Dear Campus Community,
In light of the university’s response to COVID-19, many questions have arisen about potential changes to campus events.
UNI’s Incident Command System (ICS) administrative group, which is an integrated management system designed to enable effective and efficient incident management, has considered several variables regarding events. These include the health and safety of the university and Cedar Valley communities, UNI’s upcoming move to virtual instruction, and our reliance on student labor for campus events.
The following recommendations were made by ICS, approved this morning, and are effective immediately.
Currently scheduled events that are university sponsored
This includes all events in which any UNI entity is the organizing or sponsoring agency. This includes sponsored events in all divisions and auxiliary units. It also includes university- supported events held at other locations.
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All university events scheduled between March 16 and April 6 should be canceled if there are to be more than 25 total participants (including facilitators).
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Any event with 25 or fewer participants should first consider virtual options and, if held in person, should not occupy more than 1/3 of the space capacity or similar social distancing strategies.
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Extensions beyond April 6 will be considered based on the conditions and guidance from state and county offices and/or the Board of Regents.
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This includes on-campus events and university-supported events at other locations. UNI employees and students should avoid attendance at large events as part of their work/academic responsibilities where possible.
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Requests for waivers should be directed to the appropriate division head (Vice President or President) for a written decision by the ICS Unified Command.
Future events that are sponsored or contracted
No new events of more than 25 participants should be scheduled, and no canceled event should be rescheduled, until further notice. Given the uncertainty of the coronavirus spread, public health decisions, and our student workforce, we will defer scheduling of events until public health conditions improve.
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Requests for waivers should be directed to the appropriate division head (Vice President or President) for a written decision by the ICS Unified Command. Examples would include planning for events that are in the distant future (months out).
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This includes on-campus events and university-supported events at other locations.
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3rd party contracts are included because of the potential costs of canceling an event at a later date.
Currently scheduled events contracted with 3rd parties
This includes events where external parties rent university space and the university has no sponsoring role in the event. These are typically held in auxiliary spaces, but might also include other facilities.
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Scheduled events can continue as planned for now, but that decision will be monitored and continually evaluated.
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The organizing unit (Dome Operations, GBPAC, Wellness and Recreation Center, Maucker Union, etc.) should use discretion in deciding if the event should continue based on conditions including, but not limited to, the ability to adequately and safely staff the event (especially considering student labor); the vulnerability of the participants; public advisories; and other considerations appropriate to the venue.
NCAA Athletics events
Athletics will follow the guidance of the NCAA, their Conference Governance, and public health officials.
Please continue to monitor prepare.uni.edu for additional communication updates, and send your questions to prepare.uni.edu.