COVID-19 Restrictions Lift Starting This Week
Oregon will lift most COVID-19 restrictions this week, and Pacific University is excited for the opportunity to take more steps back to normal operations, including teaching and learning, research, student support, and campus events.
Effective July 1, most campus protocols will expire, including mask and physical distancing mandates. Campuses will reopen to the public, and we will begin the transition back to full capacity in classrooms and other operations.
The ability to resume normal operations is largely based on our community’s high rate of vaccination. Oregon has reached nearly 70% vaccination among adults, and Washington County has exceeded 70% with the highest rate in the state, supported in part by Pacific’s robust community vaccination efforts earlier this year.
As we gradually transition out of pandemic regulations, we are deeply grateful for the resilience of our students and employees over the past 15 months. The pandemic has changed much about how we all live, learn, work and even relate to one another. We encourage patience, flexibility and understanding as our communities adjust to this next transition.
Vaccines: Allowing Us to Reopen
Vaccination is what allows us to begin the return to normal operations. COVID-19 vaccines remain required for all students and employees.
Students must complete their vaccination series at least two weeks before returning to campus for the fall. Those who are unable to obtain vaccinations prior to arrival will have opportunities to access vaccines on campus. Forest Grove undergraduate students, upload your vaccine documentation to the Student Health Center here. All graduate and professional students will use Certify for documentation.
All employees must be vaccinated by Aug. 1. Employees will receive a link in the next week via Paycom to upload their vaccine or approved exemption documentation.
Limited exemptions are available for medical or religious reasons. Exemptions must be documented and approved by the above dates.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines.
Masks: Respect & Protect
Fully vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks indoors or outdoors on campus starting July 1.
Anyone who is unvaccinated should continue wearing a mask indoors or in high-traffic areas.
Masks also remain required in healthcare settings and likely will be required in K-12 schools when classes resume this fall. Pacific is home to both healthcare clinics and a preK-4 school.
There will be members of our community who continue wearing masks for many reasons: They may be unvaccinated for medical or religious reasons. They may be at higher risk due to immunocompromising conditions. They may be concerned for families at home who cannot be vaccinated, including young children or medically vulnerable adults.
We also know that other respiratory illnesses, such as cold and flu, were significantly reduced last winter while people wore masks, and we encourage mask use for anyone with symptoms of any respiratory illness.
Please be respectful of people’s personal decision to wear a mask for their protection or the protection of others in our communities.
Resuming Operations | Phasing In
From the July 1 restriction lifting to the Aug. 1 employee vaccination deadline, we will be phasing in a return to normal operations. Individual campus facilities and offices will gradually return to in-person operations and normal hours. Campus signage and information also will be updated throughout this period.
We appreciate your patience as we resume operations leading up to the fall semester, and we look forward to in-person learning and teaching this fall.