COVID-19 Updates
Aug. 10, 2021 Update
Multnomah County Mandates Masks Indoors
Starting on Aug. 13, Multnomah County will be implementing an indoor mask mandate for all public indoor spaces. This mandate applies to those who are both vaccinated and unvaccinated. Western Seminary will be following these guidelines at our Portland Campus. Masks will need to be worn everywhere indoors except when alone in a private work space.
Aug. 2, 2021 Update
Santa Clara County Mandates Masks Indoors
Starting on Aug. 2, Santa Clara County instituted an indoor mask mandate for all public indoor spaces. This mandate applies to those who are both vaccinated and unvaccinated. Western Seminary will be following these guidelines at our San Jose Campus. Masks will need to be worn everywhere indoors except when alone in a private work space.
June 30, 2021 Update
Portland Campus Updates Mask Policy
In response to the state of Oregon lifting most pandemic-related health and safety requirements, Western Seminary's Portland Campus has updated its policy on social distancing and mask mandates. As of June 30, any individual who is fully vaccinated (2 weeks after receiving their final COVID-19 shot) will no longer be required to wear a mask while on campus.
For those who are not vaccinated, please continue to wear masks and be mindful of the physical distance while indoors and in group settings. We will continue to monitor the CDC guidelines and all applicable next steps as we get ready for the fall semester.
April 5, 2021 Update
Sacramento and San Jose Campuses Open on a Limited Basis
Effective April 5, the Sacramento and San Jose campuses are open to students on a limited basis. Sacramento is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. San Jose is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary.
Sacramento students can reach out to Lindsay McKinnon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 916.488.3720 with any questions. San Jose students may reach out to Williana Purnama at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 408.356.6889.
March 18, 2021 Update
Western Offering More On-campus Instruction This Summer
Western Seminary is providing more opportunities for in-person instruction beginning in May, with 12 Flex courses offered on the Portland campus. Flex courses give students the option of attending in person or remotely.
"Flex courses have provided a creative option during the unique circumstances of this past year," said Josh Mathews, vice president of academic affairs. "We are grateful for the technology and classroom space to be able to uphold both the value of being present together in the classroom and the importance of wise safety measures."
Upcoming Flex offerings include the following master's level courses:
- BL503 FL - Interpreting Acts to Revelation, with Daniel K. Eng
- CH502 FL - Insight and Inspiration from Church History, with Todd Miles
- ML504 FL - Taking the Gospel to Diverse Cultures, with Mark Hedinger
- OT523 FL - Hebrew Syntax and Reading, with Josh Mathews
- TH503 FL - Living as the Community of the Spirit: Theology III, with Todd Miles
- TH504 FL - Integrating Ministry and Theology, with Gerry Breshears
- TH570 FL - Select Topics in Theology - Theological Anthropology, with Marc Cortez
Open registration for the summer semester ends on March 31. See a full list of course schedules for the summer semester, and review our COVID-19 campus safety requirements.
Nov. 18, 2020 Update
San Jose and Sacramento Campuses Open by Appointment Only
Effective Nov. 18, the San Jose and Sacramento campuses are open to students by appointment only. Study space reservations are currently not available. Santa Clara and Placer counties are both currently in a Purple Tier (Widespread), which is the most restrictive tier in California's Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Appointments are required and can be made for picking or dropping off of resources only. San Jose students may reach out to Williana Purnama at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Sacramento students can reach out to Lindsay McKinnon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 916.488.3720.
Oct. 5, 2020 Update
San Jose Campus Opening Oct. 5 on a Limited Basis
Starting on Monday, Oct. 5, Western's San Jose Campus will be opening its Student Resource Center (SRC) to students on a limited basis and by appointment only. Students may schedule an appointment for access to library services and reserve a study space on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Reservations are required and must be made at least 24 hours in advance. Reservations can be made online:
To ensure the safety and well-being of our learning community, the San Jose Campus is implementing the following policies and procedures:
- Reservations for study space are limited to a maximum of four students per time slot.
- Reservations for library services are limited to a maximum of one student per time slot.
- Students with appointments/reservations, faculty, and staff must complete the employee and visitor log upon arrival and departure (for contact tracing purposes).
- Face masks / coverings must be worn at all times when on campus.
- No food or beverages allowed (with the exception of water).
- Disposable masks, hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, and tissues are strategically placed in multiple locations throughout the SRC.
- Scheduled and frequent cleaning of the SRC.
At this time, the Education Building remains closed and all San Jose Campus classes will continue to be held remotely for the entirety of the fall 2020 semester. Faculty and staff members are available by email and phone.
Sept. 10, 2020 Update
Portland Campus Re-opens on a Limited Basis for Fall Semester
Starting Friday, Sept. 11, Western Seminary’s Portland campus is opening on a limited basis to students and visitors. As we announced in July, we are adopting a hybrid course delivery model for the fall semester, which means some of our courses will be fully remote while a select few will be available both remotely and on-campus. The courses that include an in-person option are what we are calling Flex courses.
On-campus Flex Courses
Students who will be attending the on-campus portion of the Flex courses have been sent detailed instructions for campus use and classroom expectations during the semester. To maximize the safety of our students participating in in-person classes, we are implementing the following safety requirements:
- Masks must be worn by everyone at all times except when eating in designated areas.
- No eating is permitted in the classroom and drinking is only allowed with a device with a straw.
- Instructors will take daily attendance for contact tracing purposes.
- Student seating has been determined to ensure social distancing is maintained.
- Hand sanitizer, wipes, and masks will be provided in multiple areas
- All surfaces in Bueermann Hall rooms 104 and 105, bathrooms, and entry ways will be cleaned and sanitized before each class period.
Library Hours
The Portland campus library will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To ensure the safety of all those using the library, masks will be required at all times and total occupancy will be limited to 25 people. Additionally, study areas and computer work areas have been moved to maximize social distancing. Visitors will also be asked upon entry to sign in for contact tracing purposes.
Specific campus related hours and updates will also be posted on our Campus Updates page.
July 1, 2020 Update
All Campus Courses Will Be Offered Remotely this Fall
To best serve and care for our students in the midst of the continuing COVID-19 crisis, Western Seminary will continue to offer all on-campus courses remotely in the fall for Portland, Sacramento, and San Jose campuses. A select few Portland-campus courses will be made available as Flex courses, which allow some students to meet on campus while the others join through video conference.
Throughout our assessment of plans for the fall, Western’s leadership has been guided by the following three operating principles:
- Ensure the health, wellbeing, and safety of our students, faculty, and staff.
- Provide a way to keep students on track to complete their degree program in a timely fashion.
- Ensure we are providing the most robust pedagogical experience possible for students.
Registration for all campuses is open from July 1–31. Class schedules for Fall 2020 are now available.
June 23, 2020 Update
CARES Act Funds Allocated to Students
In what has been a financially difficult time for many students, Western Seminary is pleased to announce it will be passing on to students a significant portion of the money it received through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.
Western received $100,084 through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Of those funds, over $50,042 has been allocated for emergency financial aid grants to students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.
For more information on eligibility and an update on fund disbursement details, visit our CARES Act page.
June 8, 2020 Update
Sacramento Campus Transitions to Soft Reopening
Beginning June 8, we have transitioned to a "soft reopening" of our Sacramento Campus. This decision was made in response to Placer County entering "Phase 2" of reopening. Campus hours will be Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Visit our Campus Updates page for more information on the conditions and expectations in Sacramento.
April 23, 2020 Update
Zoom Update from Our Faculty
Professors Kay Bruce, Gerry Breshears and Patrick Schreiner share an update via Zoom on how theological education is continuing in an online format at Western Seminary.
March 24, 2020 Update
Message from Our Provost
Watch this brief message from Chuck Conniry, Provost and VP of Academic Affairs at Western Seminary:
March 20, 2020 Update
California Campuses Closed to all Staff and Visitors
In reponse to the statewide coronavirus shelter-in-place order for California, both our Sacramento and San Jose campuses are now closed to all staff and visitors.
Message from President Randy Roberts
See a recent message from Western Seminary President Randy Roberts discussing our Christian response to this pandemic.
March 19, 2020 Update
All Campus Locations Closing Until Further Notice Beginning Saturday
In an effort to protect the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty, staff, and surrounding communities, we will be closing all campus locations beginning Saturday, March 21. All campus buildings and libraries will be closed to students and other visitors until further notice. Most of our employees will be working remotely, and only essential personnel will remain on campus (this applies to the Portland campus only).
Regional and federal regulations are changing and evolving at a rapid pace. We are monitoring the situation and will be working on making any needed changes in order to ensure the safety and health of the community.
Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions and Technology Resources for more information as we work to transition all classes to an online-only format beginning March 23.
Students may access our Help Site for additional tools and resources.
March 16, 2020 Update
San Jose Campus Closed
On March 16, 2020, the Health Officer of the County of Santa Clara issued an order directing all individuals living in the county to shelter at their place of residence. The full order can be read here.
The San Jose Campus is currently closed until further notice.
During this time, all San Jose Campus staff will be working remotely and can be reached via email. All on-campus classes are being transitioned to an online-only format. Please stay tuned for updates and information from your instructors.
We will continue to monitor this fluid situation and share updates as they become available.
March 14, 2020 Update
Western Seminary Community,
We want to provide important updates regarding our institutional response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis. Starting the week of March 23, all campus-based courses will transition to an online-only format for the remainder of the semester.
All Students
If students have concerns about attending on-campus classes during this coming week (the week of March 16), we will give you the option of staying home without penalty from your professor for missing that week’s class session. Your professors are already thinking about the best ways to accommodate those who opt out of next week’s class sessions. Please reach out to your professor directly, should you have to miss class.
Online Students
All online courses will be mostly unchanged. For course updates, please check your course’s Online Learning Center (OLC) page for an update or check in with your professor directly. If your online course is affected by the COVID-19 measures (e.g. TH 504), the online campus will be reaching out to you directly. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the online campus via the Online Learning Center.
San Jose + Sacramento Students
Our faculty and adjunct colleagues in Sacramento and San Jose will be working directly with Wes Ehrhart, Executive Dean of our Northern California campuses, and will likely be transitioning courses to an online format starting the week of March 16. Please stay tuned for messages from your directors of student services and professors.
Portland + Online Graduates
In light of increasing restrictions mandated by local and federal governments in response to the spread of COVID-19, Western Seminary is postponing the graduation banquet and commencement ceremony which were scheduled to take place on April 24 and 25, 2020.
We will continue to monitor recommendations from the CDC and local authorities and are hoping to reschedule these events in May or June. We will let the community know about the new dates as soon as possible. We will also be issuing refunds for all purchased banquet tickets this week, allowing you to purchase them again once the banquet has been rescheduled.
Please consult our coronavirus FAQs page as well as the 2020 Western Seminary commencement page for more information and updates regarding plans for the rescheduled graduation activities.
Policy changes aimed at prevention and mitigation of the coronavirus in both the public and private sectors remain very fluid, and since the best of plans are subject to change, Western Seminary has created this web page to keep our community informed of the most recent developments.
This pandemic represents an unprecedented set of challenges for all of us. We want to express our gratitude to you, our students, for the mature manner by which you have thus far handled these circumstances. What makes us unique as a gospel-centered educational community is our common commitment to Jesus Christ and our trust that our God is in charge, even in seasons of relative chaos and uncertainty. Let’s continue to pray for those who are directly affected by the coronavirus and for the most vulnerable in our communities.
Yours in Christ's service,
Randal Roberts, DMin
President
Charles Conniry, Jr., PhD
Provost | VP of Academic Affairs
