COVID Conversation Series – Louisiana State University

In this Region IV COVID Conversation, we talk with University Recreation Executive Director Laurie Braden with Louisiana State University. UREC’s facility has been reopened since Monday, July 13. In this final planned conversation, Laurie discusses the major changes both operationally and programmatically her team has implemented to eventually reopen and get prepared for the fall semester to begin. Laurie highlights two key barriers they worked to overcome: 1.) “What is our work going to look like and how are we going to serve students?” and 2.) “Now we gotta get open…”

The UREC were encouraged, forewarned maybe, that they would be “making plans and throwing them away, because conditions are going to change. We’re gonna make more plans, and we’re gonna think we’re throwing them away. And we’re gonna make more plans, and we’re gonna set them down. And then, we’re gonna make a plan, and then go back to some element on Plan A, on Plan B and Plan C, and that’s what Plan D is gonna look like.”

One great example of this is their mask policy. With conflicting mask orders at the city and state levels, UREC initially required masks to be worn only upon entering and exiting the facility. After some member feedback as well as assessing what local private gyms were doing, UREC transitioned to requiring masks at all times, including during exercise.

After discussing some of the adjustments specific to UREC’s reopening, Laurie talked about her experience serving on NIRSA’s Reopening Framework Work Team, and provides some advice.

For more details on their reopening, check out UREC’s Reopening Plan.

Welcome Back to UREC!