Amidst the news of the COVID-19 outbreak of the Winter and Spring 2020 terms, we believe living in such tight quarters is a danger to not only those who live in the dorms, but also those they may come in contact with as well. This includes live-in staff who are still required to be on campus despite the viral outbreak, and staff who are in dining halls, cafes, and other student positions in the university.

To lessen the degree of which the COVID-19 pandemic can spread in the community, allowing spring term resident hall contracts to be dissolved, if desired, would be a way to effectively stem the spread of disease on campus and allow for students to return to live lectures and classes sooner. Requiring first-year students to live on campus will only promote the continual spread of disease and panic. Having these students in such close contact will limit, and possibly prevent, any measures of social distancing from being effective.

This will allow students to continue to be health conscientious and safe while still having easy access to the university and classes. Mitigating the spread of the disease should be the number one priority while continuing to provide an effective and quality education to Oregon State University students.