How to Organize an Event on the AUBG Campus During the COVID Era?
Organizing an event on the AUBG Campus has become more challenging and demanding this semester.
Strict rules need to be followed, and compromises need to be made to keep everybody in the university community safe.
“What I would love to see happen this year is for us to not have a fully online year. Have as many students here as we can. I would love to see graduation happen, and all of the events we love that much. However, the only way this could happen is if the entire university community takes responsibility and follow all the safety rules,” shares Dean of Students Lydia Krise.
So how can we do that? What is needed to organize an event and keep each other safe? Is it even possible?
The answer is easy — yes, but we need to strictly follow all the steps.
- For an event with LESS than 10 participants.
If you’d like to organize an event with less than 10 participants, you will need to fill out the Reservation Request and email it to the liable address.
- Stefka Atansova (stefy@aubg.edu) for BAC
- Asya Tsvetkova (atsvetkova@aubg.edu) for MB
- The events office (events@aubg.edu) for ABF
- Yasen Nedelchev (jason@aubg.edu) for the Sports Hall
- For an event with MORE than 10 participants.
When your event is going to gather more than 10 participants, you will need to undergo a more serious process.
First, you will need to fill out the Student Event Approval Form, where you will need to describe the event in detail, as well as the health and safety protocol, that will ensure minimizing the potential health risks associated with the pandemic.
Next, you will need to send via email the form to the Director of the Health Center, Ventsislav Daskalov (ventsi@aubg.edu). He will check if your event respects all the safety measures that prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
When the Health Center approves your form, the Dean of Students, Lydia Krise (lydia@aubg.edu), will re-check it and make sure your event does not conflict with something already scheduled.
If she signs your form as well, the last approval will come from the President, David Evans (devans@aubg.edu), who will give it the final check and approval signature.
- If your event involves EXTERNAL guests.
To keep our community safe, extra security measures will have to be taken if an event involving external guests is being organized. To be allowed to do so, you will have to contact the Security Manager, Atanas Urdev (aurdev@aubg.edu), at least a week before the event.
- TIPS to follow when organizing the event.
-Do not bring your form for signature personally. Limit physical contact, email it and collect all the signatures digitally. It will require fewer efforts, take less time, and ensure safety.
-Make sure your event ends by 10 p.m. to meet the Blagoevgrad noise ordinances.
-Beware that only one person fills out the application forms. Better communication will make the process faster and fruitful.
-Event organizers will need to play the policeman role. (e.g., frequently remind people to keep social distancing, wear their masks, use hand sanitizer, etc..)
-Be responsible for each other.
- Consequences you could face if you do not respect the rules/requirements.
Those who do not respect the protocols could face ‘fairly’ severe penalties. They will go straight to conduct council. The penalties could start with being moved off-campus, and they could result in suspension or dismissal from the university.
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Estela Valeova is a Journalism and Mass Communication Senior student at the American University in Bulgaria. She feels like people need to smile more. Her mission is to help them do so.
