Students: Navigating 'Stay Home' at Pacific

On March 23, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a new executive order (No. 20-12) requiring Oregon residents to stay home as much as possible to slow the spread of COVID-19. This order closes many types of businesses and requires institutions such as Pacific to limit operations to allow for physical distancing.

Our mission is, and always will be, the education of our students. We are committed to making every effort to help students graduate on time. Know that, even as delivery of that education has to change during this unprecedented time, we are working diligently to find creative ways to keep you on track and successful.

As an institution with expertise in healthcare, we are taking a long view of this pandemic. We know that these conditions may last weeks, if not months. We are working to plan accordingly without false promises that we’ll get back to business-as-usual immediately. But we will get there. In the meantime, we offer you a guide to navigating the “Stay Home, Save Lives” phase of this pandemic.

Spring & Summer Courses Online

All spring term courses will be delivered online starting no later than April 1. This will continue throughout the end of the term. Summer term courses also will be online as much as possible. Faculty members are working creatively to convert to a model that can be delivered meaningfully at a distance. Students who do not have a computer for online learning, please complete this survey so that we can assess needs and try to provide assistance.

Delayed Clinical Rotations

We also are working to identify ways to measure clinical skills and to replace clinical education opportunities that may be interrupted by the pandemic response. We will collaborate with accrediting agencies to help make sure that students are able to graduate on time if at all as possible.

Residential Students

We are encouraging our residential students to move home this week if they can. Students who have a compelling or urgent need to stay on campus will be allowed to do so. However, residential students may be moved to optimize the use of Pacific buildings and physical distancing. Students who remain on campus are responsible for following the governor’s stay home orders, which will mean limited access to areas of campus. Summer housing will not be available.

Campus Facilities

Students will not have general access to classrooms, labs or many campus buildings. In locations that are open, students and employees will be required to adhere to appropriate physical distancing practices.

In Forest Grove:

The University Center will be open to students with limited hours. Dining will move to a takeout-only model starting March 30, when the Café returns.
The Mail Room will be open for limited hours, and mail will have to be picked up rather than delivered to residence halls. The Boxer Food Share in Forest Grove will move to the University Center, Room 104.
The Tran Library will be closed, with the exception of the 24-hour study space.
The Stoller Center will be closed. Students will be required to maintain physical distancing in these common spaces, including outdoors.

In Hillsboro:

The first-floor lounge in Hillsboro Building 2 will be open. The food pantry will be relocated to this space.
Students may have limited meetings with faculty for skill competency learning or exams on an appointment basis only.

University Events

University events have been canceled through the end of the term, and more may be canceled depending on circumstances moving forward. We will not be able to hold a Commencement Ceremony in May, but we are planning to host a ceremony for 2020 graduates as soon as it is possible to do so. Many gatherings are being moved to an online format to help people continue to stay connected. Look to the university calendar for new opportunities.

Student Services

To protect our students and employees — and comply with the governor’s order — we are limiting the number of staff members on campus. But we are still here for you! Find up-to-date details on adjusted services, hours and locations.

Staying Healthy, Staying Informed

On Sunday, we reported our first confirmed positive test for a Pacific employee. It is likely there will be more due to the community transmission that we are now seeing in our region. We will continue to work to connect with anyone who has direct contact with a member of the Pacific community who tests positive.

Please watch for continued communication around Pacific’s pandemic response on social media, by email, and at pacificu.edu/coronavirus. And do not hesitate to reach out to your professors and support staff for help.

Though we must be apart to stay safe, know that we are still here for you!

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Lee Falls Fire