Blog

Face Coverings, Gatherings, and Campus Spaces

By Roger Wakeman, Associate Vice President for Facilities and Planning

January 27, 2021

As we move into the start of the semester, the health and safety of our community remain top priority. We have evaluated lessons learned and feedback from last semester, followed updates to regulatory changes and best practice guidance, and considered the possible implications of the multiple virus strains that are becoming more prevalent and concerning. We reorganized the makeup of the COVID-19 Task Force and Action Groups for more efficient decision-making and improved responsiveness to changing needs. In terms of health and safety, our practices and protocols remain much the same but with some updates and enhancements. We will continue to focus on distancing, face coverings, hygiene, and high-level cleaning and disinfection as the primary methods to limit virus transmission.

Face coverings: We’ve updated our visual overview about face coverings, including new information about double-masking and the availability of face coverings that may provide enhanced protection. As a reminder, the College policy was modified last November to require face coverings both indoors and outdoors while on campus. The exceptions are limited to when alone in a private office or vehicle, attending to personal hygiene or eating, or when a student is in an assigned residence hall room with a roommate.

Gatherings: New York State continues to limit indoor and outdoor gatherings, and the College policy has been updated accordingly.

Campus spaces: The physical distancing requirements inherent in our protocols for indoor spaces continue to present challenges, especially during the winter. We have maintained and expanded the repurposing of many locations, including Scott Field House (dining), Alumni Gym (classroom), Events Barn (classroom), and Tolles Pavilion (testing center). We have added Bristol Hub as a classroom, and we continue to focus on creating more indoor spaces for students to eat. Adirondack chairs are being placed inside Beinecke Village, Sadove Student Center, the Chapel, and common areas of the residence halls for distanced seating.