Schools, colleges and universities are among the many entities relearning how to operate safely and efficiently during a pandemic. States may be easing regulations on institutions such as restaurants, gyms and beauty salons, but normal education protocol on population-heavy campuses seems a long way off. This shift has not stopped schools from adapting their curriculum and events to keep their establishments functioning as optimal as possible, providing a good example to businesses on how to be innovative in the face of such a challenge.
Suppliers of classes, help centers, cafeterias, computer rooms and more, colleges have a lot of bases to cover for any kind of on-campus activity. Making sanitizer visible and available has been a simple way to promote health in businesses and schools, since the convenience fills gaps where students and visitors forget to bring their own.
Sanitization Regulations
Many businesses have regulated sanitation procedures, such as wiping down check-out machines and carts. Collin College in McKinney, Texas, has done similar by requiring students to wipe down desks and chairs before and after classes. The school has also taken on other methods of social distancing and safety such as enforcing masks, distancing seating spaces, setting time limits in study areas, and disinfecting keyboards after every use. Northshore School District schools in California are among many who have gone above and beyond with plexiglass separators between desks and schedules purposed to keep population on campus dispersed.
Schools are not only focusing on adapting academics, but extracurricular events as well. Science Hill High School in Johnson City, TN, plans on utilizing security to maintain COVID-19 safety procedures at football games. This includes enforcing mask wearing and social distancing by only allowing half the amount of visitors as the stadium capacity indicates, giving guests spaces to each side and barring seating in front or behind. Seats not available for use will be clearly marked, and tickets will be sold first come first serve basis. Bathrooms will be spaced, and concession stands spread throughout the stadium. Anyone violating these guidelines will be promptly asked to leave.
Georgia Tech is hosting football games while limiting stadium capacity to 20%, and selling tickets ahead of time for specified seating. Fans would only be able to buy tickets in pairs and be seated in alternating rows, allowing three seats of space between pairs. Some may speculate regulating outdoor events seems unneeded since the risk of spread outdoors is much less than compact indoor spaces; However, the meticulous plans these schools have laid out reflects well on how seriously they take the health and well-being of visitors. This show of understanding does well to promote a sense of collective support for safety standards and genuineness from the establishment.
Checks and Balances
That being said, preventing the spread of COVID-19 has proved to be a community effort and remains true within businesses and campuses alike. Harvard University has implemented a new program involving a Community Compact, whistle blowing procedures, review by a student/faculty council, and disciplinary measures. Observed infractions can be reported using an online form that will request details such as names, location and date giving the option of submitting supplemental supporting evidence such as video or photo evidence. Depending on the severity of the violation, a warning may be issued or an organized review will be conducted. These formal reviews have a number of guidelines to promote fairness and accurate judgment, including allowing implicated students to write a statement of context and possible explanations surrounding the events reported, with each involved student writing their own statements without collaboration. This method is not a far cry from the hotlines businesses implement for the well-being of the workplace and workers.
Hotlines have seen much success by encouraging anonymous tipping and promising protection from retaliation for upholding workplace standards and guidelines, whether the issue is harassment, theft, or unsafe practices. With new protocols being instituted everywhere human interaction occurs, hotlines may serve a new purpose in work environment safety. All in all it upholds the idea that we all benefit each other as individuals and as a whole entity, and create a safe environment for everyone by reporting anything that could jeopardize it.
Remote Learning
Majority of schools have found it wise to move all education to the digital route, and though a number of colleges planned to host in-person or hybrid courses, many reverted back to remote learning. With this primary use of online applications has risen the need to be tech savvy and web security conscious.
In and out of the school setting, Zoom has become an incredibly popular conference call tool but has had several security holes exposed. By default, Zoom meeting passwords are 6 digits, although a 10 digit alphanumeric password is also optional. Finding the correct combination of 10 characters, mixed of numbers and letters, sounds like a difficult code to crack, and it would be if incorrect inputs were limited. Most applications allot a specified number of password attempts before timing out or barring the user, but Zoom allows unlimited attempts. Because of this an adept hacker can use code to enter batches of passwords, rather easily guessing the combination within an hour or less.
To protect your own Zoom meetings you can take several precautions. First, it is recommended to limit or monitor who is able to access the meeting, which can easily be done by making Zoom links available privately to expected members. Zoom has also recently added a two-factor authentication feature for account protection.
Businesses can learn well from the creative and careful ways educational institutions have managed to remain in operation while staying enjoyable and true to their purpose. Shifts in the mode of education will result in shifting safety and security priorities, for the students who seek a social experience and for the colleges which aim to provide these experiences with minimal vulnerability and liability.
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Check out some other relevant articles for more industry news:
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