Reed College
Reed College

Community Safety

Division of Student Life

September 13, 2020

Dear students, faculty, and staff:

Starting with positive news, the threat of wildfire is not increasing in Multnomah County. As a result, there are no orders for evacuation in Multnomah County.

The difficult news is air quality is ranging from "very unhealthy" to "hazardous" in Portland, and these conditions may continue through the next several days. Therefore, the college will continue to curtail operations on Monday, September 14.

Summary of curtailed operations on Monday, September 14

  • All classes will be held online.
  • COVID-19 surveillance testing on campus is canceled for Monday and Tuesday.
  • To the extent possible, staff and faculty will work from home and not travel to campus.
  • To the extent possible, student work shifts will be canceled, postponed, or carried out remotely.
  • Commons will remain fully open for food service.
  • The library is closed, but the lobby is open. Online services are available.
  • Because of the current AQI, Reed is mandating and supplying N-95 masks for anyone whose job requires them to work outside (e.g., delivering meals or conducting foot patrols). N-95s are not required for those who are walking from one building to another.

Resources about wildfire smoke and public health

We remind you there is helpful information here about how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke. There are also excellent resources on the American Lung Association website here.

For all students: 

Yesterday, student life held a Community Preparedness Conversation via Zoom. Karnell McConnell-Black, Ed.D., vice president for student life, Gary Granger, director of community safety, and Cindy Anderson, interim dean of students shared with students a situational update, campus evacuation plans, and how students should prepare. A recording of this conversation can be found here.

For students living on campus:

  • Students isolating in MacNaughton may order meals for delivery by Bon Appetit through the dining app. Due to limited wellness meal delivery staff during these air quality conditions, wellness meal delivery is available to on-campus students who are under instruction to quarantine only. All other students are asked to order and pick-up meals from Commons.  
  • Students with pre-existing respiratory conditions that necessitate an N-95 mask should follow the guidance sent to on-campus students on September 12. 
  • Maintenance staff did walkthroughs this weekend to identify where windows were open or unlatched, and they closed them. We remind students to close windows and doors.
  • The airflow coming into buildings through the HVAC systems is being filtered. 
  • When entering buildings with foyers, be sure the exterior doors are closed before opening the interior doors. This will help keep the smoke outside.

Student healthcare needs

  • All students have access to Health and Counseling Center services Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Students who have after-hours medical concerns should contact FoneMed Nurse Advice Line at 800-214-4469. Students struggling with mental health concerns after-hours should call the Reed Counseling Hotline at 866-432-1224.
  • Students who live off campus who feel that their healthcare needs are acute enough to receive urgent medical attention should call 911.
  • Students who live on campus who feel that their healthcare needs are acute enough to receive urgent medical attention should contact Community Safety at 

community-safety@reed.edu
CSOs: 503-517-5355
Text CSOs: 503-849-8678
Office: 28 West

Questions

  • Students: Student life staff are available to assist with general questions from students. The Emergency Response Team can address any emergency procedure related questions. If it is an emergency, Community Safety should be contacted. If you have a question related to your classes, please contact your professor directly.
  • Staff: If you do not know if you are required to come to campus to work tomorrow, please contact your supervisor. You may direct questions about air quality and safety to your supervisor and Environmental Health and Safety.
  • Faculty: If you have a specific need or concern related to air quality or wildfires affecting your work on campus, you can speak to the dean of the faculty's office.

When will you hear from us next? Because air quality continues to fluctuate, we will communicate each day around 6 p.m. regarding operations for the following day.

We know these are difficult times. We thank all of you for your care and attention to the wellbeing of our community members. 

All our best,
Gary Granger
Director of Community Safety
Emergency Response Team (ERT)

P. S. We are keeping track of all of our communications to the community here. A link to this page is also posted on Reed.edu's homepage.