Pilots Prevent
February 2, 2021
University of Portland’s full Coronavirus travel policy is available online, and it mostly boils down to the same thing the state has been telling us since last March: stay home. That’s because every time we go into close quarters with strangers on an airplane or train, or venture to locales with lax regulations and mandates, we’re increasing the possibility we could contract and spread the virus.
If traveling is unavoidable, it’s important to stay informed about the latest guidelines from the Oregon Health Authority and Centers for Disease Control. And any request for University-sponsored travel must be approved not only by a supervisor or dean, it must also be approved by a University officer, who can veto the request if it’s deemed unnecessary or could put the traveler or campus community at risk.
“The University strongly discourages anyone, employees and students, from doing any non-emergency travel,” says associate provost Elise Moentmann. “That was the main rationale for us not to have Spring Break. Not all students travel, but many do, so we decided for their health and safety, and the health and safety of the community they would be returning to, it’s best not to have a full week of break.”
Like many universities around the country, UP is forgoing the traditional week-long vacation in the middle of the spring semester in order to discourage unnecessary travel and minimize the risks associated with it. But in its place, UP will offer a series of two-day mini breaks—one at the end of February, one in the middle of April, and the three-day Easter weekend with Good Friday off.
“We understand that people need to have a little break—faculty need a break from teaching, students need a break from classes and due dates,” says Moentmann. “We know it’s hard to get through the 15-week semester without a break at all.”
A couple days off during the school week offers just enough time to relax and explore some of the fun things we can do closer to home, things like hikes and day-trips—socially distanced and wearing masks, of course.
And these kinds of outings won’t undermine all of the hard work that has gone into bringing students back to campus this spring. “The testing protocols that we’re implementing are such an important initiative in keeping the community safe,” says Moentmann. “The only way we felt comfortable bringing more students back to campus this spring was by testing and limiting how much people interact with others off campus.”
But when people in the campus community travel, they disrupt that carefully crafted plan by adding a lot more variables. The best thing they—any of us—can do is keep our adventures COVID-safe and close to home.
“There are lots of things that are close by, but are still fun to do and safe,” says Moentmann. “And they preserve the well-being of the University community too.”
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