As the University of Oregon and Oregon State University welcome more people back onto campus, both schools are now requiring face coverings to be worn in all campus buildings.
While Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced this week that face coverings would soon be required in all indoor public spaces in seven counties, that mandate doesn’t include Lane or Benton Counties, where the main campuses of the U of O and OSU are located. But the schools have implemented such a policy anyway.
It applies to students, staff, faculty and visitors to all campus buildings, with some exceptions. Those include people working alone in an enclosed area, students in their own dorm room, and people exercising in gyms where barriers are provided and physical distancing is observed. There are also exceptions for people with medical conditions that prevent them from wearing a mask.
Both schools say they’ll provide face coverings to people without one.
As for enforcement, both schools say they'll post signs around campus stating the policy. OSU says people who refuse to wear a mask but don't meet an exemption "may be referred to remote-only service." The U of O says enforcement procedures for employees "will comply with ... applicable collective bargaining agreeents," and that enforcement procedures for students are still being developed.
The policies don't specifically address the use of face coverings at sporting events, although OSU says its requirement applies to "high-density shared outdoor spaces." The U of O's policy states that face coverings are "recommended" in outdoor campus areas when physical distancing requirements cannot be met.
Here is a link to the University of Oregon's face covering policy.
Here is a link to Oregon State University's face covering policy.
