Interim Policy: Event Management During COVID-19 Pandemic

Responsible Office

Office of Conferences and Events
________________________________________________

Effective: July 8, 2020

Policy Statement and Scope

This interim policy governs Lewis & Clark events during the COVID-19 pandemic, guided by the following principles:

• The health and safety of the Lewis & Clark community is our top priority.
• Events should be hosted remotely, or provide a remote option, to the greatest extent possible.
• Events that can be postponed (i.e., from the Fall semester to the Spring semester, from this year to next year) should be postponed, to the greatest degree possible.
• Mission-critical events that cannot be feasibly postponed or conducted remotely require approval from the relevant vice president or dean, based on the criteria in this policy, before submission to the Office of Conferences and Events.
• The maximum size of an event or gathering will be determined based on applicable state and county safety regulations.

This interim policy applies to all events on property owned or leased by Lewis & Clark and to all Lewis & Clark-sponsored events, whether conducted on- or off-campus. This policy supplements — and does not replace —federal, state, or county health and safety regulations with which gatherings must comply. This policy applies to events held at indoor and outdoor venues.

Regularly scheduled courses, clinic activities, recurring department meetings and athletic practices are not considered events for purposes of this policy. Such events may be scheduled with the approval of the relevant dean or vice president and must comply with all applicable College and federal, state and county health and safety regulations.

Restrictions on In-Person Gatherings

In-person events and gatherings are limited to “mission-critical events,” as defined below, that are approved by the relevant dean or vice president and that can be conducted in a safe manner that complies with all applicable public health requirements. Events must be planned with care to limit potential exposure and spread of COVID-19. Event attendance is limited to those invited to participate in official College business and is not to be open to the general public.

A “mission-critical event” is an event that (1) directly relates to the College’s core functions of providing instruction and support to students or directly relates to recruiting students for admission, (2) cannot be effectively conducted remotely, and (3) cannot be postponed without significant negative consequences to students or to the College.

For example, certain events directly related to classroom activities, student recreation, residential student life, student performances, core undergraduate student activities, and the admission of future students, to the extent that they can be conducted safely and within the parameters of applicable public health guidance, are likely to be determined to be “mission-critical events” if they cannot be effectively conducted remotely. Events such as academic conferences and lectures, symposia and non-student social gatherings are not likely to be determined to be “mission-critical events.” Events that do not directly relate to providing instruction or support to students, such as youth programs, youth athletic camps, community events, etc. are not “mission-critical events.”

The following chart details the hierarchy of mission critical events and identifies the internal and external-facing audiences related to those events.

Event Logistics and Capacity Limits

Event attendees will be required to follow all health and safety protocols adopted by the College and as required by federal, state, or county regulations. This includes, but is not limited to, self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms before attending an event; wearing face coverings while indoors and outdoors when maintaining physical distance is difficult; and regular handwashing.

Events will be limited to a maximum number of attendees as set forth below and may be limited to a smaller capacity based upon venue limitations. Because of limitations on the size of gatherings, the six-foot physical distancing requirement, increased protocols to ensure safety, and the limited spaces at Lewis & Clark which can accommodate the needs of physically distanced gatherings, many gatherings will need to be reimagined, canceled, or postponed.

Capacity Limits for In-Person Gatherings

Scheduling Priorities for Use of Meeting and Event Space

All scheduling requests for meeting and event space must include approval from the relevant dean or vice president. Requests will be evaluated by schedulers for consistency with this policy and in light of the priority uses set forth below. Requests for the assignment and use of Lewis & Clark meeting and event space will be prioritized in the following order:

1. Teaching use, including those spaces not traditionally used as classrooms;
2. Core student support uses;
3. Core student co-curricular activities; and
4. Administrative and operational uses, excluding routine meetings.

The Office of Conferences and Events is to issue additional guidance and protocols to implement this policy and to assure ongoing consistency with applicable public health regulations.

Who Approved the Policy

Submitted by: Andrea Dooley, Chief Financial Officer and VP for Operations
Adopted: July 8, 2020 by Lewis & Clark Executive Council

Publication Date

Effective: July 15, 2020

Key Relevant Documents

Interim Policy: Food and Beverages at Events During COVID-19 Pandemic

Interim Policy: Visitor Policy During COVID-19 Pandemic

Guidance for Event Planners and Organizers During COVID-19 Pandemic