Event Planning During COVID-19

TJ McDowell Author

02/03/2021 Added

8 Plays

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For departments and organizations thinking about hosting in-person events this semester, it’s important that you keep up with Directed Health Measures to help promote a safe environment and keep within university compliance. Join Assistant Vice Chancellor TJ McDowell each Wednesday at 3 p.m. for a quick update on the latest policies and to get answers to your event planning questions in the age of COVID-19. (Zoom: go.unl.edu/eventplanning)

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[00:00:00.000]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): update where we provide you the latest information about local directed health measures, UNL event expectations and guidance.
[00:00:07.379]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): and other information to help you plan and host successful and safe events. Our agenda today will be to review again the
[00:00:15.570]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): current Directed Health Measures and the event expectations. And then at the end, we will allow for questions that we will try to answer. And if we're not able to answer in our time together, we will do the research and get back to you.
[00:00:32.200]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): So i'm going to share my screen.
[00:00:55.980]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Of course I got too confident in my ability to share my screen... now what I need is not there.
[00:01:10.710]Hang on just a moment.
[00:01:21.420]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Well, I'm not going to share a screen because I don't know where my PowerPoint is. I'll do a quick review, a quick recap of
[00:01:28.020]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): our directed health measures and our guidance, that we have currently in place from the university. So, for those of you who who are new with us today and for those of you who are review the county moved from red to orange a couple of weeks ago.
[00:01:45.330]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): The new DHMs (directed health measures) went into effect on January 22. We anticipate those being in effect until February 21.
[00:01:55.050]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Any event, with over 500 participants must be approved by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. So, any event with over 500 participants
[00:02:03.330]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): must be approved by the Lincoln- Lancaster County Health Department. The rated occupancy for facilities is 50% of the rated of occupancy is allowable indoors and 75% for spaces outdoors.
[00:02:17.250]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): The maximum of group of people per table or per group is eight and then we continue to any event, with more than 50 plus participants must go through the university approval process and fill out the risk assessment.
[00:02:33.900]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): and the EPR. Travel outside of the city of Lincoln is not permitted at this time.
[00:02:41.460]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): In terms of our university expectations and guidance, we are requiring that face masks and face coverings are are worn for all events
[00:02:50.880]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): --both indoors and outdoors. So, events are... all events require a face mask being worn. Second thing is that an advisor or university employee is required to attend all events with 50 or more participants.
[00:03:04.410]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): to make sure they're helping enforce the social distancing and mass wearing requirements. And that we want events to be approved seven days prior to the event's occurrence. So to plan appropriately
[00:03:18.570]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): for that. So that those are our requirements at this point, we are, as a group, we are continuing to monitor a number of data points
[00:03:29.940]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): including the risk dial, the directed health measures, campus positivity rates --which you might have heard, if you read this the chancellor's email today that
[00:03:37.950]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): those positivity rates are very low as a result of of the early testing 0.74% or 0.71% at this point.
[00:03:46.530]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): And so we're going to continue to monitor thanks to see if we're able to extend more privileges.
[00:03:52.620]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Also, the language of the Chancellor uses that with more with the data from our third round of testing
[00:03:59.190]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): and successful mitigation, we hope to open up additional campus activities for students, such as expanded Campus Recreation offerings and additional campus events.
[00:04:08.670]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): That is from the chancellor's email that was sent this morning or early this afternoon. There's a group of us that are meeting this afternoon to talk about event guidance and if we can adjust any those restrictions.
[00:04:21.420]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): So that was a quick overview, or does anyone have questions that I can answer.
[00:04:45.150]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): The way the current.
[00:04:47.400]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): The way the current things are you can have your mask off if you're actively eating or drinking. So, if you're actively eating or drinking, you can have the mask down to do that, but any other time, even in between drinks we're expected to wear a mask.
[00:05:09.210]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Other questions.
[00:05:27.690]Marshal Peterson: So is this questions for the whole thing or do you got more to talk about?
[00:05:30.780]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): No Marshall, anything.
[00:05:32.520]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Whatever questions you got at this point.
[00:05:34.200]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Oh well, fire away.
[00:05:35.880]Marshal Peterson: um, I was glad to finally get.
[00:05:39.510]Marshal Peterson: on this meeting I didn't know that was happening till now.
[00:05:43.950]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): And Marshall what's your role.
[00:05:45.630]Marshal Peterson: I'm the rodeo coach for the University of Nebraska.
[00:05:47.340]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Oh yes, yes, yes. Very good.
[00:05:50.460]Marshal Peterson: Probably most people on this call may have heard of our department or functions so far. Really why I'm here, I'm... we are a registered student organization that we function at a high level.
[00:06:05.610]Marshal Peterson: Our main event is putting on a rodeo in the spring, for the car college rodeo region, along with other various events that basically help us raise money for the club.
[00:06:16.680]Marshal Peterson: We didn't get to have a rodeo last year, so I'm really here trying to find out if we can have a rodeo this year. The logistics with putting a rodeo together
[00:06:25.680]Marshal Peterson: sadly, cannot be done in seven days. So, two months is pretty much the bare minimum... which i'm here to learn, if we can get somewhat of an approval.
[00:06:40.020]Marshal Peterson: In that two month range I put that requirement on myself, but now I've been put, that requirement's been put on me by our region, so we can get planning for our whole region is total. So really
[00:06:57.900]Marshal Peterson: One - I talked to Debbie yesterday. I talked to Melissa today.
[00:07:02.850]Marshal Peterson: The 50-plus event approval form, really having an event with outside spectators, because that's what drives our revenue for our program, what's the possibility of that happening at the end of April?
[00:07:18.360]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): it's a great question and I know it's a lot is going to depend on where we're at with the Lancaster County directed health measures.
[00:07:24.120]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): And so I know that
[00:07:27.240]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): one of the things we're looking at right now is are there places where we, as a university, have stricter requirements than the county directed health
[00:07:34.500]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): measures and and to see if, with all the appropriate mitigation, the appropriate safety precautions, if we can have those things happen.
[00:07:44.130]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): And so it's good that you're starting early. I know that we work closely with Tiffany, the Dean over there, to work on these to make sure these things can happen. So,
[00:07:53.370]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): we'll work with you the next couple of months, and what the health department, if need be, to make sure if there's any way to make it happen, we'll try to make it happen.
[00:08:01.800]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): We know how important it is to the rodeo club.
[00:08:05.250]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): I think we worked last year on some rodeo events that happened North Platte or somewhere that we did, I yeah.
[00:08:12.990]Marshal Peterson: Yeah, so we, so we were able to travel in the fall and I hope we're able to travel to the rodeos that happen in the spring.
[00:08:20.490]Marshal Peterson: That's our hope again, but like I said, having that rodeo. Just getting it approved because the main point with the students is they don't understand why some things can happen, but ours can't.
[00:08:35.250]Marshal Peterson: But at the end of the day it comes down to Student Involvement and if you guys are willing to let us because we do represent the University of Nebraska.
[00:08:43.650]Marshal Peterson: It'd be different if we didn't represent the University of Nebraska.
[00:08:47.700]Marshal Peterson: So...
[00:08:50.550]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Well, and and one of the things that that the approval for rodeo is is it, Student Affairs is involved in that, but also
[00:08:58.650]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): It's East Campus, and your Dean, there's a number of people who get involved in that and so we'll definitely work with you the best we can, if we can make it happen, because we do realize how mission-critical it is. That was one of the criteria that mission-critical.
[00:09:10.800]Marshal Peterson: Yeah, so I guess, I was looking for questions I have a roadie... I have a coaches meeting on Monday and was curious if you could provide me any clarity on what I can go to them and say. You know this is a little more or less than two, little more than two months out.
[00:09:30.300]Marshal Peterson: Is there, you know can I say 10% chance, a 50% chance, I know we've previously discussed with you know not having spectators versus having spectators, but like I said, you know 500 people at each event or each performance that we have. That's $15,000 that we could raise
[00:09:51.450]Marshal Peterson: versus not having any spectators that we're strapped to zero dollars and paying for the whole road ourselves.
[00:09:58.530]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): And Marshall I hate to be a disappointment to you, but I don't know if I can give you a good answer today.
[00:10:04.170]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Hopefully soon we'll be able to give you a better answer. I know that the Chancellor has what the testing and health department as a whole bunch of people who weigh in on these decisions.
[00:10:15.000]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): When it's an it's an event that's outside of our normal, it's bigger than what we normally do. And a rodeo with with 500 spectators is it a little bigger event than what we would normally do for a student event on campus. So, but we'll work with you on it for sure.
[00:10:32.460]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): And with Tiffany... And with Tiffany on it.
[00:10:34.560]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): There've been several folks. I know, Melissa and Veronica and several folks have been involved in those conversations. And Debbie now so.
[00:10:40.290]Marshal Peterson: Absoultely. Well I plan to be on these going forward so that I can stay up to date.
[00:10:45.450]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Okay.
[00:10:46.050]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): We appreciate it Marshall.
[00:10:47.130]Thank you.
[00:10:48.570]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Other questions or comments.
[00:10:51.390]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): I do know that we have, at this point, approved about eight events with 50 or more participants for the spring.
[00:10:58.470]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): So we are getting some events through.
[00:11:01.770]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): I was in a meeting earlier today, where we said it just feels like there's more students on campus in the spring than it did in the fall.
[00:11:10.950]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Other questions or comments.
[00:11:20.160]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Ok. Well, I, as I understand it, each of the latest webinars gets posted on the website. So if you need if you need to access it for any reason to be on the website.
[00:11:29.850]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): And we're, we'll continue to do these for at least a few more weeks. Hopefully, we have some some more information in the next couple of weeks to update you about additional information about events as we, as we move forward.
[00:11:42.960]Marshal Peterson: One one more question.
[00:11:44.280]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Yes, please Marshall.
[00:11:45.450]Marshal Peterson: Pretty much the the standards will stay in place, at least until February 22 was that kind of the.
[00:11:52.980]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Lancaster County, the local County Health Department.
[00:11:55.770]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): directed health measures, yep.
[00:11:57.300]Marshal Peterson: And so, that really code, you feel that is aligned with the university that the university probably won't change any of their outlook until that date. Will they may be reassess at that date
[00:12:10.410]Marshal Peterson: the same way that the Lancaster health.
[00:12:12.510]Marshal Peterson: event said they will.
[00:12:15.420]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Yeah, I don't, I don't know if that's the date for us for sure or not. It could be they make that adjustment and then we make our adjustments a little little bit after that, you know, shortly after that.
[00:12:25.980]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): And I know the help, there's a group from university that meets with the health department every day.
[00:12:30.660]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): And so we're we're in regular communication to figure out what's the best way to keep people safe. Our number one thing is to make sure we keep students, staff, visitors, everybody safe and that's our overriding
[00:12:41.910]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): goal and philosophy. So, we will make sure that whatever we do have an alignment with
[00:12:48.360]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): the county health directed measures.
[00:12:56.070]Marshal Peterson: Awesome. Thank you.
[00:12:57.660]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Alright, well, if there's no other questions we'll end the session for today.
[00:13:02.970]T.J. McDowell (he/him/his): Alright, thanks everybody.

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