Coronavirus ECC FAQ & Resources

The Arts Center Box Office remains closed; however, the staff is working remotely. The best way to contact the Box Office is by emailing artscenter@elgin.edu. This email address is being monitored regularly.

The Arts Center is offering Remote Box Office Service to ticket buyers of events that have been canceled or rescheduled. To control call volume and ensure that all patrons are communicated effectively, Arts Center staff are contacting ticket buyers by phone in phases. The current list of canceled/rescheduled performances and the call schedule can be found at elgin.edu/arts.

Please ensure that you check your voicemail messages as the Box Office will call from ECC-issued cell phones rather than its typical Box Office phone number.

We have installed Plexiglas barriers as one of many protective measures throughout campus. They have been placed in areas with higher traffic and interaction between individuals. We continue to consider all of our options as it relates to outfitting the campus with additional protective measures over the coming months while working to adhere to the State's reopening guidance and guidance from IDPH and the CDC.

We have identified the buildings that are scheduled to be utilized the most and will be communicating those entrances to everyone in the next several days. We are working closely with the Kane County Health Department to adhere to the process of decontaminating that is recommended in the event of a case on campus, which will include recommendations on campus closures.

Students, instructors, staff, and volunteers must wear masks at all times while on campus for the health and safety of all. We are pleased to offer anyone who comes onto campus a face mask. 

We are considering all of the recommendations from both the CDC and the State of Illinois as it relates to ensuring the safety of employees, students, and visitors coming to campus, including temperature checks and wellness checks.

Class sizes for all in-person classes have been reduced to allow social distancing in accordance with all public health guidelines. Condensed schedules have been implemented that lower the number of in-person classroom sessions. One-way traffic patterns are being used whenever possible to minimize social interaction when students are entering and leaving classrooms.

All study abroad programs for spring and summer 2021 have been suspended due to the global health crisis. Students previously on a study abroad program in spring 2020 were able to return to the U.S. without incident and continue their studies remotely in the U.S.

International students studying at ECC have been encouraged to remain in the U.S. at this time. The College is working with all international students to ensure compliance with updated federal F-1 guidance. The majority of students have decided to stay in the U.S. at this time to continue their studies at ECC.

After receiving their grades we are offering the opportunity to elect a No Harm Grading option based on their program of study. This cannot be selected until after the faculty assigns the grade.

Learn More

ECC Arts Center Rehearsal Safety Protocol

Our objective is to maintain the highest standards of safety during the pandemic while providing the best possible ensemble experience for our students in performance ensembles. To do so, we will implement strict safety protocols for all students, instructors, volunteers, and staff during all classes.

Class schedules and course modalities

We have implemented virtual classrooms for almost all Arts Center classes. For laboratory-based classes that require in-person interaction, we have taken the following steps:

1. Mask wearing is required at all times when indoors. 
2. Social distancing at six feet or more at all times. 
3. Frequent handwashing using readily available personal sanitization resources. 
4. Mandatory temperature checks and symptom reporting upon arrival for all staff and students. 
5. Abiding by specific traffic patterns to facilitate social distancing and avoid cross-flow.
6. Reduced occupancy limits for all spaces to account for six-foot social distancing bubbles. Additional space for vocalists and musical instruments, as determined by instrument-specific guidelines.
7. Amended schedules are limiting on-site time to a maximum of 50%, reducing the opportunity for contact, general facility use (bathrooms, etc.). 
8. Mandatory breaks after every 30 minutes to allow ventilation systems to exchange the air and reduce aerosol accumulation.
9. Expanded use of large rehearsal spaces, particularly those with superior ventilation and high ceilings. 
10. Additional entry and egress points allow for one-way traffic patterns. 
11. Restricted access to students, staff, and volunteers only; parents and families of students will not enter ECC. 
12. Regular sanitization of facilities and equipment, including between each rehearsal and student use.

Maintaining a safe social distance in music and voice classes.

• We have restricted rehearsals to students, instructors, staff, and volunteers only. Parents and families of students will not enter ECC.
• To allow for additional social distancing when required, all spaces used for rehearsals have been marked with 6-foot distances and 10-foot distances to allow for additional social distancing when needed. 
• To allow for building-wide ventilation, we have made the following air quality upgrades.
  • All in-person sessions must take a break every 30 minutes to allow air HVAC Systems to bring fresh air into the room.
  • An expanded social distance of 10 feet will be implemented for some instruments and vocalists as determined by the University Colorado at Boulder Performing Arts Aerosol study. 
  • Large rehearsal spaces, particularly those with superior ventilation and high ceilings and designs that exchange air for extremely large groups of people, are being used for most in-person performance ensemble rehearsals. These spaces include the Blizzard Theatre (capacity of 650), the SecondSpace Theatre (capacity of 200), and the Events Center Gym (capacity exceeding 1,000). Smaller sectional rehearsals will be held in large classrooms with reduced numbers to ensure social distancing is maintained.

Hand and equipment hygiene

• The college has provided hand sanitizing stations, gloves, and disinfecting materials for each classroom to promote handwashing and sanitization, following recommended public health guidelines.
• Regular sanitizing of facilities and equipment will take place throughout as well as in between rehearsals, including disinfecting between each rehearsal and student use.
• Sanitizing procedures will include all of the following measures:
  • Students will sanitize equipment;
  • Arts Center staff will sanitize equipment;
  • College Operation and Maintenance staff will clean/sanitize all rehearsal classrooms.

Instrument Specific Guidelines

Best practices for each specific instrument and instrument family are based on aerosol studies by the Vienna Philharmonic and the University of Colorado, the following guidelines will be in place: 

• Percussion players must adjust their habits. Rather than operating as a unit of percussionists who interchange instruments, players must occupy their specific range and set of instruments. Gloves should be worn when possible, and equipment must be sanitized between use. 
• String players are not at increased risk. Playing a string instrument is considered safer than even having a mild-mannered conversation at six-feet, as it requires no increased respiration.
  
• Vocals if singers wear surgical style masks (other masks will be tested soon), aerosol emission is significantly reduced. 
  
• Keyboard players must be sanitized between use. Gloves are not recommended.

Woodwind and Brass Specific Guidelines

• The guidelines from the Vienna Philharmonic and the University of Colorado confirm that six feet of distancing are appropriate in almost all cases (exceptions notated).
• Out of an abundance of caution, ECC will require 10 feet of distancing for all wind players. A comprehensive discussion of wind guidelines requires an understanding of how the instruments function. Except for the flute, all wind instruments function by focusing a tight and narrow stream of air directly into the instrument. This stream of air meets a resistor (the mouthpiece in case of brass instruments, and the reed in case of woodwinds excepting the flute), which causes the stream to be set in motion as a vibrating column of air that produces waves, rather than a steady stream. This distinction is critical, as it informs how the air moves and spreads. Air does not steadily stream out of the bell the way that it would when being blown through a straw; instead, the energy input by the player is converted into vibrations, which contains the air in a far more closed space than if the air were being actively blown through the instrument. This distinction makes wind playing less problematic in terms of a viral spread than it would initially seem.

Elgin Community College's standards and protocols are based on the most current scientific studies and guidelines from applicable agencies, including but not limited to:

• Illinois Department of Public Health
• Illinois State Board of Education
• Illinois Board of Higher Education
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• University of Colorado Performing Arts Aerosol Study

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend practicing preventive measures:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
• Throw used tissues in the trash.
• Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.

For more information on preventing the spread, see Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities.

Our custodial staff clean and sanitize the College on a regular and consistent schedule that meets the health department's standards and complies with state and county regulations.

• Sanitizing stations are situated strategically across campus. We provide hand sanitizing stations, gloves, and disinfecting materials for each classroom to promote handwashing and sanitization.
• The custodial team is performing a deep cleaning of the facilities regularly.
• The engineers routinely run the drinking fountains, faucets, and flush toilets to ensure a healthy water supply free from bacteria and disease.
• Routine air quality testing is occurring throughout campus.
• For classrooms and rehearsal spaces, we conduct regular sanitizing of facilities and equipment throughout the day as well as in between rehearsals, including disinfecting between each student's use. 

Operations & Maintenance will be responsible for the cleaning of each lab classroom, including all Arts Center rehearsal classrooms. Disinfecting wipes will be distributed around campus for use, and all are encouraged to wipe down their space if needed. Faculty/Students may not directly see evidence of the daily disinfecting of the classroom, but they will see routine cleaning (e.g., wastebasket disposal and floor-sweeping) daily. 

The campus will be cleaned more frequently throughout the day. In high-traffic areas, there will be a two-hour rotation of cleaning and disinfecting. The college has purchased new equipment and cleaning materials to disinfect the entire campus. Additionally, employees will be provided disinfecting wipes to use on surfaces while on campus.