Letter from PSUFA to University on Lifted Mask Mandate

Dear President Percy, Provost Jeffords, and PSU Incident Management Team,

We have heard from many adjunct faculty members and students who are deeply disappointed in PSU’s decision to lift all mask mandates in spring term. If PSU’s administration chooses to go forward without a schoolwide mask mandate for spring quarter, then we ask that you allow faculty to make their own mask policy for their classes, and for PSU to support faculty to implement those policies by communicating to students that some classes will require masks and that the school will enforce each faculty’s mask policy.

We also recommend that students be able to ask for DRC accommodations that include a mask mandate for the classes they are enrolled in. 

More than a quarter of PSU classes are taught by adjuncts (34%), many of whom still do not have access to adequate healthcare. By removing the mask mandate, you are expecting these faculty to take on health risks of acute or lingering disease and disability in the course of doing their jobs without any kind of healthcare support.

Several parts of the world, including China, are beginning to see a new wave of COVID-19. New York City and other parts of the country are seeing huge increases in the rate of the BA.2 variant of the virus in their tests of sewage. Let us not be rash about declaring the pandemic over prematurely, yet one more time, at the expense of the health of our students and workers.

We must make sure we are taking into consideration the very real ongoing risks that COVID-19 poses to our community, especially our more vulnerable members including those of us who are immunocompromised and those without access to adequate healthcare. 

Sincerely,
Ariana Jacob on behalf of PSUFA Executive Council

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References on increases of new COVID-19 variants:

New York Times
The Independent
Gothamist
Andy Slavitt

PSU, Omicron, and You

Dear members,
We are all concerned about the surging COVID-19 numbers in our community right now.

Based on our conversations with Admin, we do not believe PSU is going to go all remote this term. That said, the most important thing right now is that you, your family, and your students do what is needed to stay safe. We suggest that you reach out to your department if changing the modality of your class will make you feel safer, and we will support you with that request.

Below are:

• PSU's written guidelines for switching your class to remote

• Advice on what to make of this policy

• What we know about getting tested as an employee of PSU

• What we're doing as a union

• A few actions you can take

PSU Policy on Going Remote

Here is the current PSU policy regarding COVID-19 and working remotely, which was part of an email sent by Provost Susan Jeffords on Friday, January 7:

1. In classes in which 20% or more of students are absent due to COVID-19, faculty may—in consultation with deans and department chairs—shift in-person classes temporarily to remote instruction. It may not be feasible for some classes, such as labs or internships, to shift to remote modalities.

2. For classes that remain in person, instructors are encouraged to utilize the existing Zoom capacities that were installed in all general pool classrooms to enable students who cannot attend in person to be able to stay current with the class;

3. In-person classes in which the instructor must quarantine or attend to symptoms may shift temporarily to remote instruction.

4. Please provide at least 24-hour notice to students when class modalities are changed.

5. Any in-person classes that shift temporarily to remote should return to in-person instruction by February 7.

More info: Employee resources for Return to Campus; PSU COVID-19 Dashboard.

Our Advice

We encourage you to make liberal use of the guidelines above. If you, someone in your household, or someone you take care of has ANY symptoms—such as a sore throat or fatigue—then you should feel confident in making a request to your supervisor to go remote.

Unfortunately, there is no clear guidance for measuring whether student absences are COVID-related. Thus, if approximately 20% of your class is absent (regardless of whether or not you know they are absent for COVID-19 reasons), you should feel confident in making a request to your supervisor.

We understand how language like “faculty may—in consultation with deans” can seem daunting, but nothing should hold you back from being able to work in an environment in which you feel safe. If you want to work remotely, then you have to take action! If you want any support in doing this, please reach out to president [at] psufa.org.

Testing

University Communications sent out an email yesterday with the subject “New COVID-19 testing access for PSU employees” with instructions on how to access these services. The access method is not through SHAC and instead focuses on a voucher system which can be used to set an appointment at three locations:

• Portland Lloyd District (walk-up clinic, accessible via MAX and Streetcar)

• The Vancouver Mall in Vancouver, WA (drive-through clinic)

• Washington Square Mall in Tigard (drive-through clinic)

Start by filling out this form.

We also want to plug the Curative site again, where you can book a free test in Portland. Sign up in advance for an assured appointment or try walk-in appointments, which are often also available. You are asked to provide your insurance info if you have it, but there is no out-of-pocket cost. As of last night some of the Curative sites were offering next-day appointments.

What We’re Doing

PSUFA is meeting with PSU this afternoon to get more clarity around COVID-19 numbers and whether there is a threshold at which they would consider fully remote teaching. We are going to be contacting you via text to hear your specific concerns.

We also invite you to join us at the next PSUFA Executive Council Meeting this Friday to discuss any COVID-19 issues. You can join the meeting here at 1:30 p.m. If you can’t make it but want to ask a question or share anything about your experience, email president [at] psufa.org.

Our bottom line is that you should feel safe while doing your job. If you do not, let us know and we will do what we can to fight for you.

Other Actions You Can Take

If you do test positive, please let SHAC know via this form. Contact tracing is an important tool in minimizing the spread of the virus and protecting our community.

You can request that the university provide PPE (masks, hand sanitizer, and cleaning wipes) via this form. We encourage you to use this request form as it is important for PSU to know how much need there is for proper equipment to keep us safer in our workplace.

If you want PSU to move to all remote, there is a petition led by students that you can sign. Students are collecting signatures demanding the entire university go remote for at least two weeks.

Delay Portland State University's Return to Campus: Sign the Petition

PSUFA, along with PSU-AAUP, SEIU Local 89, and GEU are requesting urgent action now, and asking Portland State University to return to remote learning in order to protect our students, staff, and faculty from spreading and contracting COVID-19.

With record numbers of COVID-19 cases in our state and across the nation and breakthrough cases in Oregon at 14% (of known cases), PSU needs to take urgent action to ensure the health and safety of not only our PSU faculty, staff, and students, but also the city and state-wide community.

We believe that remaining remote for the foreseeable future would drastically reduce the chance of a major outbreak on campus (which has already happened at other institutions). Returning to in-person would have ripple effects throughout the community, and would drastically contribute to the life-threatening pandemic that rages across the globe.

Click the button below to sign the petition, and read the full letter below.

Dear President Percy, the Board of Trustees, and Provost Jeffords,​

With record high numbers of Covid cases in our state and across the nation and breakthrough cases in Oregon at 14% (of known cases), PSU needs to take urgent action to ensure the health and safety of not only our PSU faculty, staff, and students, but also the city and state-wide community (see “Oregon, once a virus success story, struggles with surge”). The current alarming upward trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is reaching the highest numbers since the beginning of this nightmare, proves that the risk is higher than ever, and it’s safe to predict that infection rates will only increase should more and more people begin to congregate in person. The current rates have been increasing dramatically during the summer months while schools and universities have been either remote or out of session, and there is little reason to believe that the pandemic will be under control by the time faculty, staff, and students will be expected to return. Those that have already returned or been working in-person have experienced breakouts. Furthermore, many offices on campus do not allow for social distancing from those with whom we might meet or share space. While it hasn’t been easy, our University has delivered high quality remote instruction and support to our students for the last 17 months, and for the health and safety of our community, we must continue remote learning and support until it is safe to return to campus. We are still in a global pandemic and it’s on the rise.

A large number of staff are currently scheduled to return to campus on September 7 and the University has not shared a detailed plan for contact tracing, nor is there a plan for regular testing for those that aren’t vaccinated. Our vaccination requirement does not ask for any proof. Furthermore, the university isn’t currently requiring people to report their positive Covid tests; rather the policy simply states it’s “strongly recommended." The administration needs to prioritize the health and safety of its employees, students, and beloved city.

We believe that remaining remote for the foreseeable future would drastically reduce the chance of a major outbreak on campus (which has already happened at other institutions). Returning to in-person would have ripple effects throughout the community, and would drastically contribute to the life-threatening pandemic that rages across the globe. Does Oregon need to be the site of the next variant? Furthermore, remaining remote would allow for all those impacted to prepare in advance, rather than finding ourselves in a situation where we would have to pivot back to remote work without notice. The safety and consistency that remote options provide would be the most socially responsible, compassionate, and prudent way to proceed until the pandemic has ended. We can not return to campus when we know it will put every person and those they love in a life or death situation.

We understand that some staff members will need to continue to be on campus as has been the case since March 2020. We are grateful to all those that have been on campus the last 17 months and by most of us staying remote this has let those workers have safer in person conditions. WIth increasing case numbers and higher transmission rates, on campus workers must be provided with PPE in the form of N95 masks and assistance with properly fitting those masks. These folks also need hazard pay. Remote meeting, advising and teaching will reduce the risk of exposure on campus and create a safer environment for those that are on campus.

We request urgent action now to protect our students, staff, and faculty!

Portland State University American Association of University Professors (PSU-AAUP)
Graduate Employees Union of Portland State University (GEU of PSU, AFT/AAUP)
Portland State University Faculty Association (PSUFA)
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 89