Casey Peterson: Here.
Casey Peterson: Yeah, early bird gets the worm right
Casey Peterson: Yeah, he's
Laura Oster-Aaland: Gotten for us.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Thinking of the hardest questions.
No.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Okay.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Well, welcome everyone.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Today's topic is student engagement and support and Casey Peterson or Dean of Students and myself, I'm will take the lead. I'm Laura astroland
Laura Oster-Aaland: Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management for those who may not know me.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Happy to be with you today and try to answer questions around our students, what we are expecting of them what we think we can expect about their behavior and
Laura Oster-Aaland: Some maybe ways we can all all help out to make the fall go well. So
Laura Oster-Aaland: There are lots of other administrators who work closely with students on this call as well. I'll name a few of them. I'm going to miss them. But I would welcome any of them to chime in.
Laura Oster-Aaland: If there are ways in which they can add depth to anything that we covered today. Lisa Samuelson is our Director of Student Activities Patty Dirk Director of Student Health Service Mark Koppen Director of Disability Services.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Bill Burns director of counseling center.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And I think Mike Bora may be on the call as well or director of university police and safety and Laura McDaniel Associate Vice President for University Relations.
Laura Oster-Aaland: I know there's lots of other folks on too. So there's lots of people to answer questions. CASEY And I'll, I'll take the lead.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So he will. Well, first of all, here's the topics we're going to cover student engagement, what will that look like in this time students support. What do we have lined up to support our students and help to ensure their success and then risk reduction behaviors.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And so I'll let Casey, go ahead and start with student engagement.
Casey Peterson: Thank you, Laura. Hello, everybody.
Casey Peterson: For student engagement. We've been having conversations kind of across the summer about
Casey Peterson: How important it is to still provide opportunities for students and to do so in ways again that reduce all of the risk or as much of the risk as we can, while still providing meaningful and productive experiences. So that first link on the screen.
Casey Peterson: Is one that will take you to kind of the overarching guidance for planning events and meetings and it's based on the state guidance and the color levels and all of those things.
Casey Peterson: And that's something that we're sharing broadly with student organizations in particular, but can be used for anyone and everyone. And then the second link is about tips for in person and virtual engagement in this time. And so there's a small committee of folks who really worked to
Casey Peterson: Find resources and ideas on how to provide
Casey Peterson: really engaging events and discussions with students in all of this.
Casey Peterson: virtual space. I guess is the best way to put it. We also are looking for people if they're hosting in person events to try and provide a virtual option as well and that second link kind of walks you through some of that.
Casey Peterson: And then
Casey Peterson: Welcome Week has been adjusted. A lot of the schedule and the size of groups and how we're we're making that happen to reduce that risk, while still trying to meet student needs in this transition into college and then fall co curricular events are really being
Casey Peterson: They're really being planned along these same ways and same guidelines and I don't know if Lisa Samuelson from student activities is on if she would like to add anything to how they're planning for fall, but there will still be a whole slate of activities there.
Lisa Samuelson: I am I muted know
Laura Oster-Aaland: You're on.
Casey Peterson: The spot.
Lisa Samuelson: This is Lisa sandals and I know that for some of the major events that our office has coordinated, a lot of those by March are moving into a virtual reality. I know that we are still planning on doing
Lisa Samuelson: The student involvement fair, assuming we can have that outside. It's not outside than it is to move indoor or we can't have an indoor location so
Lisa Samuelson: That will just get canceled. I know that our sorority recruitment over virtually. So, by and large, a lot of the events have been
Lisa Samuelson: Moved to virtually and or adopted to using outdoor sorts of facilities and we're making the modifications as necessary.
Lisa Samuelson: So, and some of them are actually hybrid we've been able to contract out and actually have some
Lisa Samuelson: Activities that the students can engage in. But actually, in their own spaces, but still kind of gather virtually so there's a lot of interesting hybrid types of activities that are able to be adapted for this year.
Casey Peterson: Thank you. I would like to just give a quick
Casey Peterson: Piece of recognition to residence life as well. They've been
Casey Peterson: And and the residence hall Association. They've been great at doing some virtual experiences for students last spring, and over the summer that have been highly engaging
Casey Peterson: They also have some great tools. So some of the things during Welcome Week. If a student isn't able to attend.
Casey Peterson: Were actually or doesn't want to attend because of the the virus and safety, we are able to actually do some live streaming directly to their room through the cable system. So those are the kinds of things that we're doing to try to accommodate everyone
Laura Oster-Aaland: CASEY Can I just pop in quickly. I want to just give you one example to help you. You understand that.
Laura Oster-Aaland: It, particularly with Welcome Week, it, it will be, I think, it seems to me, from what I've seen about have a good mix of maybe half and half in person versus virtual events.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So just to give you one example. I don't know if many of you may remember, we used to gather all of the students on the lawn of the stem building and have them stand real close together in the shape of n de su
Laura Oster-Aaland: And that of course would not be a great that would be a pretty high risk kind of idea.
Laura Oster-Aaland: In some years, we have also had the students walk through the gates of the university. So this year, they will be broken up into small
Laura Oster-Aaland: It's a small, relatively smaller groups of about 250 but spread out in a very large in the festival concert house so that seats 1000
Laura Oster-Aaland: And they will hear an engaging speaker, they'll hear from the President. And then, as well as an engaging students success type speaker, and then they will all mass, of course, walk, then out
Laura Oster-Aaland: Through the gates together, maintaining physical distance
Laura Oster-Aaland: And so there's a whole host of Welcome Week leaders and staff that are have really put a lot of effort into
Laura Oster-Aaland: The planning of this and this will be also a way to model some of the behaviors that we need them to have throughout the year, such as distance and face covering so
Laura Oster-Aaland: Just kind of gives you an idea of the creativity that's been used, I think, to still provide a meaningful experience, but also to to reduce risk.
Casey Peterson: Or if you can do the next slide. Thank you.
Casey Peterson: So for students support. There are a number of things happening.
Casey Peterson: The care team is something that you may not recognize yet a message went out a few weeks ago about a transition. We're doing from the truth. Our old
Casey Peterson: behavioral intervention team bi T to care team model. And so what this means is that we're broadening the list of students who are
Casey Peterson: Who are going to be focusing on the it was really about threat assessment either a student's potential to harm themselves or others.
Casey Peterson: And the care team is really going to address a need for following up with students, providing some individualized support for any number of situations that that they may find themselves in. If
Casey Peterson: They've lost a parent and need to be away from school for a little while if they're suffering from severe anxiety and depression, the care team may come into
Casey Peterson: Play with some of those pieces. So in addition to that threat assessment. We're trying to provide a little more streamlined and holistic support to students and you can report at that second link there.
Casey Peterson: That is active. Now we got a new system for managing some of this information over the summer and it's going to be make things really
Casey Peterson: Useful for us are very efficient, I should say. And so that is live and ready for you at any time really for any concern and will do follow up out of our office and through the care team.
Casey Peterson: Academic Support. There was a lot of work done last year to move to the remote kind of support, as well as the learning. And I think that
Casey Peterson: Our offices learned a lot and did a lot to support students during that time. And a lot of that stuff will still be happening. So, there will still be some virtual options.
Casey Peterson: I know an ace. They've adjusted their systems and methods to make sure that we're not having large groups of students cluster for tutoring, those types of things in person.
Casey Peterson: But spaces have been reviewed adjusted. I was just able to walk through the library, about an hour before this meeting and they've done some great adjustments with seating and signage and marketing pathways, those types of things to
Casey Peterson: To really help students stay spread out. So there are lots of things happening there, but pretty much as far as I'm aware, every service that we've been able to provide in the past is still there. And now, potentially even more versions because of the virtual pieces that we had to address.
Casey Peterson: So I'll turn the other ones over to Laura on
Laura Oster-Aaland: Good Student Health Services been fully operational since last March when
Laura Oster-Aaland: We went on with online classes. And I just want to take a moment to give a real shout out to this office who has really been on the front line of providing patient
Laura Oster-Aaland: You know, physical and mental health care to our students. I still recall one of the very first meetings about coven when Penny Dirk, the director was talking about pee pee and I had to stop and say, wait a minute. What's pee pee.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And to imagine not knowing that now. So the learning curve is steep for many of us, but I have to say that that the student health service staff.
Laura Oster-Aaland: As been instrumental in helping us all through that learning curve. They knew what they were doing. They knew how to approach disease.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And infection and they have been testing students. They've been responding to students. They've been caring for students, all this time. So I just really want to recognize that
Laura Oster-Aaland: And I'll give Patty and and others a chance to speak in just a minute. But I just wanted to remind students or remind you all that they will remain fully operational them through this semester as well.
Laura Oster-Aaland: They do provide a testing for coven 19 to choose students. Again, this is a student service.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And
Laura Oster-Aaland: As well as a whole host of other primary care.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Or Counseling Center has also been fully operational this whole time as as all of our students services have been but we wanted to call these services out in particular.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Since there, there has been a higher need and it's been interesting. The usage of the Counseling Center did not decline. Once we went to online, they move to fully online telemedicine and tele Tele health
Laura Oster-Aaland: As did Student Health Service students health service did some of each. But what the director Bill Burns tells me is that there again, their usage was about the same, but they're no show rate dropped considerably and what they're taking from that is that students really
Laura Oster-Aaland: Appreciate the online option and they're more likely to show up for counseling. So that's a good silver lining in this as well.
Laura Oster-Aaland: They will be fully operational online or this fall, mostly virtually but also they will have staff in the office for emergencies.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Because counseling is pretty difficult to be in a very small room for a full hour and face coverings are difficult because of emotion, all of that they will be mostly virtual this fall.
Laura Oster-Aaland: We do have an emergency fund as well. I think many of you are aware of this, the foundation did a nice fundraising campaign for this fund last spring I think they raised about $50,000 is what I remember.
Laura Oster-Aaland: We have, we have dispersed all of those funds and so the as well as some funding, we got from the federal government for emergency aid to students and so
Laura Oster-Aaland: We actually have a meeting next week with the foundation to talk about how to do another campaign to replenish those funds so
Laura Oster-Aaland: Stay tuned for that. And again, those are small grants of about $500 that we can give out to a student who's just maybe a parent or maybe they've lost a job parents lost a job.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Parent has coven they need to get home quickly buy a plane ticket fix their car. Maybe they lost their laptop or it got stolen. So that's it's some flexible funding that can be available for students not only coven related but any emergency
Laura Oster-Aaland: Okay, just a few more slides and then we'll take all of your questions. So, Casey. Oh, I'll do the beginning of this one.
Laura Oster-Aaland: I think I sent out an email on this yesterday, but the coven care team is a subcommittee of the President's Council on campus well being. And they did a survey of campus toward the middle to end of July, trying to get at focuses
Laura Oster-Aaland: Both mental and physical health related to Colvin and kind of the needs so that we could be prepared when people came back to campus.
Laura Oster-Aaland: To to do some education and and offer services and interesting results. Nothing too surprising, you know, everybody's certainly concerned about exposure and risks but they're also interested in
Laura Oster-Aaland: interacting with each other, but in small groups and with precautions.
Laura Oster-Aaland: We definitely saw more concern addressed from faculty and staff less concern for students and even less concerned from incoming students and and that might be what you guess
Laura Oster-Aaland: Although all we're
Laura Oster-Aaland: All did reports financial stress due to the pandemic and that was more heavily weighted on the students
Laura Oster-Aaland: And let's instead. The other thing I want to know is that I want you to know that that data was shared with upper administration, they've heard the
Laura Oster-Aaland: The feedback in the comments, and many of the the concerns expressed in the survey are already being addressed and many are in progress. So just wanted to report out on that and then Casey will take face coverings.
Casey Peterson: Yeah, so
Casey Peterson: Base coverings have been a big topic of conversation all summer long on how we're going to handle this and enforce and do all of those things. And so that's what I wanted to take a little bit of time to talk through right now.
Casey Peterson: I will say that I have thankfully seen a big shift in attitude over the last four weeks in regards to masks. When we first announced that they were going to be required in the classrooms and then announced that they would be required in all buildings on campus.
Casey Peterson: And when that six feet can't be maintained outside
Casey Peterson: We got a string of
Casey Peterson: Not a lot, but a string of comments and emails kind of refuting the science and the what ifs and all of that, that has all stopped.
Casey Peterson: We haven't gotten any of that in quite some time. At this point, and I went for a walk myself or late last week.
Casey Peterson: And because I was outside and there aren't many people on campus. I took off my mask and enjoyed a nice stroll down the street, which is just fine. But I did see two students on my walk and both of them were wearing masks.
Casey Peterson: They were going in between buildings, they were they were just outside, but they were fully masked up and protect it that way. So I'm feeling good about levels of compliance that will have and
Casey Peterson: I'm feeling like we're not going to run into a lot of resistance as students get here and show up. So we are asking our student leaders to role model to start the year off right so we have 150 Welcome Week leaders who will be
Casey Peterson: Interacting with students in a variety of ways. And they, they will be trained and
Casey Peterson: They'll practice even
Casey Peterson: Doing this the right way for students and for campus.
Casey Peterson: When you well I'll put it this way. I think we're all going to have to
Casey Peterson: At some point, think about confronting a situation where somebody is not wearing one when they shouldn't be those types of things.
Casey Peterson: And so we've we've talked a little bit about how to do that. So for faculty there is a statement that's out there and Lauren might have to point us directly to it, but
Casey Peterson: To be able to, there's a statement to be able to put on your syllabus. If you are thinking about that for students. And then when somebody
Casey Peterson: Is not wearing a mask.
Casey Peterson: The, the trick is to to be human.
Casey Peterson: To start with,
Casey Peterson: That. And this is something I got really comfortable with in Residence Life and in other roles. But I think in our, in our own spaces on campus. We all have those times when we have to ask a student or a parent or a visitor to
Casey Peterson: To maybe not smoke.
Laura Oster-Aaland: CASEY We lost you.
Casey Peterson: Yeah, I am.
Laura McDaniel, NDSU: Out in old mean
Laura Oster-Aaland: Oh, OK. OK. So I'm right next to Casey and I have power.
Paul Wraalstad: We have a brownout going on in the Union, so that some things may have power, some things may not, but
Paul Wraalstad: I'm sure we're going to lose a lot of people right now.
Okay.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Come in.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Places. Okay, so, Casey know right next door to each other will mask and he will try and places briefly.
kristi steinmann: Example of zoom troubleshooting.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Alright.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So,
Laura Oster-Aaland: Here, I'll take off my mask with that, um,
Laura McDaniel, NDSU: Quick question. Christy is the recording so on.
Laura McDaniel, NDSU: So it's worth just carrying on and we'll make sure and get the recording out to people.
kristi steinmann: Yep, yep. The recording still going.
Okay.
Laura Oster-Aaland: All right. So going back to being human.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Just wanting to ask everyone to do what you would normally do when you're asking somebody to comply with something and just let them know that they need to put one on
Laura Oster-Aaland: Explain how it's there for protecting everybody else it's not really
Laura Oster-Aaland: Really about them as an individual.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And then if they
Laura Oster-Aaland: Are belligerent in any way non compliant. You can ask them to leave the space.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And eventually what you would do is is report out if somebody is continuing to violate that policy. So for staff members, you'd refer them to HR
Laura Oster-Aaland: For a faculty, it would be their college Dean and for students that would be here to the Dean of Students Office and we'll do the follow up on that with them.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So that would be it. And then I wanted to talk about. If I can get there.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Just the mountain. Okay.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Sorry, I gotta change slides here. There we go.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So on the enforcement side everything. It will be situational because every situation is going to be different.
Laura Oster-Aaland: We don't expect that students are going to come into classes are into spaces intentionally without masks to try and challenge the system do that if they do we have resolution processes in place that we will follow.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So,
Laura Oster-Aaland: Basically they're going to be a lot of those informal conversations and I'm thinking about this as a little bit of a funnel where at the top. It's all of us across campus having those conversations when incidents occur.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And just those those brief interactions where we're reminding and encouraging people to to do what we need them to do.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Then it would go to kind of a second level and with students that would come to myself.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Dr. Emily Frazier and the hall directors and the residence life staff are also conduct officers.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And so that's where, depending on the situation, we may start with more informal resolution processes with educational conversations
Laura Oster-Aaland: Potentially some written warning types of things. But that's if it's a low level non compliance type of thing. And then the, the third level.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Down in the funnel where I think we'll have very few incidences where we have to go through the formal resolution process. And with that, we would do a full student conduct process and hearing and that would be really for those that are purposefully willfully and continuously disregarding
Laura Oster-Aaland: Now that could rise to that level in one interaction. If we do have one student who comes into first day of class and decides. This is where I'm standing my ground.
Laura Oster-Aaland: You know that could rise to that formal resolution process quickly for others of May, we should be able to handle most
Laura Oster-Aaland: In the informal way. We do have looking at the code of student behavior. We would be these types of things would typically fall under 3.20 its failure to comply with the university directive, and that's really what this mask policy is and then also potentially
Laura Oster-Aaland: 3.45 which is endangerment of individuals. So that would be in a particular case if we had a student who knew they were positive and still came to an event.
Laura Oster-Aaland: That would be a spot where we may use that part of the code and then there are other parts of the code that may apply situationally based on how the interactions occur.
Laura Oster-Aaland: There are three primary questions we're going to ask when it comes to that disciplinary process and which path we take
Laura Oster-Aaland: And really, and to remind you that we also do these types of hearings at times with student organizations.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So there is a process in place for making sure that they're doing what they need to as as groups as well. But it's really did the student
Laura Oster-Aaland: Ignore safety and and safety related guidance. Did the student or the organization do all that they could to reduce risk for the people around them.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And then, did they carelessly or unknowingly put people at risk. So if the answer is yes to those types of questions. We're going to go with the more formal process rather than a simple educational conversation and reminder. So those are the types of things that we're going to try to
Laura Oster-Aaland: Have in place to make this manageable. If we did a formal process. Every time somebody didn't have their mask on.
Laura Oster-Aaland: We would not be able to handle
Laura Oster-Aaland: That type of load and we really are expecting based on what we're hearing from students and seeing we're expecting really high compliance levels.
Laura Oster-Aaland: The other thing that I forgot to mention in this is there will be times or maybe times when a student says, oh, I have a condition and I can't wear a mask.
Laura Oster-Aaland: You know, they may have something along those lines that they're
Laura Oster-Aaland: That they're trying to to work away from using the mask and those students should be referred to disability services.
Laura Oster-Aaland: To see if that would be a reasonable accommodation or not for them. And I don't know if Mark is on the call right now. But if he has anything else to add in. I'm happy to have him do that. I believe that that would also be the case for other things on campus outside of class even right
Mark Coppin: Yeah. So if a student does have a medical reason and they do have a doctor's note, they would have to register through disability services.
Mark Coppin: Provide their documentation and then we go through a process to see if there any reasonable accommodations that we can provide them and we would work with the faculty that
Mark Coppin: Have that have that student in their class to see if there's any reasonable accommodation. We can until we go through that whole entire process there's
Mark Coppin: There isn't a situation where a student would go into the classroom without a mask on, they would have to go through that process and ultimately we would do an assessment to see if the student
Mark Coppin: Is at risk themselves or are they posing a risk or danger to other students in that classroom which Kobe had would, at this point, and then we would make that determination at that point, but we cannot approve accommodation that would put anybody at risk.
We can see the chat.
Laura Oster-Aaland: I will let you
Laura Oster-Aaland: Oh, great. I'm going to go ahead and stop sharing my screen and then
Laura Oster-Aaland: We can take any questions for folks that are still on.
kristi steinmann: Or one of the first questions that came up from several people was especially from staff who don't know students
kristi steinmann: Might be probably more in the common areas. If you see a student that doesn't have a mask on, how do you identify them. Do we, do we ask their name or they required to tell us if they're not wanting to wear a mask.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Again, I think back to what Casey said I would first just say identify yourself, you know. Hi, I'm Laura. I work here in the Union, and I'm not sure if you're aware, we have a mass policy or face covering policy.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Either I'd asked you that you put a face covering on please. And I think the majority of people are going to do that. And, you know, Casey mentioned the the reference to
Laura Oster-Aaland: When we went smoke free as a campus. There was a lot of concern about how we were going to enforce this and how we were going to confront people and
Laura Oster-Aaland: And it took a little while to get everyone to comply, but I don't know that we processed any. I don't think case. He's nodding his head. We didn't process any student conduct over smoking.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Because people just did what they were supposed to do the majority of people do so. And again, if so then if you know, again, if the person doesn't they become belligerent
Laura Oster-Aaland: Then yes I would ask the student their name and and inform them that you're going to have to call the Dean of Students Office, you know, with their name, but I hope that folks don't start there because I really do think the majority of people will comply. When we asked them.
Margaret Fitzgerald: And I also think for for students who come into office spaces. It would be very appropriate for staff to keep a list of everyone who comes into your office.
Margaret Fitzgerald: If you're involved in contact tracing for the state health department, for example, it's nice to know everyone who came into the
Margaret Fitzgerald: Front Office or to the help desk at the IPS, or the circulation desk at the library or, you know, I think that that's becoming a common practice in a lot of spaces around the community now.
Laura Oster-Aaland: That's a good point. Margaret, and I think I noticed somebody just said to will there be masks around to off because that's the other thing we can do is offer the student a mask, because maybe they're not putting one on because they don't have one.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And I know that many of the offices have some disposable masks are in their offices. So if you're near one of those offices to offer a face covering would be also another option.
kristi steinmann: Or more of those masks coming, Laura. There's a question on if they
kristi steinmann: If I think the library doesn't have them right now. Are they are we expecting more for them to be able to give out
Laura Oster-Aaland: Margaret is nodding.
Margaret Fitzgerald: I just had a communication from Mike ellingson this morning. They've got more masks on order. They didn't want to over order. So we have a bunch of unused mass after this pandemic is over. So they're ordering waves and there is another shipment do soon.
kristi steinmann: Okay, you've got a bunch of questions. I'll try to get through them here. Steve, can student employees. Ask other students to wear masks if the full time staff people are not around.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Yeah. Mm hmm.
kristi steinmann: Um,
kristi steinmann: I think I got through those mask.
kristi steinmann: Specifically ones, um,
kristi steinmann: I'm going to go kind of up to the beginning of some of the questions if they have some there's a student in the class who cannot adequately here faculty, what are their options and if, for example, we can maintain an empty first row seating, can the faculty member remove their mask.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Good to see if Mark would be willing to take that one.
Mark Coppin: I'm not sure. I mean, honestly, that is
Mark Coppin: Probably out of my decision making them. What we're looking at the students, but I think
Mark Coppin: I don't know if that would be adequate to that, then that the faculty member not wear a mask. Is that the question. It's the faculty when would
kristi steinmann: Yeah.
kristi steinmann: If the faculty member has distance between him or herself in the front of the room and leaves an open open row, could they take their mask off.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Oh, I thought I understood that it was because a student with hard of hearing.
Mark Coppin: Oh,
Laura Oster-Aaland: Yeah, but I not okay. I misunderstood the question.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Thanks.
Yeah.
Margaret Fitzgerald: We've been working with a few faculty members over the summer, who are concerned about students ability to hear or understand them if they have a traditional face covering on over the summer.
Margaret Fitzgerald: Some of the options. We've looked at us to you know make sure they're behind a Plexiglas screen and the classroom and there's adequate social distancing between the faculty and the students in the classroom.
Margaret Fitzgerald: We've also given them samples of the plastic shields that are being made in the library and in the ARCHITECTURE BUILDING using our laser printers so that
Margaret Fitzgerald: It's the they have a plastic covering here and then we're hoping that
Margaret Fitzgerald: We're going to get microphones for all of our faculty before classes start and we're thinking that with the mic and the plastic shield that might be adequate.
Margaret Fitzgerald: Now there's some concern about droplets falling downward in those plastic shields. So the people who are making them on campus are trying to figure out a way to add a fabric.
Margaret Fitzgerald: Bottom or fabric layer to those masks. But you can also purchase them online. They're about 40 to $50 but they do look
Margaret Fitzgerald: Really quite comfortable and quite protective again. I haven't seen the the literature on their effectiveness but based on what we've learned about where droplets fall and how they fall that might be an option for people as well.
Margaret Fitzgerald: So it's a tough. It's a tough challenge for some of our faculty who maybe are softer speakers or
Margaret Fitzgerald: English is not their first language and they're concerned they want the students to understand them. So we've been trying to troubleshoot those on a case by case basis.
Mark Coppin: And I think, yeah, I think.
Mark Coppin: For our students who are deaf and hard of hearing heavy faculty that would wear face of a shield have probably a Plexiglas barrier and that maintain that six foot
Mark Coppin: May be adequate enough for them to be able to to have that in class. So I think that that would be our recommendation. I'm the current there's a quite a few studies right now that are looking at the safety of
Mark Coppin: A shields and it could seal the cross the forehead wraps around back behind the ears and goes below the chin. They say that those may even be better than some homemade
Mark Coppin: Face masks. So we're also looking at getting some face masks that have a clear front. So there. A typical facemask and an air have a clear shield in front also
Mark Coppin: We just have to see how well and we can see through them and and there is, if a foggy I'm concerned with those. So as soon as we get those in. We're going to do some testing with those
kristi steinmann: To get a couple people asking for a definitive clarification of yes or no can faculty take their face face coverings office six feet of distance between them and their students.
Margaret Fitzgerald: You know earlier, the summer, I think I was saying, it would probably be okay as long as you've got out acquit social distancing. But the more I listened to Dr. Carson another epidemiologist. I'm more committed to saying let's try to figure out a way
Margaret Fitzgerald: For you to be clear and understandable with face mask on, just because we're learning more about how those droplets get dispersed and
Margaret Fitzgerald: It's this idea that we are really responsible for keeping each other safe. So I would suggest to try to figure out a workable alternative
kristi steinmann: I also just add it has done some testing and videos of using the lapel mics while they had the face covering on and there's almost no difference in the sound quality, especially for students attending remote
kristi steinmann: With the face covering on versus not when they had that microphone on. It doesn't necessarily project, the voice in the room, necessarily, but it will pick it up for anyone attending remotely.
kristi steinmann: Another question. If a student. So this is related to the care team if the student in our class reports testing positive for coverage. Should we report to the care team in that form so that someone will check on them.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Apologies. I'm off camera here. That's okay. Can you hear, Casey.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Yes. Okay. So we do have systems in place. I would encourage the student to fill out the campus notification form. In that case, and that will have the same effect, we will be following up
Laura Oster-Aaland: First through student health service and then as necessary through the Dean of Students Office and care team. And so that would be probably the best way to handle anything that's covert related
Laura Oster-Aaland: But basically anything else. And even if it does come to that care team link we will still find a way to make that work. It just won't be as smooth, but we'll do that follow up.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And send the link for the students and faculty and staff to report positive if they're positive will be ready. We hope soon.
Laura McDaniel, NDSU: Where I just posted the student one
Laura Oster-Aaland: Great.
Laura Oster-Aaland: In the chat. Wonderful. It's live as we speak.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And so I'm going to wear this map for the rest of this session because
Laura Oster-Aaland: I've been very close contact with me, I'm
Patricia Dirk: Sorry. Can I add one other
Margaret Fitzgerald: Solidarity with your lawyer.
Patricia Dirk: For care if we get students. There's also going to be a process in place through residence life. So if the student is on campus. They will also have people that will be checking on students who might be
Patricia Dirk: Ill or need assistance. So hopefully, hopefully, lots of different resources will be there for them.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And there will be a very detailed quarantine and isolation process that's on the web. I mean, it's already in place, but it'll be on the web, very soon as well.
Laura McDaniel, NDSU: You're all up.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Oh, are there.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Don't team.
kristi steinmann: Other question about kind of related to contact tracing is it proper to
kristi steinmann: Take a picture of the class at the end of each class so that you can easily trace if someone was there and then also take a video recording of a student as evidence, who's not compliant and wearing their mask or what do we need to collect
kristi steinmann: As far as documenting that
Laura Oster-Aaland: I'm in Florida as the picture of the classroom.
Laura Oster-Aaland: As long as there's no purpose concerned with that. No, I don't know if our registrar is on. I think that's fine. Yeah, you wouldn't be sharing it publicly. So I think it's a great idea. And I know Margaret's been working and some communication to faculty related to keeping seating charts.
Laura Oster-Aaland: But a picture. I mean, especially if you know who the students are would be very helpful. If you don't know all of the students names a picture may not help you as much
Laura Oster-Aaland: But I do think it's one possible strategy and then what was the second part.
kristi steinmann: I want to add a little quick if the students are masked in the class, we probably shouldn't have them taking their masks off, I would assume if for that picture.
kristi steinmann: Correct that might also be a clarified clarify around if it's helpful or not. The second part is, if a student is not being compliant with the the mask directive could can we, is it appropriate to take a video of them to document it.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Yes. Yeah, that would be fine. I think you would also want to also, though not do something that is going to escalate a situation again, this is all about being human and trying to de escalate.
Laura Oster-Aaland: But certainly if it was a bit you know if there were some really inappropriate behavior going on and you felt like you wanted that evidence that certainly would be
Laura Oster-Aaland: Helpful evidence that we would use but not necessary. We don't need everybody going around videotaping, we really don't want. We don't want faith covering police
Laura Oster-Aaland: We just want to be good humans.
kristi steinmann: Right, there's a good question about students and contact tracing what communication is going to students who might be scared to work with contact tracers if they were exposed while drinking or at a party or something like that.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Yeah, you know, Patty and I and a few others have been talking about this.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And I don't know if you want to speak to this at all. Patty, but it's something I know our health promotions team is thinking a lot about
Laura Oster-Aaland: And they've got some videos and peer education that they're going to be working on. And I think that can be a message in that peer education. It's similar to, you know, actually did my doctoral dissertation on
Laura Oster-Aaland: Alcohol poisoning situations and whether or not students will seek help.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And they are actually very willing to seek help and I do think this will be a similar situation like I think they're going to be willing to do the right thing.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And and i think wherever we can. We should remind them that we care more about, you know, addressing the virus than we do their other inappropriate behavior.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And the contact racers are also not en de su Roy's and they're not connected to law enforcement. And so the contact racers are not going to care how where they got. They want to know who
Laura Oster-Aaland: Is there anything you want to add on that patty.
Patricia Dirk: No, I think you covered it well and we're working with the College of Health Professions as well. They're writing up some additional education. And I think to just reassure
Patricia Dirk: To kind of go off what Casey, said the contact tracers will also tell students that the, you know, this is a non punitive we're, we're asking for all of your contacts to keep you and others safe and site, they try hard to explain that as well.
kristi steinmann: There's another question on contact tracing. I've heard that it won't be conducted in common areas. Is this true and if it is will it change.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Well, I think what you mean what I think what the question means is that, let's say you were in the Memorial Union that afternoon and, you know, maybe there was
Laura Oster-Aaland: You know 10 or 15 people in the student lounge, but you didn't know their names.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So there's probably not a way for a contact tracer to get that information that would be similar to when you went to the grocery store or if you went to seminars.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So I don't know that there if I'm understanding the question. Correct. I don't know that there is a way to get at public spaces, it's not a perfect science.
kristi steinmann: Another question talk. We first talked about student activities today. What's going on with fall sports and Wellness Center classes.
Laura Oster-Aaland: The Wellness Center. I don't is open in terms of classes do you I'm thinking, you mean like group exercise and honestly I'm not certain. So I would go to the Wellness Center site and sure that they've got pretty clear information about that for fall
Laura Oster-Aaland: You know NCAA sports those obviously I think most folks have read in the news, but there will be no competitions.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Other than there seems like there's a possibility that there still could be a few football games, but no conference games.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And then, but I believe, and I don't know that a decisions final either on whether those fall sports will be practicing or that I know they are right now whether that they continue is still up in the air. The last I heard from Matt Larsen
Laura Oster-Aaland: And then the other thing would be fall
Laura Oster-Aaland: club sports and again they they may practice. But there are some guidelines that they need to follow as well. And those are on those event and guidelines and the guidelines page that's on the Dean of Students Office.
kristi steinmann: Thank you.
kristi steinmann: Couple follow ups to the question about on the common area contact tracing. I think the question was more
kristi steinmann: If you work in somewhere like the library or the Union and through contact tracing someone you find out that someone was positive, and they spent a bunch of time in the Union or the library will library staff be notified that there were positive contacts there.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Oh I Penny, do you know the answer, I'm thinking, I guess, I don't know.
Patricia Dirk: I don't know 100% for sure how that's going to work, but I would, I would say, yes. And especially if they're identified. So if we know the students and when what staff, they were around, they would get contacted through the contact tracers and then just to keep in mind the
Patricia Dirk: contact tracing is for people who have been within six feet of each other for more than 15 minutes so
Patricia Dirk: So we so if that helps relieve our stress, a little bit just to know it's not you're typically not going to get infected just walking by somebody. So they reach out the contact tracers reach out to someone who's been in an area less than six feet for 15 minutes or more with the positive
kristi steinmann: So in that case, it's less likely that the whole library staff would be notified that someone was positive in the library.
Patricia Dirk: Correct. They only notify on a need to know basis.
Patricia Dirk: Which like Laura said it's not a perfect science. It's as good as the information that they get. But the more we can do to help the better.
kristi steinmann: A question. Will the counseling center be available for walk ins for a student in crisis.
Laura Oster-Aaland: I believe so. Bill, are you on the call.
wwilliam.burns: I am yes for student crisis, we will be there. And we have some will have a sign on the door, how to make that happen, but otherwise it's just call center to make an appointment historical
Laura Oster-Aaland: Yeah, because that will be in five or Thumbtack maybe not the full staff but they will be the door will be open and they will have people there and
kristi steinmann: This is a question about accommodations hearing impaired students often rely
kristi steinmann: On lip reading with masks. This is not possible, what reasonable accommodations might be available for them.
Mark Coppin: So we're looking at facemasks cloth facemask and that have a clear front on them, we've ordered several of them they should be in the next
Mark Coppin: Hopefully in the next couple days and we will provide our faculty members who are have students who are identified with as deaf or hard of hearing in their classes with those clear masks. So they'll be able to yourselves.
kristi steinmann: Will students and faculty, be able to drink water in class. If they use a straw and keep their mask on, or should we direct them to get up and leave if they need a water break
Laura Oster-Aaland: Are you still on the call. I don't know that this has been definitively answered.
Margaret Fitzgerald: I am and I would think that if you had a straw and you could do this, you're probably okay but i don't i don't have scientific evidence that that is accurate.
So,
Laura Oster-Aaland: I think this might be one of those displaces for common sense and
Laura Oster-Aaland: doing the best we can.
Patricia Dirk: It might want to verify with with Paul Carson, I would think it would be discouraged, you probably do not want to be removing your. I don't know if there's long class periods where they maybe need to just step out
Patricia Dirk: And have their
Beverage
Patricia Dirk: But Paul would be the best to maybe answer that.
Laura Oster-Aaland: We can do that follow up.
kristi steinmann: There was a request for a policy that Casey mentioned a request. Is there a link for the POS policy that Casey mentioned three.to.oh I think I don't know if that can just be sent out after. Sure, yeah.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And there's a spot on the Dean of Students website that has the code there and it's the full code.
kristi steinmann: Okay, well we can
Laura Oster-Aaland: We can get that link out
kristi steinmann: All right, and then I, the last question I have, I think it was addressed individually in the chat. But if there's any other hybrid or virtual activities that's been done to engage students that you want to share in addition to the ones that you mentioned already,
kristi steinmann: Just as examples.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So I know something that happened this summer with virtual bingo, and it was funny. I didn't realize that.
Laura Oster-Aaland: It seems like bingo, is one of the most popular campus attraction events because you win prizes. I think it goes fun
Laura Oster-Aaland: But wasn't it like they had like 200 some students on this virtual bingo call. I think this summer.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And then I heard a story about how you know it's supposed to go like for an hour or something. And the students stayed
Laura Oster-Aaland: For an hour afterwards, just to talk and interact. So that was one really encouraging example that I had heard of and Lisa please jump in if you have other ideas or examples.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Lisa's only been on campus about a month. So we're really putting her on the spot here.
Lisa Samuelson: And I do know that campus attractions does have a lot of innovative ideas, they've been able to work with some of our agencies and some of the events will be ritual, but then they'll have like my stream parties.
Lisa Samuelson: Some of the novelty type activities can actually be either mail to students are available to be picked up in their residence halls, then they can still kind of zoom in and do the activity together. So there's some pretty interesting things that they're able to work on.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Thank you. One that I know is planned that that combines or give students an opportunity to attend virtually really is that presidents welcome and the presentation from Bill Cortez
Laura Oster-Aaland: That it'll be in festival concert hall or NDS you belong is another one that's a session we do for students about belonging here then de su and anybody that's not comfortable coming to those sessions, they will be able to actually at least watch if not participate in that. So,
Laura Oster-Aaland: The orientation team. I just saw yesterday for the NDS you belong session has used a site called mentee. That seems a little bit like a cross between cahoot and
Laura Oster-Aaland: PowerPoint and students from a distance would be able to answer questions on the pole and that type of stuff as well as the students there in in the physical space.
kristi steinmann: I leave, we are at the end of
kristi steinmann: Questions. There were a lot more comments in this one then then other
kristi steinmann: Other forums. So I've got a list of a bunch of comments but they're not necessarily questions to
kristi steinmann: To discuss unless anyone has any other questions. One was talking more about the straw policy on and I think we know that that needs a little more time to look into.
kristi steinmann: And then we did have some questions about microphones and I know Mark Waldman answered that in the chat that we're working on getting lapel microphones to each instructor
kristi steinmann: So, the question will adjunct lecturer is be able to get a microphone or they just for full time lecturers and faculty
Marc Wallman: For phones we have a list of everybody who is listed as an instructor. The primary instructor for the class and I think there were ballpark 800 and some of those. So we have a list of all those people. I think we're ordering 1100 microphones.
Marc Wallman: We don't have a delivery date. So while we might, but I haven't had an update in a couple days so
Marc Wallman: Hopefully they're going to be here before the semester starts, we did not have any good disinfecting options, which is why one of the other reasons we wanted to get a microphone for everybody.
Marc Wallman: So, and I think our tentative plan. I'm going to visit with the department heads tomorrow is to probably distribute those through the department. So we would work with the department head and
Marc Wallman: Somebody in the office and
Marc Wallman: Deliver a bunch and having distributed that way when we get them in the same is going to be true for this stylist is for the touchscreen. We got we're ordering though so that everybody should be able to have their own so you're not having to put your fingers all over the screen.
Bakr Aly Ahmed: Is a microphone or there is, is one that can be integrated with the masks. Like if the semester microphone will be underneath or
Marc Wallman: A lapel microphones, so it'll go on up attached to your piece of clothing or color, or something like that.
Bakr Aly Ahmed: Because most of the lecture rooms is already Abdulaziz speakers and microphones clearly some of us faces needs that kind of
Bakr Aly Ahmed: Speakers and microphones me concerned about how we installed the microphone to be very close to the original sound Seaver is ok but the source of sound. That's a problem. How we get
Marc Wallman: There's a video online.
Marc Wallman: Of how it sounds. With and without the mask. There's almost no difference.
Marc Wallman: I'll try to find the living, it's as much keeping up sound coming off your throat. Because you typically have it somewhere around here than it is coming out of your mouth with these microphones.
Bakr Aly Ahmed: This comment or question about these international students. We have maybe a brand new international news students joins a canvas and this is their first time to be on campus. Is there any specific preparation or attention be given to that group of students new to the campus.
Bakr Aly Ahmed: From the international students
Patricia Dirk: Give me the answer that Laurel. Oh.
Laura Oster-Aaland: It attention, meaning in terms of activities and engagement or in terms of health screening
Bakr Aly Ahmed: Yeah, yeah, health and information about rules and guidelines for everything.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So I think in general in terms of orienting them and you know rules and and all of policy.
Laura Oster-Aaland: The International Programs office.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Has that kind of onboarding for those students. And then all of those students are also screened through student health service and need to go ahead and let you answer Patty, in terms of what they need to do in terms of testing or in quarantining
Patricia Dirk: So we work closely with the International Office and they identify our let us know of incoming students and then they reach out and make an appointment, which we
Patricia Dirk: Do on any regular year or semester. So now even included the coven information, education and screening. So they have an option to either quarantine for 14 days or come and get tested. And then, then they don't have to quarantine after their negative test results.
Patricia Dirk: Is that what you were asking, does that make sense. Okay.
Carrie Anne Platt: I wanted to ask a question about class length that I think that florin asked earlier, and was mentioned in regard to water and just kind of time spent together. Is it
Carrie Anne Platt: Reasonable to make adjustments if you have a two and a half hour class in order to reduce exposure. If we know that that mark is kind of 15 minutes or more, after which we may start to get
Carrie Anne Platt: Concerned, is that within the realm of instructional freedom to make those changes as long as you are still providing that option of face to face contact for a certain period of time.
Laura Oster-Aaland: I think that's a Margaret question.
Margaret Fitzgerald: Yeah, I'm just thinking. Carry on. Do you mean if the if the students aren't socially distant from one another or
Carrie Anne Platt: No, I'm just thinking, if we know that the sciences that the transmission risk increases with amount of time spent together than those of us who are teaching two and a half hour courses.
Carrie Anne Platt: Are nervous about that amount of time spent inside with other people, even if we are socially distanced and masked so as we talked earlier with
Carrie Anne Platt: instructors do have some leeway when it comes to start or dismissal times in order to reduce congestion. Is that another area in which we may think about okay, having a shorter class meeting, but some virtual activities to supplement it
Margaret Fitzgerald: Sure, I mean a hybrid option is certainly available to faculty, where you have some time together, face to face, and you have other times virtual
Margaret Fitzgerald: That the main thing we have to do is protect our contact hours with the students. We have contact our minimums for every credit. So we have to be
Margaret Fitzgerald: Cautious of that. But no, we're not saying you have to stay in that classroom for two and a half hours. You just have to make sure the students get a full experience that would be associated with those two and a half hours.
Carrie Anne Platt: Great. Thank you for clarifying.
kristi steinmann: We are about at time, but there was one that came in about the quarantine role for anyone coming from out of state any hotspot areas do those students have to quarantine when they get to campus.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And that would be based on the North Dakota, Department of Health guidelines, and I believe right now there are no quarantine requirements in place for the United States.
Laura Oster-Aaland: But we will be asking students to continue to monitor that. And I mean if we will monitor it as well. And if we see that before school starts. We would certainly get a message out to students to ask that.
kristi steinmann: You think we made it through most of the questions at this point and we are at time. So you guys have any final closing thoughts.
Laura Oster-Aaland: Think so. I think just, you know, similar to if you were on the call yesterday. CASEY talked about how there is a lot of anxiety about this. We all have it. We all are experiencing this in different ways.
Laura Oster-Aaland: And so just to recognize that and that that that's okay. And I think to help your students with that as well. And just to remember that there are lots of helpers on campus for our students and both virtual and in person formats.
Laura Oster-Aaland: So we, we want to get through this together and we're just really thrilled that you came out today that you stuck through through the brown out and I know that you'll take great care of our students and I want to thank you for that.
kristi steinmann: Thank you.
Laura Oster-Aaland: All right, take care.