<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Begin forwarded message:<br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Suzy Nelson <<a href="mailto:nelsonsm@mit.edu" class="">nelsonsm@mit.edu</a>><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">Update: Clarifying event and gathering policies</b><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">October 16, 2020 at 3:37:05 PM EDT<br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span class="">Dear colleagues,<br class=""><br class="">Many community members have asked for clarity on COVID-related policies and guidance on how faculty, staff, and students may gather and interact with each other. We<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://now.mit.edu/policies/covid-19-policies-on-events-parties-and-space-for-students-faculty-and-staff/" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span class="">posted a new policy summary</span><span class=""></span></a><span class=""><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>that includes<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b class="">recommended ways for students to connect,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>ways for<b class=""><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>student group members to interact safely,</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and updated<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b class="">information on events, gatherings, and campus space uses</b>. We also posted a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://studentlife.mit.edu/faqs/covid-19-student-amnesty-policy-covid-19-policies" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span class=""><b class="">COVID-19 Student Life Amnesty Policy</b></span><span class=""></span></a><span class=""><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to lower barriers to help-seeking when behaviors (e.g., alcohol abuse) might pose a risk to students’ wellbeing.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="">We realize that many of us conduct multiple activities on campus (e.g., students can also be researchers and campus residents; faculty can also be heads of house; staff instructors can support both research and education). Below are some highlights of particular interest to those of us accessing campus for research and class-related activities:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;" class=""><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class=""><span class="">This<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://now.mit.edu/policies/covid-19-policies-on-events-parties-and-space-for-students-faculty-and-staff/" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span class=""><span class="">policy summary</span></span><span class=""></span></a><span class=""><span class=""><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>notes that “you must be a Covid Pass participant to spend time on campus for any reason” including research and classes and informal outdoor interactions, and adhere to guidelines of physical distancing, face-covering, and visible MIT ID.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class=""><b class=""><span class="">Per posted guidelines for research activities,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></span><span class=""><span class="">“it is recommended that all activities of laboratory-based research groups that can be successfully performed remotely, including one-on-one and group meetings, should be conducted remotely…” and that “non-laboratory research must not exceed 50% occupancy” indoors.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class=""><b class=""><span class="">For both lab-based and office-based research on campus,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></span><span class=""></span><a href="https://web.mit.edu/vpr/www/research/Common-Space-Guidance.pdf" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span class=""><span class="">guidance on common space usage indoors</span></span><span class=""></span></a><span class=""><span class="">, which may include conference rooms, we are not using those conference rooms for meetings. DLCs can consider using such rooms as scheduled lunch/eating rooms per the above guidance.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class=""><b class=""><span class="">While there are no events or gatherings indoors in MIT academic and research buildings at this time</span></b></span><span class=""><span class="">, outdoors remains a good place to take a break, eat, and interact on campus in good weather. While research group meetings are recommended to be conducted remotely, informal outdoor gatherings of small groups (up to 10 people) on campus are approved generally – provided the posted guidelines<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://now.mit.edu/policies/covid-19-policies-on-events-parties-and-space-for-students-faculty-and-staff/" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span class=""><span class="">here</span></span><span class=""></span></a><span class=""><span class=""><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>are followed. Notably for “informal outdoor gatherings,” circles for up to 10 individuals have been marked on several larger courtyards, which allow people to maintain 6 feet or more of distance while spending time together. These spaces are available on a first-come, first-use basis. These “circles of 10” illustrate the concept and other campus green spaces can be used in the same fashion by Covid Pass holders.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class=""><b class=""><span class="">Those of us attending or leading in-person classes this semester<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></span><span class=""><span class="">are aware that those classes may choose to meet outside on a nice day (e.g., in the same courtyards). Those classes meet with the instructors present, and since those class sizes might exceed 10 (up to 25), you may see outdoor “instructional outdoor gatherings” that are following those physical distance guidelines summarized in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="https://now.mit.edu/policies/covid-19-policies-on-events-parties-and-space-for-students-faculty-and-staff/" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span class=""><span class="">this same policy</span></span><span class=""></span></a><span class=""><span class="">.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class=""></span><a href="https://now.mit.edu/latest-updates/touchdown-spaces-now-available/" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span class=""><b class=""><span class="">Touchdown Spaces</span></b></span><span class=""></span></a><span class=""><b class=""><span class=""><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in the campus academic and research buildings<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></span><span class=""><span class="">are available to students and residents at the posted capacity (i.e., limited seats to facilitate spacing), on a first-come, first-use basis. These are options when students have back-to-back virtual + in-person classes, off-campus students need quiet study between classes, or residential students taking virtual classes seek a new place to study. Reserved quiet spaces in building E17 can be requested from<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:building-access@mit.edu" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span class=""><span class="">building-access@mit.edu</span></span><span class=""></span></a><span class=""><span class="">.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class=""></span><a href="http://www.mitrecsports.com/recreation%20-reopening/" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span class=""><b class=""><span class="">DAPER space utilization rules</span></b></span><span class=""></span></a><span class=""><b class=""><span class=""><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>allow access<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></span><span class=""><span class="">to faculty, staff, and student residents living on campus and to off-campus student COVID Pass holders. Broadening access to faculty and staff COVID Pass holders with a DAPER membership is under review for later this term.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></span></span></li></ul><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span class="">Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span class=""><br class="">Sincerely,<br class="">Suzy Nelson, Vice President and Dean for Student Life<br class="">Krystyn Van Vliet, Associate Provost</span></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></body></html>