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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
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.
About 100 years ago, another pandemic was sweeping across the United States: the influenza pandemic of 1918. It was one of the deadliest events in history: it infected as many as one in every four people on the planet. Christopher McKnight Nichols, director of the Oregon State University Center for the Humanities, recently wrote a column in the Washington Post about the 1918 pandemic. He tells us what we can learn from the 1918 pandemic to handle the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
Two early childhood researchers at Oregon State University’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences are offering guidance for how to make the best of these challenging times.
Amy Carrier is a foundation director with a long-distance spouse and a 74-year old mother, who has Alzheimer’s and lives with her. Even on a normal day, her life is complicated. Amy employs two private-pay caregivers to assist her mother while she is at work, managing a team of ten at the Oregon State University Foundation. When she gets home, she takes over: making dinner, managing medications, and helping with small tasks like choosing clothes and operating the television. Her husband lives and works in New Rochelle, New York.
A team of researchers from Oregon State University, Corvallis studied the animal's effects on the park's landscape, focusing primarily on the Lamar Valley, an area on the park's eastern edge.
Chunhuei Chi, a professor in the global health program at Oregon State University, said anyone who visits a grocery store, uses public transportation or works or visits a public dwelling with “close contact to other people” should wear a mask at all times — and should have been doing so for weeks.
The food pantry operated at Oregon State University by the Human Services Resource Center has seen an increase in requests for food assistance since the emergence of COVID-19 in our community.
Today’s workspace: Loren Chavarría, senior instructor of Spanish II, has utilized a wooden chair and a checkerboard box to improvise a standing desk in her home office. 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.
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/.
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: Hiking in the Age of Social Distancing, April 1 at 3 p.m, 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.
BEavers HERE NOW Drop-In Meditation via Zoom: Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 3 p.m. visit https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6070165219 to access each session. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Enjoy a different 15 minute guided meditation each week. Benefits of meditation include: Stress reduction, better sleep, sharper concentration, anxiety management and happier relationships. Contact [email protected] to coordinate extra credit for student attendance. Faculty and staff are welcome too.
CANCELLED: Mahler's 10th Symphony performance: The Corvallis-OSU Symphony’s May 19 concert featuring Mahler’s 10th Symphony has been cancelled. This decision was made in light of the COVID-19 situation, and to protect the health of both musicians and ticket holders. Patrons who have tickets to the concert are encouraged to donate the value of their ticket(s) to the Symphony Society, to help with our ongoing expenses. To make a donation of your ticket(s), please contact the Symphony Society at [email protected] or 541-286-5580.
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. The board also will consider public safety and enforcement programming at 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. Given current COVID-19 guidance from the Governor’s Office, as well as university and health officials, the meeting will be hosted through a remote conferencing service. Members of the public can join the meeting by calling the toll-free number or connecting via the weblink provided on the agenda. The Finance & Administration Committee will meet from 8:30-9:45 a.m. that same day. Options for providing comments, agendas and meeting materials will be posted as they are available at http://oregonstate.edu/leadership/trustees/meetings. For accommodations: (541) 737-3449 or [email protected] at least 48 hours in advance.
NEW! 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.
NEW! 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.
NEW! People and Nature Lunch Series: Tuesday, April 14, from noon to 12:50 p.m. via Zoom (https://beav.es/PAN). Kei Lin Chang (Environmental Arts and Humanities) presents “Using National Geographic as a case study for understanding narrative communication strategies." 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.
NEW! 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! 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
List of K-12 earth sciences online learning resources now available: OSU College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences has curated a list of online resources including map exploration, learning apps, and lesson plans for families to learn about Earth sciences together at home. Click here for more information.
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]
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.
"It matters little who first arrives at an idea, rather what is significant is how far that idea can go," ~ Sophie Germain, French mathematician, born today in 1776.
Corvallis: Showers likely today, high of 49, low of 35. Chance of showers tomorrow.
Central Oregon: Chance of snow showers, high of 40, low of 25. Mostly sunny tomorrow.
Newport: Showers likely today, high of 46, low of 36. Chance of showers tomorrow.
Statewide: For OSU employees around the state, find your local forecast here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/