Hello,

We hope your fall term is going well and your plans for the holiday weekend involve some well-deserved rest — or a healthy dose of excitement, if that is how you prefer your time off.

Today, we are sharing building hours for the upcoming breaks and some updates on the construction in the student union.

Smith Winter Break Hours and No-Heat Days

Smith Memorial Student Union hours for the break between fall and winter term will reflect reduced general public hours and several campus closures. The ongoing critical maintenance work and some staffing issues are also impacting the building’s hours.

Days without heat: The contractors doing work on Smith's HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems will need to shut down systems in the entire building as they connect new linkages to the campus steam piping.

The plan is for the heat to be off in Smith on Dec. 23 and 24.

Smith will be closed to students and those with PSU IDs, as public spaces may be uncomfortable. Doors will still open for 24-hour and extended access users. While your spaces will be available during this time, the comfort level will have a lot to do with the weather. We will send out more information as this closure approaches.

Closures during the break between terms:
Smith will be closed to students and those with PSU IDs, but still open for 24 hour and extended access users, on the following dates that align with PSU's announced closures:

Thanksgiving closed: Nov. 27, 28, 2025
Winter Holidays closed: Dec. 25 and Dec. 26, 2025; Jan. 1 and Jan 2, 2026
SW Broadway entrance closure for possible crane lift: Friday, Dec. 19, 2025

Please note: The contractor's workers do not follow PSU closures and may be on site these days.

Winter break building hours

Dec. 8-12, 2025 (Finals week) — Regular building hours
Dec. 15-19, 2025 — PSU ID general badge access 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. No public hours
Dec. 22, 2025 - Jan. 4, 2026 (except closures) — PSU ID general badge access 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. No public hours
University Market — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-Th; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays. Closed on University closure days. Staffing might cause some variance in hours.
Smith’s Kitchen and Smith’s Place — The food court vendors and coffee shop will be closed Dec. 22 to Jan. 4. The week of Dec. 15, both locations will close an hour early. Some vendors may choose to reduce hours.
Viking Gameroom — No open hours during break. Reservations only.

Elevator Upgrades Begin in January

The closure of the Mezzanine elevator to upgrade its systems will begin in mid-January.

It was previously announced this work would start this week, but delays in the planning and procurement phase have pushed it back.

As it stands, three public elevators in Smith will be renovated between January and next summer as well as the freight and kitchen staff elevators. While this will delay the overall timeline of these upgrades, all work is still planned to be completed before the fall 2026 term.

If you have questions about the work, contact building venue manager Mercedes Youngston.

Critical Maintenance Updates Website

Extendable arm towers over Smith and a concrete truck parked on SW Broadway during a concrete pour on the roof of Smith.

Upgrading the HVAC systems located on the top Mezzanine has required several crane lifts this term. Sometimes these lifts have meant closure of the SW Broadway entrance. When that happens, we will open the north doors (between Smith and Cramer) to ease public and ADA access to the student union.

Above: On Nov. 13, instead of lifting parts and materials, a contractor brought two trucks to pump concrete from SW Broadway to the top of the building. The pour created new foundations for the HVAC system that will serve all floors of the Mezzanine and the basement. The next materials lift is expected Dec. 19. Work on this HVAC system should be finished by March.

Quiet Prayer Lounge Relocated Until Winter Term

The Quiet Prayer and Mediation Lounge, located in Smith 010 next to the Veterans Resource Center in the basement, will be relocated down the hall to SMSU 018A until January 2026. This will allow construction work on the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system — part of the critical maintenance work — to occur safely. Unfortunately, the QPML will be open weekdays only while in 018A. SALP suggests you contact the Millar Library circulation desk about use of their Meditation Lounge during the weekends.

Smith Open Early, Late During Inclement Weather

The student union operations team would like to remind you of Smith Memorial Student Union’s inclement weather practices:

When Portland State University delays the start of the academic day due to weather concerns, Smith Operations will attempt to open the building 30 minutes before the start of classes to accommodate students and staff.
In these circumstances Smith will also remain open 30 minutes past the end of the University closure time. We hope this can provide some time to wait for transportation and offer a little protection from the elements.
However, if the University announces it will be closed for the day due to extreme weather, Smith will be closed also.

If you have a meeting or event scheduled in Smith on a day impacted by inclement weather, the Campus Events & Student Union staff will reach out to your event contact person to determine the event’s status or to help reschedule.

Contact Smith building manager Mercedes Youngston or the Campus Events staff with questions or to report building issues during extreme weather.

Don’t forget to set up your PSU Alert notifications to get weather updates from the University

Remember: If PSU does not delay the start of a workday or close due to inclement weather, but you are concerned about your personal safety, you should make the right decision for yourself.

You can review PSU's weather closure information on the Finance and Administration website.

Follow the Smith Scoop throughout the year for updates and information about Portland State's Student Union. Sign up online and then remember to approve the confirmation email to receive the Scoop.

Thanks for taking the time to read the Smith Scoop.

To let us know about an upcoming event of general interest or changes in your department or Smith-based group, drop us a line via our Scoop Content Submission Form.

Smith Memorial Student Union at Portland State University is managed by the Campus Events & Student Union office, located in Smith 119 (off the Broadway lobby). You can reach us at conferences@pdx.edu, 503-725-2663.

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