July 8, 2020

Dear neighbors,

I write to share important information about Reed's COVID-19 prevention and response plan that impacts public access to campus. First, I want to thank you for being great neighbors. We have enjoyed seeing you out and about on the campus grounds, but have missed inviting you to concerts, lectures, and other campus events.

In the spring, Reed moved its instruction remotely and made adjustments to campus operations to maintain the health and safety of the 150 students who remained. We implemented physical distancing protocols, made the Reed canyon trails one-way to eliminate intersecting traffic, and controlled access to buildings. We have much-appreciated everyone's compliance with these types of changes.

Unavoidably, more changes are ahead of us as we navigate college operations while prioritizing our community's health and wellbeing for the coming fall semester. We recently announced that Reed students will be returning to campus in August for in-person instruction. We arrived at our decision understanding that the threat the virus poses is still very much with us, but that we are now better prepared to face it. Our prevention and response plan is informed by national, state, and local public health guidelines and is being carefully executed. 

Reed will be following the guidance of the Oregon Health Authority and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, and closing the campus to public access beginning August 3. The closure, which will remain in effect until further notice, encompasses the entire campus, including library and other facilities, parking lots, lawns, sports fields, canyon trails, and off-leash dog areas. While this decision is difficult to make, we believe it is a step the college must take to reduce campus density and lessen the risk of COVID-19 transmission. 

For more than 100 years, we have enthusiastically welcomed our neighbors to Reed. We deeply value our connections with the entire community, and especially those of you who frequent the campus. We know this decision will disappoint many, but we believe this extraordinary measure is a step we must take for the community's health.

We all look forward to the day when we can invite you back. Until that day, we thank you for your cooperation, and we wish you good health.

Sincerely,

Kevin Myers
Director of Communications