Hi, I'm Tim Marchell, Director of the Skorton Center for Health Initiatives at Cornell Health.
This video was developed to provide staff and faculty members with guidance about how to talk with students and others about adhering to code 19 behavioral guidelines.
In this presentation I'll provide background information and suggestions about what you can say to someone who's not following one of the campus requirements such as wearing a mask or maintaining proper physical distance.
As you prepare to talk with others about code related behavior it may help to keep in mind the scientific basis for the key behavioral guidelines about masks and physical distancing.
That all students have agreed to abide by and that all staff and faculty are expected to follow as well.
First, the primary mechanism for transmitting the virus is through respiration.
The reason for requiring people to stay at least six feet, apart from each other is that most respiratory droplets that carry the virus are large enough that gravity pulls them down to the ground, within that distance.
However, it's important to understand that the virus can also be spread through smaller particles called aerosols that can travel even farther than six feet six feet, is the minimum distance that's required.
Wearing masks in public is also critical for reducing the spread of droplets in aerosols, since many people who have COVID do not have any symptoms.
It's important for everyone to consistently wear masks when they're around others in public both indoors and outdoors.
That's especially true indoors since the risk of transmission is higher than one we're outside and limiting the size of gatherings continues to be an important way of reducing the risk of transmissions as well.
So what do we know about students attitudes about these requirements for several months the University has been studying students attitudes and behaviors related to.
And while attitudes very the findings suggest that most students understand the importance of wearing masks and physical distancing and believe it's their responsibility to follow the guidelines, one of the most commonly cited motivations for following the requirements is the desire to keep other people safe.
So these are some things to keep in mind if you approach, a student who may not be following the rules in a given moment, while some students resist complying or may do so with some grumbling most students tend to be respectful and cooperative one reminded of the rules.
If you see someone who is not following one of the behavioral guidelines, you may wonder if it's appropriate for you to say anything.
You may be in a setting where you're in a position of authority like an instructor or supervisor in those cases, it may feel natural for you to say something.
Or you may be a passing bystander who happens to notice someone who's not following the guidelines.
As members of the Cornell Community all of us have a potential role to play in reminding others about the importance of wearing masks and maintaining appropriate physical distance.
It's really a shared responsibility, though certainly you'll need to use your judgment in any given situation, about whether or not to speak up.
Above all, it's important to consider your own health and safety, you may encounter a situation in which someone is not following the requirements, but you may decide that intervening poses too much of a risk to you.
When you talk with students or others about their covert related behavior.
It's important to keep in mind our own natural tendencies and cognitive biases that may come into play when we're interpreting someone's actions.
In general, when we think about the reasons for someone's behavior we tend to attribute our own actions to the situation.
But are more likely to assume that someone else's behavior is a reflection of who they are, as a person.
For example, if I find myself not wearing a mask in a given moment I'm likely to explain my behavior in terms of the circumstance, like, I was in a hurry and I forgot or I just needed to catch my breath.
But if I see someone else not wearing a mask I may think something about them as a person like he selfish this kind of cognitive bias is important because these thoughts can generate negative emotions that we may bring with us into an interaction with another person.
One we're reminding someone about the behavioral guidelines it's essential that we do so in a way that's fair and equitable.
So it's important to understand that cognitive biases may be more likely to occur when we're interacting interacting with someone who we perceive to be different than us in ways, such as nationality, gender, race or ethnicity.
And biases can influence behavior as we've seen when Asian and Asian American individuals have been blamed for the pandemic.
It's also important to be mindful that many people of color have experienced unfair treatment by authorities more by others in positions of power at some point in their lives.
So keep these factors in mind when talking with someone about coven guidelines start with the assumption that the person has good intent and is willing to do the right thing.
Now let's focus on what students and others need in order to adhere to the guidelines, this will inform what you might say or do in a given situation.
First, people need knowledge both of what the rules are and why they're in place, they may also need to know the potential consequences if they don't follow them.
But while knowledge is necessary it's often not sufficient to change behavior people also need to be motivated to act on the knowledge that they have.
That's where emotion comes in, like feeling a sense of caring or respect for others, a sense of duty or obedience or perhaps the fear of Kobe or getting into trouble.
And, in some cases, what a person needs is the physical means to do the right thing, such as having access to a mask if they don't have one.
When you see someone who's not following one of the guidelines you may feel ambivalent about saying something, because you don't want to be in the role of an enforcer.
But when you talk with someone, you may actually play multiple roles more formal enforcement of the rules may only be necessary if the person doesn't respond to the first steps you take.
So, for example, the first rule is that of an observer, when you say hey I noticed that your mask is down on your chin you're basically holding up a mirror for the person.
Which may be enough for some people to get the message as an educator you might remind people that they need to keep six feet apart, you might also be a facilitator, by giving someone a disposable mask if they don't have one.
And you may be a motivator who connects the person to their emotions by saying something like you know it's really important that we all wear masks to keep each other safe.
And then, if the person is still resistant, you might play more of an enforcer role by letting them know that you could report them to university officials if they don't comply but that's the last step.
So here's a quick checklist of the steps that you'll need to take if you're going to say something to someone who's not following the behavioral guidelines.
First, you need to notice the behavior and interpreted as a problem next you'll need to decide that you're responsible for taking some kind of action, sometimes we see problematic behavior but feel that it's just not our responsibility to do something in that situation.
But if you see someone and feel compelled to act, then you need to decide what to do or say so next I'll walk you through a few examples of simple things that you can consider saying in the most common situations that might arise.
For step one noticing a behavior and interpreting it as a problem let's consider these examples.
In terms of physical distancing you may notice two or more people who are less than six feet apart, for example, they may be sitting at a table or standing together in the hallway.
In terms of masks you might see someone who is not wearing a mask indoors or who's not wearing one outdoors when they're standing close to another person.
Or you might see someone who is wearing a mask but it's not fully covering your mouth and nose.
After noticing any of these situations, then ask yourself Do I need to do or say something.
It may be a clearly problematic situation in which you say to yourself, yes it's a problem and I ought to do something.
Or it might be an ambiguous situation in which you have to make a judgment call, and if you find yourself hesitating to move forward and act then ask yourself why.
Are you not sure what to do, or do you have an idea of what to do, but you're holding back because of something that you're feeling.
If that's the case, remember that it's normal in situations like this to feel some level of awkwardness or anxiety, or even some fear just acknowledging that to yourself may help you move forward.
Now let's look at what you might actually say to someone here is a menu of steps that you could consider taking first connect with the person that may be as simple as a friendly hello, if you don't know the person, you could consider introducing yourself by name or role.
Then you can make an empathic statement that starts with something like I know that it's not easy to always follow the rules.
And then you can be an observer, who holds up the mirror saying something like I see that the two of you are sending pretty close to each other.
And then you can educate them with a statement about the rules or our current situation, for example…
The virus is really spreading right now, so we need to be really careful or remember that the compact says, you need to stand at least six feet apart, even if you're wearing masks.
At this point, you can be directive and describe the action that you want them to take then after you script the specific move wait for a moment and see if they comply if they do so, then you can thank them and say goodbye in a moment i'll suggest what to do if they resist.
Now, bringing these steps together here are some examples of things you might say, in common situations.
Let's say that you see two people talking together in a hallway standing only a couple of feet apart, you could say…
Hi, you may not realize how close you're standing to each other, please remember to stay at least six feet apart, even if you're wearing a mask, could you please step further apart.
Or if you see someone sitting close to two people sitting close together to table, you could say to them, excuse me, I know this isn't easy but you're sitting a bit too close, you need to be at least six feet, apart from each other, could you please move your chairs further away.
Now let's say that you see someone who's not wearing a mask you could start by saying, excuse me, I see that you're not wearing a mask do you have one with you.
And if you have a disposable mask available, you could offer one or if you see someone who is wearing a mask but it's not covering their nose completely, you could say…
Hey, I don't know if you realize this, but your mask isn't covering your nose it's important to cover that, too, could you please pull it up next.
Let's say that you, you see one of these types of situations, but you just don't feel comfortable enough to say something by yourself.
Another option would be to enlist someone else to do it with you, or to delegate tasks to them if they'd be willing to say something if you have someone with you, you don't have to go it alone just having someone at your side can help with the emotions that might come up for you.
And lastly, what do you do if the person is resistant gives you attitude, or even becomes angry.
As with any situation you'll need to use your judgment and decide what you're comfortable doing.
Sometimes students will say that it's Okay, for them to sit close together because they're housemates.
And while it may be true that they live together, let them know that while they're on campus they need to follow the guidelines, like everyone else.
If someone seems frustrated, it might help to make an empathic statement like look, I know that it's not easy to follow all of these rules, all the time.
And if someone really tries to argue with you, you can ignore their questions and simply restate what they need to do try not to get into a debate with them.
And if they become very agitated remember that the most important thing is your safety that the tension rises then do what you can to de escalate the situation.
Use a non-threatening tone and avoid raising your voice, especially if the other person is getting loud and then, when you can just remove yourself from the situation and walk away.
If you have a difficult exchange with someone, it can be helpful to have a follow up conversation with a supervisor or colleague to debrief the situation.
You also have the option of submitting a report online using this form, if the report is about a student, it will be routed to the Cornell compact compliance team.
And if the behavior involves an employee, the report will go to human resources, one challenge, maybe that you may not know the name of the person you interacted with, but you can still submit a report and provide as much information as you have.
Lastly, I'd like to underscore that our ability to prevent the spread of code 19 depends in part on the norms we adhere to as a Community.
Reminding individuals of our shared responsibility for keeping each other, safe, is an important part of maintaining those norms. Thanks for spending this time to consider what role you might be able to play in supporting the health and safety of our community.