June 4, 2021 · 3 min read

Transition to full-capacity classrooms, labs begins

by Julie Kundhi | Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor

Maddie Huppert, a student worker in the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, wraps a green band on an available seat in a Louise Pound Hall lecture space in August 2020. The university has started to remove signage and related pieces that limited seating in campus classrooms. Plans for the return of furniture are also being finalized.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is transitioning its classroom and lab spaces to allow for the return to full-capacity, in-person instruction for the fall semester.

As a part of that process, the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor provided an overview on the transition. Key points faculty, staff and students should be aware of include:

Facilities Maintenance and Operations has started to remove and dispose of outdated COVID-19 signage, including floor clings from classrooms and common areas. The team is also removing ties from seats within classroom auditoriums. Crews are starting as early as 4 a.m. to avoid disrupting activities and teaching schedules.
Following normal business processes, a message will be sent (usually 24 hours in advance) to building maintenance reporters before a team is in the building. College and department personnel can assist the team.
Facilities teams will be responsible for removing signage in order to limit damage to walls and other surfaces. The cost of repairs for damage that is cataloged by their crews will be covered by the university.
Relevant signage will remain in place (e.g., in bathrooms).
The Mask Guidelines May 2021 signage released by University Communication on May 24 will be posted at all building entrances. No other signage will be posted in classrooms or general areas at this time.
Once crews have completed the work, units may post additional signage as appropriate in general areas.
Beginning June 7, Facilities Management and Planning will work building by building to move furniture back into classrooms and common spaces. A methodical plan is under development that will take into consideration summer course schedules and the order in which furniture was stored. Building maintenance reporters will be contacted prior to move dates and costs will be covered by the university.
If units moved and/or stored their own furniture, they may begin repositioning that furniture immediately at their own expense.
If there are spaces that need special priority for the return of furniture, contact Renee Batman at rbatman2@unl.edu.
As a reminder, wellness stations will remain in classrooms, along with the disinfectant for technology equipment at instructor stations.