Reopening Considerations for Campus Recreation

People

The safety of your student employees, full-time staff, student and non-student patrons, and guests is the number one priority. Safety should be the primary focus when it comes to reopening a facility.

How will you transition full-time staff and graduate assistants back to work?

Considerations:

Recognize that you will have staff who do not feel comfortable returning to work on campus—you need to consider how to work with those individuals and how they will affect reopening
Identify potential concerns your staff may have about returning to work on campus and in regards to reopening facilities
Identify methods to procure feedback from staff regarding reopening facilities
Discuss whether professional staff who are a part of more vulnerable populations will be allowed to work from home
There may be a period of transition for staff who are returning to work so consider allowing telework days or virtual attendance at meetings
Stagger telework days with on-campus days for your staff to lower the number of staff in the office at a given time; this could help ease the transition from teleworking to once again working on-campus
Continue holding virtual meetings when possible
Use meeting spaces as offices for employees who currently share office space
Detail a process for granting admission to a work site (temperature check, questionnaire, etc.)
Implement a rotating schedule with staff
Determine procedures for quarantining staff if an employee tests positive for COVID-19; for example, this could involve using one set of staff for one week and then another set the following week

What new student staff policies, procedures, and safety measures will be implemented?

Considerations:

Both staff and patrons are likely to get frustrated with social distancing and its implications so it is essential that your staff knows how to effectively communicate your policies consistently with patrons; all staff members should have the same mindset and be on the same page with regards to messaging
A soft opening with staff will allow you to assess the success of new policies and procedures
There is likely to be uncertainty regarding how many experienced student staff will return to campus and continue working with campus recreation due to financial hardship or other challenges
Consider online or blended staff training; the CDC recommends that in-person meetings consist of no more than ten people. Consider how social distancing can be enforced and new policies and procedures communicated to patrons; for example, learn how to explain new cleaning methods
Use a training checklist with student staff
Retention of staff may become an issue—especially lifeguards—so is it possible to get lifeguards in early to do in-services?
When possible, administer trainings virtually. When in person training is required, do so with social distancing in mind.
Staff re-training and refreshers will be critical to ensure student staff are still trained and know what they are expected to do with particular attention to new precautions and procedures
All staff whose roles involve a lot of physical interaction (with equipment room monitors, custodial staff, cleaning fitness equipment, towels, member services) should wear gloves and possibly even masks
Have select staff assigned duties as “health assistants” who help maintain set distancing guidelines and equipment cleaning
Conduct COVID-19 self-assessments (both verbal and written)
Conduct temperature checks
Who will supply PPE (personal protective equipment) like masks and face shields? And what PPE is required and recommended?
Clean shared equipment between shift changes (computer stations, rescue tubes, shared keys, etc.)
Lower staffing numbers to the minimum necessary to manage a space, activity, or event
Hold your staff and members accountable and set clear expectations for maintaining strict cleaning standards
How will recruiting student staff be affected by anxiety and safety concerns?
Take inventory of which student employees are interested and available to return in Fall 2020
Every supervisor should keep a regularly updated roster of all student employees who will be ready and available to work when the facility reopens
Knowing student staff availability will help determine what the hours of operation will be for a facility
Each area of a facility should be communicating with their staff to assess their needs and the expected number of returnees, and each area should plan for larger than normal rates of turnover
Staff retention needs to be examined on an overall departmental level
There may be certain positions where opportunities will be limited due to the need for restrictions; redeploying student staff can keep employees actively engaged with the department
Intramural sports, sport clubs, and outdoor adventures will likely have reduced programming so you need to be creative in exploring opportunities for student staff in those areas. Without engaging opportunities, you will likely lose these individuals to other employment options and will then have limited to no experienced staff remaining when those program areas return to standard operations
Anticipate greater than normal rates of turnover among student staff due to a greater number of incumbent staff not returning because of complications from COVID-19. This will likely result in a greater emphasis on training since there will potentially be a reduction in employee experience.
Implement specific COVID-19 precautionary training to address operational adjustments that will be made when facilities reopen
Determine whether a pandemic response or return to work training is offered or required by your institution

How will staff respond to incidents and emergencies?

Considerations:

Retrain staff on patron confrontations:
- How do you want staff to approach and discuss an issue with a policy?
- How do you have a congenial discussion while social distancing?
Have “go” bags ready with a N95 mask, gloves, liquid resistant gown, and face shield; “go” bags should either be non-porous or disposed of in a biohazard bin after use
Place a “go” bag at each occupied desk or activity area
For non-life-threatening emergencies:
- Prior to providing care, consider having your staff ask the following questions:
  - Do you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, sore throat, muscle pain, or loss of taste or smell?
  - Do you have COVID-19 or have you been exposed to anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19?
  - If the answer to any of the above is “yes,” the staff member should put on the PPE and enable your institution’s emergency protocol
  - If the answer is no, the staff member should put on the standard PPE and provide care as they are able to
For life-threatening emergencies:
- - Initiate your institution’s normal emergency protocol
Treat unresponsive victims as COVID-19 positive and put on provided “go” bag PPE
Consider training all first responders in CPR for the Professional Rescuer
During cardiac events, when possible, have first responders who are trained in CPR for the Professional Rescuer (including BVM use) provide care and utilize an AED as quickly as possible

What is your expectation of patrons?

Considerations:

Safety is a shared responsibility between staff and patrons; engaging patrons is essential to the safe operation of the facility
Execute verbal COVID-19 screenings as patrons enter the facility
Use temperature checks
Develop a process to document emerging trends related to student issues
Implement a survey to gauge participant attitudes, interests, and expectations prior to the fall semester or term
Utilize a reservation or ticketing system
Develop check-in and checkout procedures
Create a procedure for members and staff to report concerns related to policy violations and safety concerns related to COVID-19; this could be an online form

Should community and family memberships along with guest passes be reduced or suspended?

Considerations:

With lower or limited capacity numbers, you may want to consider limiting or eliminating guest/day passes
Execute verbal COVID-19 screenings as patrons enter the facility
Implement temperature checks
When possible, execute touchless and/or cashless transactions

What adjustments will need to be made with custodial staff?

Considerations:

Make sure staff are trained to execute any new cleaning procedures
Will PPE be mandatory or recommended, and will it be provided by the institution?
Have staff work independently
Assign and label housekeeping carts, radios, etc. to reduce the sharing of supplies and equipment

How will you approach camps and day care?

Considerations:

Promote healthy hygiene practices; teaching these practices could be a part of the camp day
Create a drop-off/pick-up system; have parents drop off children with their counselor and go through the standard COVID-19 screening prior to attending camp each day
The same counselor should release each child to their authorized pickup person at the end of each day
Ensure the safe and correct application of disinfectants
Keep cleaning products away from children
Ensure social distancing; keep in mind the size of groups, use the buddy system and have kids paired with the same buddy throughout the duration of camp, use spacing squares, etc.
Space seating and desks so they are at least six feet apart
Have participants provide their own snack and lunch as usual
Meals should be eaten in a classroom, in an activity space, or outdoors if possible
Limit equipment sharing. Clean after it is used by a child.
Provide children with individual spaces to keep their daily belongings