Let me preface this by saying I have been passing on my employers plan for reopening, I am doing this because there are many thoughts on the subject, some well thought out some not so much. My first concern, above all else is the
safety of everyone involved. If I thought that this was a bad idea, I would not pass it on. Also this, again, is not my plan, it is something that has been worked out based on guideance from CDC, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the research coming out of the University of Colorado who seem to be the ones collecting the studies as well as Public Health Ontario and one out of Germany. Those are just the ones I have been forwarded, the Music department has done the
leg work on this and has more info then they felt nessasary that I have. If people want links, message me, I will share.
No one is being forced to attend anything. A comment was made above that the arts were optional, if it were extraciricular at this
level I am sure that like all sports here, they would be cancelled. They are an academic subject with distict challenges as are many other subjects like art studios, science labs and physical education classes. Any student can take classes virtually and any faculty or staff can telecommute if their job allows. So I know a bunch of professors teaching virtually this semester and know of a handful of students doing the same. I have my views on the plans and am trying to keep
neutral on this forum, my views are just that, mine and the few comments I have included maybe should not have been posted. My concerns about the effects of reclosing on the industry comment were meant that on this forum and in the entertainment industry in general we are worried about the long term, with no tours out and Broadway dark many people want to go back to work. If any segment of the entertainment industry is found to be a cause of further out breaks then we will be dark for longer. The University could care less about it, I lost a summer season at my other gig, those thoughts are mine alone.
In Virginia all university reopening plans have had to be approved by the Governor's office, he happens to be an MD by the way. My employer has an MD on staff reviewing all classroom plans with the
safety office and the facilities people. It has been interesting in my two building feeling the
HVAC change as they try and attain the correct air pressure to get the air exchange right. Everyone got tested as they came back to campus, students will be tested weekly. Class schedules have been altered to allow enough time for classroom air to be cycled out before the next class starts. My concert
hall that seats 301 has classes in it of less then 40 to space the students out.
All this leads me to this, we are not a large school and we are in the middle of nowhere. One county over they got their first positive test result in July and we have very few cases in this county. The administration, faculty and staff want this to work and are committed to the plan. Why you ask? Well when we closed up in March they said everyone would be kept on. They paid everyone through their contracts, meaning 9 month employees who normally don't work past the end of May were paid through May. Hell they paid the part time tech employees their average working hours for two and a half months. However, many of us are aware that if the kids go home that will not happen again. If anyone has a chance to make this work it is here. Mask use in mandatory, even when singing. If I thought that the plan was not workable I would not be here.
Lastly
@What Rigger? , my "will we be safe" comment is not a shoulder shrug or anything other then a desire that this works. Please don't read anything into it. Like you I would never fly an unsafe rig, I believe that this plan can work, safely, and will do what I can to make it work. Unfortunately, I am afraid that this plan and ones like it are not the weak
point in any university plan. The problem will be alcohol and parties. In all of the recent reversals of major universities that I have seen, off campus parties have been linked to the outbreaks.