Campus Planning and Facilities Management is scheduling power testing on the Eugene campus for Wednesday, Sept. 6, between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The testing will focus on the University of Oregon’s island mode operation, which is the system used to generate power independently from the Eugene Water and Electric Board systems. The testing affects most of the campus with some exceptions.
During the series of tests, power will shift between the UO’s power source and EWEB’s for most of the campus with some exceptions. The campus closures, shutdowns and detours blog outlines the testing schedule and locations that will not be included in testing.
Short-duration power outages may occur at any time throughout the testing period. Engineers who designed the equipment will be on hand, along with service technicians. The redundancy and resiliency of the electrical distribution system depends upon the properly functioning power generation system and island mode capabilities
People should take precautions to protect electronic devices to the greatest extent possible. Devices plugged into power outlets are at risk of damage by power surges when the power is turned back on. Even surge protectors do not guarantee that sensitive devices will be preserved, according to Information Services. Information Services strongly recommends that desktop computers, docks, printers and other sensitive electronics be shut down and unplugged from power outlets. Laptops should be unplugged.
In classrooms that are scheduled by the Office of the Registrar, Information Services staff will shut down audiovisual equipment before the power testing. A full list of general pool and joint-controlled classrooms is available at classrooms.uoregon.edu.
In other classrooms, as well as nonclassroom areas, preparations may be handled by the User Support Services team in Information Services, by departmental IT staff where applicable, or by other departmental staff, following existing patterns of support. Sensitive devices that need attention include research equipment, multifunction copiers, videoconference systems, digital display panels, Crestron control systems and other audiovisual equipment in locally controlled classrooms. Information Services User Support Services will contact departments they support to coordinate specifics.
The Eugene campus community should expect intermittent campuswide network outages as Campus Planning and Facilities Management works through its testing schedule. This applies to both wired and wireless networks. Network services will typically resume shortly after power has been restored.
Extended network outages may occur in some parts of campus after any of the five rounds of system testing. As Information Services becomes aware of such lingering problems, staff will post notices on the IT Service Status website.
After the power testing is completed and campus planning issues an all-clear message, currently expected at 1 p.m., Information Services staff will begin resolving network issues that persist.
Information Services also will begin turning on audiovisual equipment in general pool and joint-controlled classrooms, prioritizing spaces with active classes. That process is expected to take several days. To request faster service restoration for specific classrooms, people can submit tickets through the classroom technology support page in the UO Service Portal.
Information Services will also plan to turn on other equipment that it shut down before the testing. Individuals and departments should also feel free to restart devices themselves after campus planning issues an all-clear message.
For questions about how to handle electronics, please contact the IS User Support Services team that supports your unit or your department's IT staff, as applicable. For other concerns, contact workcontrolcenter@uoregon.edu or 541-346-2319.