Update on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

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Hi SYN community!

We’ve set up this page to house regular updates on SYN’s approach to Coronavirus (COVID-19). We do not require any action from our listeners and supporters. This page has been set up to let the public know how we’re handling Coronavirus with our internal community.

You can find updates on RMIT’s approach here.
You can read SYN’s stance on vaccines here.

If you are worried that you may have come into contact with the virus, the Department of Human Health and Services have a dedicated hotline to offer direction: 1800 675 398, or head to https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/.

You can also find helpful support resources, including information and helplines, at this Headspace link.

Internal community update, 12 November 2021

From the week of the 17th of January 2022, SYN will be returning to the office in person. It’s been a wild ride, but we’re at the stage now, in conjunction with the university where we believe it’ll be safe for staff, schools and volunteers to return to campus. The reason we made the decision to wait until next year is:

  • Case numbers are still very high, and we saw no reason to risk our community unnecessarily. The risk to outcome ratio just didn’t seem to add up!
  • We want to develop a smooth system in conjunction with the university so that we can hit the ground running and allow vols to return easily. Rather then rush!
  • Vaccine mandates and how they are applied are still being confirmed – however it is 99% clear at this stage all volunteers will be required to be vaccinated to return to campus.

To confirm SYN’s Summer Season will take place online this year, as we gradually return to campus late Jan 2022.

Please do not rock up to SYN until you have received a confirmation email from us to do so!

Once we’ve got all the details sorted and you’ve received your confirmation email, this will mean in 2022:

  • Those who have already done their COVIDsafe training and returned to campus earlier this year, can return to the studios.
  • Studio Induction will return, for vols who have only ever participated remotely, to complete and this pick up a swipe card.
  • We’ll be running re-training session for existing vols that feel the need additional support to get back into the swing of live broadcasting.
  • Our Remote Broadcasting model will remain in place, and we’ll continue to develop and work on it – we believe it’ll still play a critical role at SYN for our next strategic goals.
  • COVIDsafe measures will remain in place in SYN’s studios, and we’ll continue to work with the university to continuously improve them.

Questions that are still in the process of being resolved:

  • How will I verify my vaccination status?
  • I’d like to express interest for studio re-training – how do I do that?
  • How do I complete my COVIDsafe training and get my swipe card reactivated?

We will have answers to the above and more soon, please wait to hear from the Community Team directly to confirm your COVIDsafe training status and swipe card status. If you have completed it earlier in the year, the process will be a lot smoother and quicker! But we still need to work with the university to ensure your card is active.

Thank you so much SYNners, we’re close to the finish line – Can’t wait to celebrate your amazing work at SYN Awards next week!

Evrim Şen – General Manager ([email protected])

Internal community update as of 17:00, 5 August 2021

Starting at 8pm tonight, SYN will be moving to remote broadcasting and recording for at least the next 7 days due to the latest snap lockdown announcement.

We hope to be back in the office and studios from Friday next week, but this will obviously be dictated by whether lockdown continues. We’ll keep you updated and let you know as soon as we know when we can all be back at SYN again.
Keep emailing Alicia Lehmann with your Return to Campus questions and get onto your COVIDsafe training if you’ve been asked to do so. Alicia’s email is [email protected]
All shows that were scheduled for in-person broadcast tomorrow have been contacted and must stay home.
We want to thank you all for your passion and commitment to SYN, even when it gets tough. Whether you’re a veteran or a newbie, this place would not run without you. Remember to take it easy, look out for your community and (if you have the spoons) make content that you enjoy.
In case you or someone you know needs support:
  • Beyond Blue: 1800 512 348
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14
  • QLife: 1800 184 527
  • Safe Steps: 1800 015 188
  • OR find relevant text message/webchat services online: https://mentalhealthcompass.com.au/helplines
  • Community Broadcasters are covered by Support Act’s Help-line, free 24/7 for artists to access for free: 1800 959 500
Love you all. Here’s a reminder of who you can chat to at SYN:
We love ya’ll! x

Internal community update as of 17:30, 15 July 2021

Hi everyone, SYN will be moving to remote broadcasting and recording during the snap 5 day lockdown which was announced earlier this afternoon, starting midnight tonight until next Tuesday the 20th of July.

All the best for lockdown, inşallah we are back in person next Wednesday onwards, however until otherwise informed we will be broadcasting and all working remotely, including all volunteering and educational activities.
We know these lockdowns always put a hiccup in our activities however we hope that all engagement continues to expand and grow in person after it ends, so please keep emailing about returning and completing your COVIDsafe training!
If you have any further questions please reach out to the Community Team, Alicia Lehmann will be able to assist with queries next week onwards, [email protected]
All shows that were scheduled for in-person broadcast tomorrow, have been emailed and texted to not come to the studio.

Internal community update as of 9:30, 10 June 2021

Following yesterday’s announcement from the Victorian Government and the easing of lockdown restrictions, we have some exciting news regarding studio access!
From Tuesday the 15th of June SYN will resume studio access in the same capacity as prior to lockdown 4! Yay!
This means that programs that fall within business hours can broadcast live, and volunteers may come into the studios during business hours to pre-record.
To stay in line with COVID safe procedures, volunteers MUST be approved before coming onto RMIT’s campus. Those with pre-approved ongoing campus access have been contacted directly regarding this access update.
For anyone else who would like to attend the studios during business hours, or for any questions or concerns regarding studio access, please contact Bec – [email protected]
Huge yay! Thanks for hanging in there everyone. Continue to stay safe and awesome ❤

Internal community update as of 15:00, 27 May 2021

Hi SYNners,
As you may have seen by now, Victoria will enter a circuit breaker lockdown. See the new government restrictions in full here: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/statement-acting-premier-1
From 11pm tonight, all SYN volunteers must make their content from home. Studio access will be paused for at least the next 7 days, after which we will take any new information into account and reassess our situation.
Bec Grech will be in touch with any volunteers who were scheduled to come to SYN and use the studios over the next 7 days.
A reminder on remote broadcasting, new content uploads are due in Microsoft Teams by 11:59pm the night BEFORE your broadcast day (e.g. The Sports Desk 9am Friday is due by 11:59pm TONIGHT). Here is a refresher on how to use Teams if needed: https://www.facebook.com/…/permalink/3855517991137465/
If you have any questions about how you or SYN will be affected by these restrictions, get in touch with us over email:
  • To ask more about how is SYN adapting and what happens next, email Evrim: [email protected]
  • To discuss your studio booking (flagship or pre-record), email Bec: [email protected]
  • To discuss Microsoft Teams or troubleshoot tech problems from home, email Erin: [email protected]
 It sucks that we’re back here. Remember that support is available if you need it:
  • Beyond Blue: 1800 512 348
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14,
  • Lifeline Text Message Service between 6pm and midnight: 0477 13 11 14.
  • Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800.
  • Safe Steps: 1800 015 188, or email [email protected]
 Stay safe everyone! See you on the other side ❤

 Internal community update as of 20:00, 1 December 2020

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Hi everyone! Exciting news, SYN will be returning a small handful of programs to campus for a two-week trial before the office closes for the year. A few flagship shows have been contacted to test approximately two days in the studio for the weeks of 7th – 11th and 14th – 18th of December. The SYN office will be closed from the 21st Dec – 1st Jan 2021, no shows will be broadcast in the studio during this time.

I know it’s been an incredibly taxing and difficult year. We have some new challenges ahead of us, but given the year we’ve all had, I think we now have more wisdom and knowledge than ever before to help us along the next step of this journey. We’ve been working very closely with the university to ensure that the way we bring broadcasting back to the studio is done so safely and sustainably. We’re so excited that Victoria has had a month of doughnut days, we began the process of planning this return long before any doughnuts were in site!
We’ve popped together a high-level overview of what will be happening in the infographic below. Please find a screen reader-friendly version downloaded
here.
There are no doubt many nitty gritty details that you’ll have questions about and I will be posting an FAQ plus more infographics in the comments section; please have a scroll through and read. Any tech questions please feel free to reach out to our Operations Manager, Johan [email protected]. If you have any Community or Content queries, reach out to our Community Manager, Maddy via [email protected]
I know that this is exciting, but a big request as we begin this process – your continued patience is so sincerely appreciated. Everything will happen in its time, and we’ll be prioritising your safety above all else. Please take the time to read through the FAQs before emailing staff with any questions, or feel free to simply reply in a comment to the thread and we’ll be checking in periodically to answer! Watch this space, more updates will be shared as they come.
At this stage, this is a test. We know SYNners will step up and help us manage the risks and hopefully, in the new year we’ll be able to keep progressing with our outlined time-line.
Evrim – [email protected]

Internal community update as of 12:00, 23 March 2020

Hey SYNers,

Hoping you are all safe and well.

As you may have heard, the Victorian government is shutting down non-essential activity across the state over the next two days. This will include RMIT, and therefore, the SYN studios.

RMIT’s campus will be closing at 5:00pm today (Monday the 23rd of March).

If you feel you need to come to the SYN spaces to collect anything essential you must do so before 5pm. If you choose to do this, please practice social distancing and good hygiene.

After this, RMIT and SYN spaces will not be accessible until further notice. Like everyone else, we’re waiting for further updates from the Victorian government regarding when access will return.

The good news is, we’ve already started preparing to broadcast remotely, and we’ll keep putting those processes in place! There might be a tricky teething period, but we’ll be running smoothly before you know it. We’ll have some extra remote content resources for you in the Facebook group by the end of the day today.

We appreciate that these events may cause distress for you and other SYNers.

Thanks for your patience with us while we navigate SYN through this period. Although the studios are closed, we’ll still be here supporting you to make great content.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. Maddy’s email is [email protected].
Lots of love,

The SYN Staff

p: 03 9639 2537
e: [email protected]

Internal community update as of 19:00, 16 March 2020

Hi SYNers,

We hope you are all well during this time of uncertainty regarding the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19). We want to thank you for your patience and understanding while we are developing strategies to protect our community and continue our work.

The SYN office is now temporarily closed for staff and volunteers. SYN’s live programming will continue until further notice.

SYN staff have decided to close the SYN office and will be working from home wherever possible. We are all contactable on our emails, and can set up meetings via video link where needed.

As RMIT University have not closed the city campus, you can still access the office for essential reasons. However, we strongly encourage you and your teams to complete any show preparation, editing or other off-air tasks remotely.

You can still access the SYN studios, including the prerecord studios. Book these by emailing Maddy or Erin as usual.

There is a chance that SYN will be forced to close for a period of time. We’ll provide more information on this if and when this becomes imminent.

Things you can do in the meantime to prepare:

  • If you’re sick, please do NOT come to SYN.
  • Pre-record your segments/shows where possible. Think about how you can create ‘highlight reel’ type content, record on-location in advance, or record from home over the next few days. This will help SYN continue to broadcast if and when a lockdown occurs.
  • Ask in advance for your content to be scheduled. Email Erin ([email protected]) to have your show scheduled during this time.
  • Avoid bringing interviewees into the studios. Instead, conduct interviews over Skype or Whatsapp. This is in the best interest of our volunteers and your interviewees.

Studio Hygiene

We are taking measures to ensure safe practice in the radio studios, including routine cleaning of microphone wind socks and wiping down of surfaces. We ask that you do your part to ensure our space stays safe by:

  • Taking mic socks off microphones and spraying with disinfectant spray (Glen 20) after your show
    Spraying the door handle with disinfectant spray (Glen 20) after your show.
  • Using hand sanitiser before and after you operate any equipment.
  • We have provided spray in the live studio, and there is hand sanitiser in the RMIT hallways. However, please bring your own spray and sanitiser wherever possible. Please email Maddy ([email protected]) if you find that we have run out or are running low.

When you’re at SYN, do what you would do anywhere else:

  • Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly
  • Avoid touching your face
  • Keep SYN spaces clean, and wipe down surfaces in the kitchen with multipurpose spray

Seek Support

We appreciate that these events may cause distress for you and other SYNers.

If you are worried that you may have contracted or come into contact with the virus, the Department of Human Health and Services have a dedicated hotline to offer direction: 1800 675 398.

You can find helpful support resources, including information and helplines, at this Headspace link.

Read more about RMIT’s approach and find RMIT specific updates here.
We will maintain communication with you all regarding new developments. Please don’t hesitate to email Maddy via [email protected] if you have any questions.

Take care of each other!
Lots of love,

The SYN Staff

p: 03 9639 2537
e: [email protected]

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