December 8, 2020
Face To Face Meeting Necessity Form
Last Friday at the December Extension Update, I announced a new step in our COVID-19 protocols. I want to say this right from the get-go, as I stated last Friday, there is no new ban on face-to-face programming.
With that being said, meeting virtually must be our preferred method of meeting with our collaborators and the people we serve during our COVID-19 challenge. It is the only way to zero out the risk of a participant, volunteer, or extension professional from contracting the disease during an extension meeting. Our face-to-face meeting protocols help reduce the chance of contracting/spreading the virus. Those face-to-face meeting protocols do not eliminate that risk, and should only be considered for good technological or strategic reasons.
What are examples of these reasons? Perhaps meeting virtually means that a significantly large percentage of the targeted learners of a critically important extension program would be excluded from receiving the critically needed education due to internet accessibility issues or difficulties relating to technological adoption reasons. This is what I call an educational-technology justification for meeting face to face. -For another example, perhaps a collaborating strategic partner indicates that they feel a face-to-face option needs to be offered. I consider this a strategic reason for meeting in person.
Note: I have stressed in the examples that these are optional ways of participating in an extension meeting. We must continue to stress that the preferred method of meeting is by virtual means until we are no longer facing our COVID-19 challenge.
Now, what is this additional step to our COVID-19 protocols? We are having our extension professionals complete a simple Face to Face Meeting Necessity Form. That Qualtrics survey-based form is submitted to me by the extension professional in charge of the meeting or by the extension professional responsible for the volunteers who are holding the meeting. This form needs to be completed for all planned extension meetings and activities that will be conducted by our extension professionals or volunteers. It is also needed for any internal meeting between extension professionals and volunteers for any planned meetings that are attended by individuals from different office buildings. Also, if the extension meeting or activity is actually a series of meetings, submit one form to cover all of the individual meetings.
The submitted form is not needed for the routine and often impromptu face-to-face interactions with the public that happen in the office. It is also not needed when it is a meeting of extension professionals and volunteers who work within the same office building.
Why are we taking this step? There are several reasons for taking this additional step, but I will focus on three. First, we are starting to receive inquiries about the justification for holding face-to-face meetings, even when sound COVID-19 protocols are in place. If the justification for an in-person meeting has been filed, it is very easy for us to communicate that justification to the concerned party. Second, it offers one more opportunity for the extension professional responsible for holding the meeting or activity to think about the justification for the face-to-face option of participating in the meeting, to think about whether the COVID-19 protocols are sound enough, and to ask one more time if there is enough justification to hold a face-to-face meeting. Finally, this allows the extension professional holding or responsible for the meeting an opportunity to receive feedback regarding the justification and the COVID-19 protocols they plan to use.
Is this an approval process? -Not necessarily. If there are suggestions for improvement, you will receive those suggestions in the response I or another member of the Extension Administrative Team send back to you. If we have a strong concern about the justification for holding the meeting or the planned protocols for the meeting, you will receive a call from me or someone from the Extension Administration Team.
Where can the form be found? The form is located on our internal COVID-19 page. From the K-State Research and Extension page, click on “Employee Resources,” then click on "COVID-19." The link is at the top of the page. You can also click on this link. Does this form take a long time to complete? No. Here is an example of the form I completed for a hypothetical farm and ranch succession meeting series:
Your Name:
Gregg Hadley
Your Email:
ghadley@ksu.edu
Unit/Department/PFT Name:
Agricultural Economics
Name of Planned Program/Activity:
The Kansas Farm and Ranch Succession Series
My role in this program/activity is:
Specialist
Brief description of proposed program/activity, including educational objectives:
In this series, Kansas farm and ranch families will be developing their succession plans. At the end of the series, families will have a completed succession plan that they can implement on their farm or ranch.
Justification for face-to-face mode of delivery (1000 words or less):
Some of the participants will be unfamiliar with using tools such as Google Docs, which would be needed in a virtual environment. Furthermore, our collaborating partner, HBK Financial, insists that a face-to-face option be available.
Describe in detail your plan for COVID-19 mitigation during this event.
Masks will be worn by all participants. Social distancing will be in place. Hand sanitizing stations will be easily accessed. Work stations will be cleaned at each break. The max number of face-to-face participants is estimated to be 15. Our facilities we will be using are authorized to have a 100 person capacity.
Will you offer a virtual option to make this program accessible for those who do not feel comfortable in a face-to-face environment? (Can be live or recorded)
Yes, please describe -- Live stream and video
I have reviewed my proposed event plans with my Department Head and have their approval to proceed with a face-to-face event.
Yes
There you have it. It took me about five minutes to input that information. People who have been submitting the form generally heard from me in less than a day – most within a couple of hours. Nevertheless, once we get over this initial hump, which includes meetings that have already been scheduled, we request that the Face to Face Meeting Necessity Form be submitted two weeks prior to the start of a meeting or meeting series.
How long will this be in place? We will reexamine the need for the process on March 31 and communicate its status on April 2 at the April Extension Update.
Thanks in advance for your participation. I believe it will help better communicate the justification for and the COVID-19 protocols used in our future face-to-face meeting options.