Mostly sunny today, high of 44, low of 25. Chance of rain and snow through the weekend.
Newport: Slight chance of showers today, high of 49, low of 37. Chance of rain all weekend.
Statewide: For OSU employees around the state, find your local forecast here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/
