Office of the Registrar

From: OSU Leadership

Dear Oregon State Community:

While six months have passed since wildfires devastated communities in Maui, many are still grieving, communities are recovering, and students, colleagues and friends still need our support.

Centered around the town of Lahaina, wildfires in August 2023 were the deadliest in recent U.S. history. More than 5,000 residents were displaced, and many thousands more were deeply impacted by the loss of loved ones, livelihoods, family heritage and cultural history.

The magnitude of this disaster has been especially hard on OSU students and employees with ties to the Hawaiian Islands who face the challenging call to support family, friends and community from a distance. Some students and employees call Hawai’i home. Others have connection to Hawai’i through friends, family and work relationships.

Support comes in many different forms for different individuals. Some need a friendly person to talk to about their experience, grief counseling or monetary assistance. Others are struggling with food or housing insecurity. At OSU, impacted community members may find it difficult to navigate academic or work priorities when distracted by the needs of affected loved ones.

If you need support or know someone who does, please consider the following resources available to OSU students and employees.

Student Resources

• Join a student-led Pacific Islander group that includes social gatherings and provides programming highlighting Pacific Islander culture: 
  • Pacific Islander Association
  • Hui O Hawaii
  • Asian & Pacific Cultural Center
  • Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws
  • Ka ‘Ikena Hawai’i
• Seek assistance through OSU programs and services:
  • Basic Needs Center, on the Corvallis campus, to access food assistance, textbook lending and other programs. At OSU-Cascades, access ASCC student support programs such as the food pantry, child care subsidy and textbook lending.   
  • Counseling or supportive group spaces through Counseling and Psychological Services and by contacting Amanda Poe, Coordinator of Indigenous Student Mental Health and Wellness or Marcey Bamba, Senior Director of Clinical Services. At OSU-Cascades, contact counseling through Student Wellness.
  • Student Care on the Corvallis campus and the Student Care Team at OSU-Cascades assist students experiencing extenuating circumstances through resource referral, care coordination and university navigation.
• Engage the Indigenous Studies Program, which offers courses exploring Pacific Islander cultural identities and histories, including “Intro to Pacific Islands Studies” and “Peoples of the World – the Pacific.” Join in community with others by volunteering at the Reciprocity Garden, located at Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture in Corvallis and helping maintain a local Kalo (taro) patch and other culturally significant plants of the Pacific Islands. Email Patricia Fifita for more information.

Employee Resources

• Get in touch with the Association for Faculty and Staff for the Advancement of People of Color to build a community with other employees of color at OSU. 
• Engage the President’s Commission on Indigenous Affairs, which includes a Pacific Islander branch and works to address the needs of OSU community members who are Indigenous to the Americas and Pacific Islands. Email Marcey Bamba for more information.
• Impacted employees are encouraged to speak with their supervisors about vacation leave and sick leave or flexible work options to support well-being. 
• Connect with Lyra Health, a confidential, no-cost service available to all OSU employees and members of their households. Lyra is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of location, to provide mental health coaching, counseling and other forms of support for employees’ emotional well-being. A counselor with expertise addressing the mental health needs of employees of color is available on the Corvallis campus weekly. Email Christina Schaaf, Work-Life Coordinator in the Office of University Human Resources, with questions or for referrals. 
• Engage with KALO Hawaiian Civic Club of Oregon, which advocates for and elevates the voices of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities through cultural practices and educational opportunities. Email Aunty Kris Galago for more information.   
• In conjunction with the Hawaii State Bar Association, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation and the Maui County Bar Association, free legal resources are available through Pono Legal on topics including housing, consumer and employment issues, probate and trust administration, FEMA appeals and document replacement.

We are grateful to the OSU students and employees who aided in assembling these resources. The OSU community expresses its aloha (love) to those affected by the Maui Wildfires by offering these avenues of ongoing kokua (support).

In the spirit of lokahi (solidarity), we remember those lost and those forever impacted. Mahalo nui loa (with much respect and gratitude), we recognize OSU students and employees who are coming together to malama (care for one another) and find strength in community. 

Sincerely,

Heather Horn, Vice Provost and Chief Human Resources Officer
Dan Larson, Vice Provost for Student Affairs-Senior Advisor to the Provost for Operations
Rick Settersten, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Scott A. Vignos, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer