In-person, Extension-hosted programs are allowed with an approved exemption. A committee reviews in-person program exemption requests for ALL programs that require in-person attendance, are mandated to be in-person by the courts or other state agencies/organizations, or are not viable virtually due to internet inaccessibility. This includes on-farm research and farm visits. The in-person programming exemption request link is available at go.osu.edu/CFAESf2fEventRequest. Do not use the original research exemption link; exemptions for research are no longer required.
There are a number of existing program-specific blanket exemptions already in place. Check with your program area assistant director if you are not sure if your program fits within an existing blanket exemption or should be submitted for consideration:
- 4-H: CARTEENS; 4-H camp counselor selection and training; educationally-focused club meetings, including quality assurance education sessions
- FCS: ServSafe; SNAP-Ed; EFNEP
- ANR: PAT/FERT recertification; on-site consultation, scouting, and diagnostics; video filming for programming
Training reminder: As announced to all county personnel on March 8, everyone in OSU Extension now must take the in-person programming training course. Due to the opening of more county offices, with more interaction with each other, and more programs being attended and run by county educators, field specialists, faculty, and staff, it has been decided that everyone, including office support staff, will benefit by reviewing the safety and health protocols set forth by the university.
To be clear, this is NOT OPTIONAL; every OSU Extension employee must complete this revised training by 11:59 pm on March 31, 2021 – OR prior to your event, if it will be held before March 31. This requirement is mandatory for even those personnel who completed the first version, as some things have changed. The course will take only about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Those found to be out of compliance will face appropriate disciplinary action, including being restricted from future program exemptions until the training is complete. Our ability to continue in-person programming was primarily a result of having the exemption process and this required training in place – let’s not jeopardize this privilege. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in completing the required training. Connect with the Carmen Course online at https://osu.instructure.com/courses/100537. Contact Jeff McCutcheon (mccutcheon.30@osu.edu) or Jackie Wilkins (wilkins.201@osu.edu) if you have any questions. Reach out to Laurie Ward (ward.676@osu.edu) if you have trouble accessing the training course.