The College of Charleston shared the following message with students on Wednesday, Jan. 20, regarding COVID-19 policies for CofC events:ย
Dear Campus Community,
As we move into a new semester, we know all are working hard to provide engaging programs and opportunities for our community. As we also watch the number of COVID-19 cases rising in our community, we have made some changes to our COVID-19 policies for indoor and outdoor events/gatherings that occur on or off campus. Below, we outline the process to request a (rare) exemption to these policies.ย
Note:ย These policies do not apply to scheduled academic classes.ย
These policies will be in effect beginning on Thursday, January 21, 2021 until it is safe for us to make modifications. For any events that are already scheduled, please alter your plans to meet these criteria or request an exemption using the form below.
Indoor College-Sponsored Gatherings:
- For indoor gatherings, the maximum attendance is 10 people or the COVID-19 capacity of the space, whichever is less.ย
- Face coverings and social distancing are required.
- Seats or spaces to stand that are at least six feet apart should be clearly marked for attendees.
- A non-student employee of the College needs to be present to manage the event. Those managing the event are responsible for managing social distancing and the face covering requirements.
- Eating and drinking should be very limited. Food should be pre-packaged, and we encourage providing food and drink in a โto-goโ format as guests are leaving the event.
- Events/gatherings should not include mingling or reception activities as it is difficult to maintain social distancing.
Outdoor College-Sponsored Gatherings:
- For outdoor gatherings, the maximum attendance is 30 people or the COVID-19 capacity of the space, whichever is less.
- Face coverings and social distancing are required.
- Seats or spaces to stand that are at least six feet apart should be clearly marked for attendees.
- A non-student employee of the College needs to be present to manage the event. Those managing the event are responsible for managing social distancing and the face covering requirements.
- Eating and drinking should be very limited. Food should be pre-packaged and we encourage providing food and drink in a โto-goโ format as guests are leaving the event.
- Events/gatherings should not include mingling or reception activities as it is difficult to maintain social distancing.
Requesting Exceptions to COVID-19 Gathering Policies:
- Exceptions may be granted on a very limited basis.
- Exceptions are requested using this form:ย https://go.cofc.edu/covid-meet-exemption
- To request an exception, the requestor needs to have approval for the exception request from his/her/their division head (vice president or executive vice president). The form will be routed to the appropriate VP/EVP for this approval.ย
- Final review of exemptions requests will be completed by Alicia Caudill, EVP for Student Affairs and Bridget McLernon Sykes, COVID-Lead.
- Those who approve space requests should not approve any exemptions to these policies without notification from Bridget McLernon Sykes or Alicia Caudill.
Information that must be included to request an exemption:
- Rationale for the request.
- An outline including details of the event, such as check-in procedures and run of show.
- Specific plans for enforcing face covering and social distancing, including those who are responsible for doing this.
- If food or drink will be provided, details of the plans for distributing those items.
Again, these exemptions need approval from your division head (vice president or executive vice president) before they are sent to Alicia Caudill and Bridget McLernon Sykes.
More information can be found in these FAQs on the Back on the Bricks site: https://cofc.edu/back-on-the-bricks/frequently-asked-questions/campus-life.php
If you have questions or need further information, please let us know. We appreciate your partnership in helping to keep our campus community safe.ย
Sincerely,
Alicia Caudill, Executive Vice President for Student Affairs
Bridget McLernon Sykes, COVID Lead
