Student Affairs In-Person Event Guide

This guide applies to all scheduled and non-scheduled events and gatherings that occur as part of operations of the Division of Student Affairs. This includes events and gatherings planned by units within Student Affairs, as well as those hosted by non-Student Affairs units in Student Affairs-managed venues. 

Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) and Recognized Social Greek Organizations (RSGOs) will also be expected to follow this guide for all on campus events, meetings, gatherings and operations. Additionally, all RSOs and RSGOs are required to follow policies, guidelines and public health orders set by CU Boulder, the City and County of Boulder and the State of Colorado for all off-campus events and gatherings. For a list of frequently asked questions, visit the Center for Student Involvement website.

Failure to comply with policies, guidelines and public health orders, even for off-campus events and gatherings, may result in referral to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution and the Center for Student Involvement.

• All CU Boulder faculty, staff and students are required to complete a daily health questionnaire before coming to campus. This form is an important component of the public health efforts on the CU Boulder campus.
• For scheduled events and gatherings, the event coordinators are responsible for tracking attendance, collecting contact information for all attendees and ensuring campus-approved venue capacities are maintained throughout the duration of the event.
• The event coordinators should implement a check-in system at the event entrance and when at all possible, attendance should be tracked via Buff OneCard swiping or similar method.
• For events where attendees will cycle in and out throughout the event, event coordinators should implement a counting system as well to ensure capacity compliance remains, in addition to tracking specific attendees.
• The contact information for attendees collected prior to entering the event venue and should include the attendee’s first and last name, phone number, email address and campus affiliation. An individual’s affiliation with campus is important for contact tracing, as it will guide which entity initiates follow-up.
• Units within Student Affairs should expect to regularly report accurate attendance numbers and provide lists of attendees when requested and appropriate. The event, as well as eventual attendance numbers, should be submitted using the division’s Fall 2020 CU Boulder Student Engagement Opportunities form.
• For events where attendees may have to enter and exit the event space in order to utilize facilities and services, attendees should be given wristbands, nametags, stickers, tickets or other identifying items to indicate they have checked into the event and count toward capacity totals.
• Event attendees may have their attendance and contact information shared with appropriate campus and City/County/State officials if they need to be communicated with for the purposes of contact tracing for potential COVID-19 exposure. The event coordinator must retain a record of the event attendee’s contact information for 30 days to ensure this information is no longer needed. 

• Campus event capacity limits are based on recommendations and guidance from various agencies including the CDC, the State of Colorado, Boulder County Public Health and CU Boulder leadership.

• No one should plan an event or gathering where more than the event capacity may gather around the event in an impromptu manner. If an event or gathering draws a crowd of spectators that exceeds the capacity limit, it is the responsibility of the event coordinators to safely remind attendees of the limit and to safely ask a gathering crowd to disperse.

• Attendees at all events are required to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between each other. The event or gathering should be planned and managed in a way to ensure proper physical distancing and should not encourage mingling, congregating and sharing of materials. Coordinators of the event or gathering are responsible for ensuring attendees maintain proper physical distance.

• Factors that will impact venue capacity include: 

  • Furniture or equipment set up within the venue

  • Number of entrances and exits

  • Square footage of the venue

  • Activity taking place (e.g. guests remaining seated vs. movement within space)

• It is strongly encouraged that all events or gatherings have adequate signage, with consistent language and easy-to-interpret graphics, reminding attendees of the various health and safety protocols in place for both campus and the specific venue. 
  • Please consult your CU Campus Event Planner to determine if event signage will be provided by the venue and if any additional signage will need to be provided by the event coordinator.
  • For Student Affairs units planning events or gatherings, Student Affairs Communications should also be consulted to ensure proper signage is acquired and used.
• Most buildings on campus will require swiping of Buff OneCards to enter. Please work with your CU Campus Event Planner to ensure you have access to your designated event venue.

All attendees, coordinators and staff at an event or gathering on campus will be required to wear a “face covering.”

• A “face covering” is defined as a covering made of cloth, fabric or other soft or permeable material, without holes, that covers only the nose and mouth and surrounding areas of the lower face.
• If a presenter, speaker, performer or competitor must be without a face covering, they must maintain a minimum of 25 feet distance from the audience.

• In order to maintain proper physical distancing between attendees, event coordinators are responsible for working with their CU Campus Event Planner to ensure the venue has designated entrances and exits. 
• Event coordinators must establish single-direction traffic flow in and out of the event venue, except in the case of an emergency.
• Physical guides should be provided, such as markers on the ground and signage, to ensure attendees remain at least 6 feet apart when waiting in lines and that lines do not form near food and beverage areas.
• At the beginning and end of the event, venue doors should be propped open to avoid touching door handles. It is recommended doors remain open throughout the event. In addition, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content should be provided at all points of ingress and egress.
• Event coordinators should consider ways to schedule staggered ingress in order to minimize lines and manage demand at the entrance of the venue in order to prevent congestion.
• Event coordinators can deny entry or the ability to participate to individuals that exhibit symptoms.
• It is encouraged that egress is managed the same way passengers exit an airplane. After events with a definite end, attendees nearest the exits should leave first, by row or section, in order to clear space for attendees further inside to follow. This will require event coordinators to ensure that attendees understand procedures and comply with physical distancing requirements until they have left the venue. 

Event coordinators are responsible for ensuring the safe handling of any food and/or beverage served at an event and for following all applicable policies, guidelines and public health orders.

• Food handlers should wear a face covering and gloves. When possible, food and beverages should be placed on a surface rather than being handed directly to attendees.
• Food and beverage are permitted at events in pre-packaged, single-serving formats only. Self-serve food, such as a buffet or a potluck, is not permitted.
• Shared containers or dispensers for food, beverages or condiments that are accessible by attendees are not allowed.
• Food and drink are permitted at events in pre-packaged, single-serving format such as boxed meals. Self-serve food, such as a buffet line or a potluck, is not permitted.

When possible, use assigned seating to minimize multiple persons using the same chairs and place settings.

• Event coordinators should work with the venue to determine post-event cleaning and disinfecting requirements. 
• Event coordinators may be responsible for, and should be prepared for, cleaning and disinfecting any high-touch surfaces used during the event at regular intervals, using products approved by the applicable health authority. 
• Event coordinators should be familiar with the various types of cleaning products and the appropriate uses for them. Event coordinators should be prepared to provide materials approved for cleaning both hands and surfaces, as these products often have separate approved uses.

Entities performing contact tracing will contact individuals who may have come into close contact with someone who has a confirmed positive test for COVID-19. The event coordinators should be prepared to provide attendance lists and event information to assist with contact tracing.

People who come in contact with a person who tests positive for COVID-19 at an event should stay home or in their living quarters for 14 days from the date of exposure and self-monitor for symptoms. They should get tested if symptoms develop.

• Units within Student Affairs should consult with the applicable venue on operational procedures related to compliance with COVID-19 policies, guidelines and public health orders. Student Affairs staff should be prepared to remind attendees of in-person event and gathering regulations. If students would like training on ways to remind peers, organization members and event attendees about policies and de-escalate situations, they should consider taking the Effective Peer-to-Peer Communication During COVID-19 course in Canvas.
  • If after twice reminding a non-compliant attendee of regulations, the attendee may be asked to either leave the event or cease participating.
  • Staff may contact venue security, if applicable, at their own discretion and comfort level to ensure consistent compliance with regulations. The CU Police Department can be contacted if the encounter escalates to the point where event coordinators feel threatened.
  • Violations of policies, guidelines and public health orders can be reported to local public health agencies.
• Units within, as well as event coordinators of, Student Affairs venues who are unable to plan events or gatherings compliant within the parameters of this guide, or are regularly unable to maintain the enforcement of protocols by attendees, may lose their ability to schedule in-person events or gatherings.
• Students who fail to comply with the parameters of this guide, as well as other policies, guidelines and public health orders, may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution for disciplinary action.
  • Event coordinators should first ask students to comply with event regulations. If the student refuses to comply with the regulations, they should be asked to leave the event. Students should be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution if they are not able to comply with these choices.
    • Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) and Recognized Social Greek Organizations (RSGOs) who do not comply with these protocols, as well as other policies, guidelines and public health orders, could be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, the Center for Student Involvement or the office of Fraternity and Sorority Life for potential disciplinary measures. For a list of frequently asked questions, visit the Center for Student Involvement website.

• Event coordinators should be aware that there is a thorough event approval process for in-person events on campus to ensure safety for all guests. 

• Venue schedules will require event coordinators to complete an electronic Event Management Form (EMF) through DocuSign prior to confirming a space reservation.  

• The EMF consists of detailed questions about the event. Once the form has been submitted, university approvers review the information provided and make recommendations or ask for changes to the event prior to allowing the in-person event to take place on campus. 

• The EMF must be submitted at least 10 business days prior to the event start date.
  At this time all reservations, including tabling, are required to complete an EMF.

• In-person events on campus are required to have someone present for the duration of the event to work in coordination with the event coordinator to enforce COVID prevention strategies and public health orders. 

• The person assigned to perform this task is titled a “COVID monitor.” At this time, all in-person events will require 1–2 COVID monitors. 

• The role of the COVID monitor is to observe behaviors at an event and communicate to guests as necessary to promote compliance expectations. 

• The event coordinator cannot be assigned the role of a COVID monitor. A COVID monitor must be an objective third party such as a:

  • Faculty/staff member

  • Facility security staff

  • CU Community Service personnel

• A COVID monitor is to work in earnest to correct any issues that may arise during the event. At the conclusion, a COVID monitor must email a brief summary of observations to the venue scheduler. 

• To become a COVID monitor, please complete the COVID Event Monitor SkillSoft training.

University departments as well as Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) and Recognized Social Greek Organizations (RSGOs) are permitted to table at select outdoor locations on campus. For more information and to reserve a table, please contact CU Events Planning & Catering.