CMU Shares After One Week of Being Reopen

Photo courtesy of Colorado Mesa University.

The Colorado Mesa University (CMU) Hamilton Recreation Center reopened on May 11 under strict guidelines established by the medical and health experts on their Safe Together, Stronger Together task force.

One week after opening, Lynn Wilson, the director of Campus Recreation at CMU, said students and staff are taking their new responsibilities seriously. “They are happy we are open and have a new appreciation for what an amazing and important facility our recreation center truly is,” she said.

Further elaborating, Wilson shared feedback from patrons adhering to the reopening guidelines has been positive and they too are aware of the role they play in keeping the campus safe. “They are embracing the modified operations and precautions that have been adapted,” she said. “The cooperation and understanding are symbolic of what it means to be a CMU Maverick by taking responsibility for making a facility safe.”

Phase One of the Hamilton Rec Center reopening guidelines are as follows.

Hours of Operation:

Monday – Friday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday – Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Capacity:

30 people at one time

60-minute maximum workout time

Areas Closed:

• Locker rooms and showers
• Lifting to be done in a safe/weight-appropriate manner as to not require spotter
• Pool
• Basketball and racquetball courts
• Juice Junction
• MavPav and Climbing Wall
• Equipment check-out
• Group X classes, personal training and massage services
• Towel service
• Bag storage or day-use lockers
• Lobby closed to gatherings
• No snack/beverages will be sold
• Drinking fountains will be covered for safety

Guest Code of Conduct:

• Masks are required at all times per Mesa County’s Public Health (MCPH) 2020-20 order, both upon entering and working out.
• All users must maintain a 10-foot social distance while working out per MCPH order for gyms.
• Be courteous and limit your workouts to 60 minutes.
• Wipe down all equipment you touch before and after use.
• Lifting to be done in a safe/weight-appropriate manner as to not require spotter.

Staff Code of Conduct:

• Masks are required at all times per MCPH2020-20 order.
• Staff will self-attest to health questions and take temperature upon arrival for every shift.
• Must maintain a six-foot social distance with co-workers and 10-foot with patrons working out.
• Gloves are required when continually cleaning equipment.
• Staff is encouraged to thoroughly wash their hands once per hour.
• Staff will have cleaning duties and will enforce guest code of conduct.

Check-in Process:

• Masks are required at all times per MCPH2020-02 order.
• One-way entrance will be from east doors only.
• One-way exit will be out the south doors only.
• Patrons will be asked pre-screening questions each and every time they enter.
• Anyone answering in the affirmative to any of these questions will also have their temperature taken prior to being allowed entry to the facility.
• Everyone will be counted and if at capacity, will need to wait until others leave.
• Scan-in will be touchless with your key tag or MavCard only.
• Cash will no longer be accepted. We will use touchless credit card payments only.

To help keep track of the 30-person capacity guideline, Wilson incorporated a creative solution by using the wrestling team’s score clock at the front desk. “Patrons can see the number, and staff adjust that number as students enter or exit,” she explained.

Wilson shared the check-in process is deliberate, thorough and takes additional time but is necessary for sustaining a Safe Together, Stronger Together recreation community. Her advice to other rec centers beginning to reopen is to be prepared, and adapt and improve your plan based on new information and continually emerging best practices.

“You must be diligent in re-training staff and be clear with them that we are all part of defining what campus life looks like moving forward,” said Wilson. “Together, we will find creative solutions to be safe, strong and healthy.”

Bonus: Check out this video from InnoSoft for an inside look into Colorado Mesa’s reopening.