March 12, 2020 – COVID-19: Cancellation and Postponement of Large Events and Mass Gatherings

To: Faculty and Staff
From: President Gayle Hutchinson

The University is guided by directives from the California Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control, Butte County Health Department and guidelines from the CSU Chancellor’s Office. The most recent guidelines from California Department of Public Health strongly recommends postponing or canceling events across the state of California to protect public health and to slow the rate of transmission of COVID-19.

At Chico State, our primary concern is the health of our students, staff, faculty, and our Chico community. Therefore, effective immediately, anyone planning an event with the potential of 100 or more attendees is required to complete an assessment rubric developed by the Chancellor’s Office and submit it to the Facilities Reservations and Events Services office. The rubric is designed to help event hosts determine whether their event is mission critical and if their event places attendees, campus, and community at risk for the spread of COVID-19. Event hosts are encouraged to consider the rubric questions and err on the side of caution by postponing or canceling their events during this pandemic, or by moving them to alternative online or virtual deliveries.

All Large Events, as defined by Chico State below, will be reviewed by members of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) team and final direction will be given from the EOC.

At this time, no decisions have been made with regards to commencement.

Definition

Large Events: Any event with the potential of having 100 or more guests, on-campus or off-campus, indoor or outdoor, hosting any combination of students, staff, faculty, or public attendees.

Athletics, & Sport Club Programs

Events related to these programs will be evaluated and included under separate guidelines.

Classroom Activities

Given that the directives from the California Department of Public Health do not apply to regular school classes, classroom activities will be evaluated and included under separate guidelines.

Links

CSU Chancellor’s Office Mass Gatherings and Events Assessment Rubric (PDF)
California Department of Public Health – COVID-19 (PDF)
CSU Chancellors Office Guidelines on Mass Gatherings(opens in new window)
Butte County Public Health(opens in new window)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(opens in new window)