Standard Operating Protocols for the Arts

For the 2020 – 21 academic year, Bates College has special safety policies that it developed in order to safeguard the health of its community due to the pandemic. The keystones of those policies are universal face covering, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and frequent testing. We understand that the application of these policies is more difficult in courses with studio or performance components. This document seeks to clarify the policies as well as provide some best practices.

Face Coverings:

  1. Students, faculty and staff, consistent with the college policy on face coverings, must wear face coverings that cover the nose and mouth inside Bates buildings and when traveling in vehicles with other people for class or other college business.

Physical Distancing

  1. A 6 foot distance between people should be maintained for a large majority of the instruction period. 
  2. In courses with vigorous physical movement such as in dance or theater, a 10 foot distance between individuals should be maintained.
  3. Interactions between individuals less than 6 (or 10) feet apart should be kept to less than 5 minutes. 
  4. The daily cumulative total time of close interaction between any two individuals should be less than 15 minutes.
  5. Normal movement in rooms where individuals pass each other does not need to adhere to the 6 foot physical distancing standard.

Hand Hygiene

  1. Students and faculty must clean their hands by washing them with soap and warm water or using >60% ethanol-based hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting facilities or vehicles. 
  2. While working in the laboratory or field, students and faculty clean their hands by washing them with soap and warm water or using >60% ethanol-based hand sanitizer after using shared equipment and materials.

Cleaning and Sanitation

  1. All shared equipment, instruments, computers, keys, etc. must be wiped down with disinfecting cleaning products before and after each use. 
  2. Work surfaces should be wiped down with disinfecting cleaning products before and after use.
  3.  If in rare cases it is not possible to clean the shared equipment, instruments, computers, etc. all users should wear gloves when using the equipment.
  4. Individual uses of practice rooms are permitted but must be scheduled a minimum of 30 minutes apart to allow for air circulation.

Performance and Rehearsal

  • Performances must adhere to the college performance guidelines.
  • Rehearsals must adhere to the above guidelines regarding face coverings, physical distancing, hand hygiene and cleaning / sanitation.
  • Per Bates policy, non Bates artists are not permitted in Bates buildings during the 2020-21 academic year and therefore performances with these artists will not be permitted if they are scheduled to occur indoors.

Music Instruction

  1. In-person vocal instruction, rehearsal or performance is not possible in the 2020-21 academic year.
  2. In-person wind instrument instruction, rehearsal or performance is not possible in the 2020-21 academic year.