26 septembrie 2020

Săptămâna viitoare au loc ceremonii pentru deschiderea de an academic la marile universități din Iași

Săptămâna viitoare au loc ceremonii pentru deschidere de an academic pentru studenții de la 4 mari universități

Săptămână viitoare sunt programate ceremonii pentru deschiderea de an academic la patru mari universități din Iași. Este vorba de: Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza”, Universitatea Tehnică „Gheorghe Asachi”, respectiv Națională de Arte „George Enescu” și de Medicină și Farmacie „Grigore T. Popa”. Acestea vor avea loc în condiții speciale, într-un format restrâns și cu respectarea normelor sanitare contra infecțiilor cu COVID-19

La Iași, săptămâna viitoare, sunt programate ceremonii pentru deschiderea de an academic la patru mari universități din Iași. Evenimentele vor avea loc la: „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” (UAIC), Tehnică (TUIAȘI) „Gheorghe Asachi”, respectiv Națională de Arte „George Enescu” (UNAGE) și de Medicină și Farmacie (UMF) „Grigore T. Popa”. Pe de altă parte, formulele de reluare a cursurilor la cele patru instituții de învățământ superior sunt mixte, anume parțial on-line și față în față.

Ceremonii aparte, în condiții speciale, pentru deschiderea de an academic la patru mari universități din Iași

În acest context, Senatul de la Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” (UAIC) din Iași a stabilit modalitatea de reluare a cursurilor la cele 15 facultăți, printr-un scenariu mixt, într-o ședință la care a participat și prof. univ. dr. Tudorel Toader, rector.

„În ședința Senatului UAIC din Iași a fost stabilită modalitatea mixtă de desfășurare a activităților didactice, la toate cele 15 facultăți, cu unele particularități, în funcție de specializări, nivel de studiu, număr de studenți, etc. Senatul a aprobat propunerile făcute de către Consiliul de Administrație, propuneri venite de la facultăți. Toate activitățile se vor desfășura cu stricta respectare a normelor sanitare și legale!”, a precizat prof. univ. dr. Tudorel Toader, rectorul Universității „Cuza” din Iași.

Cele 15 facultăți de la Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași au înaintat conducerii instituției tipul de scenariu pe care vor să-l aplice, privind reluarea cursurilor din noul an academic

De reamintit că, cele 15 facultăți de la Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași au înaintat conducerii instituției tipul de scenariu pe care vor să-l aplice, privind reluarea cursurilor din noul an academic. Astfel, Facultatea de Teologie Romano-Catolică a propus varianta de cursuri față în față, iar Facultatea de Economie și Administrarea Afacerilor, Litere, Filosofie și Științe Social Politice, respectiv exclusiv on-line. Pe de altă parte, celelalte zece facultăți au propus o variantă mixtă (on-line și față în față). În plus, ceremonia oficială pentru deschiderea anului universitar este programată pe 30 septembrie, în Aula Magna „Mihai Eminescu”.

Deschiderea anului universitar 2020 – 2021, programată în Campusul „Tudor Vladimirescu” de Universitatea Tehnică din Iași

Cu acest prilej, prof. univ. dr. ing. Dan Cașcaval, rectorul Politehnicii ieșene a transmis un mesaj special.

„Indiferent de contextul pe care nu l-a dorit niciunul dintre noi, ne apropiem de un moment festiv. Un moment festiv, care răzbate dincolo de răceala biților și a pixelilor și dincolo de prea puțin empatica comunicare on-line. Fascinația și emoția debutului unui nou an universitar nu pot fi alterate de niciun context. Pentru boboci, dar deopotrivă pentru noi toți, această zi este irepetabilă, deși o trăim an de an. Dar, de fiecare dată o trăim altfel. Și cu cât, noi, dascălii, avem mai mulți ani în spate, cu atât bucuria este mai mare. Doresc tuturor colegilor, studenților și tuturor celor care veghează la mersul firesc al Educației, un an universitar cât mai bun, plin de reușite și protejat de tot ceea ce acum ne împinge într-o lume virtuală”, a transmis prof. univ. dr. ing. Dan Cașcaval, rectorul Universității Tehnice „Gheorghe Asachi” din Iași.

Echipele de la cele 11 facultăți ale Universității Tehnice din Iași au lucrat toată vara ca anul universitar 2020-2021 să înceapă în condiții de maximă siguranță pentru studenți

Echipele de la cele 11 facultăți ale Universității Tehnice au lucrat toată vara ca anul universitar 2020-2021 să înceapă în condiții de maximă siguranță pentru studenți. Senatul TUIAȘI a validat propunerea Consiliului de Administrație (CA), stabilindu-se un sistem hibrid de organizare a cursurilor. Astfel, în primul semestru al noului an universitar vor veni la Iași pentru a desfășura activități didactice on-site (în amfiteatrele și laboratoarele Universității) studenții tuturor facultăților proaspăt înmatriculați în anul I licență, toți studenții din anul al II-lea și studenții din anul al VI-lea de la Facultatea de Arhitectură „G.M. Cantacuzino”. Aceștia vor continua activitatea didactică, în același regim, pentru toată durata anului universitar. Ceilalți vor desfășura activități didactice exclusiv on-line.

Publicație: Bună Ziua Iași

„Bobocii“ au vizitat virtual Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie din Iași

 Peste 80% dintre bobocii de la Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie „Grigore T. Popa“ din Iaşi au participat deja, începând cu 23 septembrie, la Orientation Days, un eveniment organizat de UMF Iaşi, respectând integral toate procedurile de siguranţă în contextul pandemiei COVID-19. Evenimentul, aflat în acest an la a patra ediţie, este organizat împreună cu societăţile studenţeşti care activează în cadrul UMF Iaşi.

Din cauza situaţiei epidemiologice, nu a fost posibilă organizarea tururilor ghidate în universitate şi Iaşi, însă organizatorii au pregătit o surpriză bobocilor: aceştia au putut colinda universitatea virtual, prin intermediul unor filme de prezentare ale celor patru facultăţi. De asemenea, proaspeţii studenţi sunt aşteptaţi de colegii lor mai mari pe Esplanada UMF Iaşi, pentru a primi broşuri informative, halate şi măşti, în fiecare zi până pe 27 septembrie.

„După ce au trecut cu succes peste concursul de admitere şi emoţiile din vară s-au risipit, a venit ziua când cei mai tineri membri ai marii familii UMF Iaşi vor face primii paşi spre cariera visată. «Orientation Days» este mai mult decât un eveniment de informare, este modul nostru de a le ura «Bun venit» bobocilor şi de a le arăta că suntem aici pentru ei, pentru a-i ajuta şi ghida în următorii ani, pentru a le transmite cunoştinţe, dar şi de a-i învăţa să-şi iubească viitoarea profesie“, a declarat prof.dr. Viorel Scripcariu, rectorul UMF Iaşi.

 Publicație: Ziarul de Iași

Orban promite tablete studenţilor cu burse sociale

Premierul Ludovic Orban a anunţat, joi, că studenţii care primesc burse sociale vor primi şi tablete pentru a putea participa la cursurile online din universităţi.

„Am luat decizia de a sprijini şi studenţii care sunt beneficiari ai burselor sociale pentru universităţile care vor începe online să decontăm din fonduri europene, în limita unei sume de 50 de milioane de euro, tabletele care sunt achiziţionate”, a spus Ludovic Orban, citat de Digi24.

„În modificarea ordonanţei 144 am inclus pentru universităţile de stat, acestea vor beneficia de fonduri pentru achiziţia de echipamente de protecţie şi unele dispozitive de tipul nebulizatoarelor, în valoare de încă 10 milioane, faţă de cele 50 de milioane pe care le avem aprobate, am suplimentat cu încă 10 milioane de euro”, a spus, la rândul său, secretarul de stat în Ministerul Fondurilor Europene, Carmen Moraru.

Publicație: Adevărul

Hundreds of Manchester students locked down after 127 Covid cases

 Residents at two Manchester Metropolitan University halls told to stay in rooms for 14 days

Hundreds of students in Manchester were told to self-isolate on Friday after 127 of them tested positive for coronavirus.

Residents at the Birley campus and Cambridge Halls at Manchester Metropolitan University have been told to stay in their rooms for 14 days, even if they have no symptoms.

In total 1,700 students were locked down, according to the Manchester Evening News.

The rate of Covid-19 spread in Manchester was 185.6 per 100,000 people in the week up to 22 September, when 1,026 positive tests were recorded, figures show.

This was almost twice the rate of the previous week when the infection rate was 93.2 per 100,000, with 515 cases.

The news came after all students in Scotland were told to avoid pubs this weekend as part of efforts to prevent outbreaks in university campuses from spreading into the wider population.

The University and College Union (UCU), which represents more than 120,000 academics and support staff, has described the Manchester incident as “the latest catastrophe in a week where wholly predictable – and predicted – Covid outbreaks have caused havoc on campuses across the UK”.

The UCU general secretary, Jo Grady, said: “We warned last month of the problems with moving thousands of students across the country and the time has come for urgent action from ministers and universities to protect staff and students.

“Manchester Metropolitan University shifting teaching online only for foundation and first year students exposes the total absurdity of the current position of trying to continue with blended learning.”

Councillor Bev Craig, executive member for adult health and wellbeing for Manchester city council, said: “This is obviously very difficult for all of the young people involved and we will be working with the university and other public services to make sure that any of the students affected get the support they need.

“Students are a vital part of our city, and as part of our plans we expected that numbers could rise as they returned to the city.”

Publicație: The Guardian

Halt in-person university teaching until test and trace fixed, union urges

 Exclusive: UCU general secretary Jo Grady speaks out after rapid rise in Covid cases on campuses

Face-to-face teaching at universities should be halted until the government fixes test-and-trace failures and curbs the spread of Covid-19, the union representing academics and staff has said.

The warning from Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), comes as institutions increasingly take matters into their own hands by switching to majority online-only teaching.

Others are spending million of pounds instituting their own test-and-trace systems to identify outbreaks on campus. Strict disciplinary measures for students who flout social distancing rules are also being brought in.

Across England, one in 500 people are believed to have had Covid-19 last week, with the number of daily coronavirus infections tripling in a fortnight according to the Office for National Statistics. The R (reproduction) number was put at 1.2-1.5 for England and the UK.

Outbreaks have hit 23 universities, forcing thousands of students into self-isolation. Hundreds of coronavirus cases were confirmed on campuses, including 172 at the University of Glasgow, 127 at Manchester Metropolitan University and 120 at Edinburgh’s Napier University.

In response to the Manchester outbreak, 1,700 students are being placed in quarantine for a fortnight at halls of residence at Birley and All Saint’s Park, in a joint move by the local authority, the university and Public Health England.

In an interview with the Guardian, Grady said the sharp rise in cases at Scottish universities – which reopened earlier than those in the rest of the UK – showed that test and trace was inadequate to protect staff and students. She called for in-person teaching to be abandoned where possible until the system could be fixed.

Grady urged university leaders to act now to drop face-to-face classes and potentially allow students to return home. “If [vice-chancellors] don’t do something now, all their efforts will be undone in a few weeks because the number of infections will be so high, or there won’t be enough staff to teach,” she said.

“There is an urgency about this that didn’t exist a month ago, because we are seeing infection rates rising and there is the danger that students are just becoming incubators.

“But until there is an effective UK-wide test-and-trace programme, there are going to be cases everywhere. Even if you’ve got a self-contained university campus with a relatively small number of students, you are still bringing people all together from all over the UK, and staff who teach at multiple institutions moving between them.”

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The University of Leeds has become the latest to go online-only unless teaching is deemed safe and necessary. Six of its students tested positive for Covid-19 and the city of Leeds will go into local lockdown from midnight, meaning most students will not be able to visit their families.

It emerged that 12 universities in England and Wales are trying to combat possible shutdowns by forging ahead with testing programmes and – in some cases – with their own on-campus tracing teams and mechanisms.

While university leaders say publicly that their bespoke systems are to supplement the £10bn NHS test and trace programme, in private they complain that they have been forced to institute on-campus testing because it will be impossible to ensure that thousands of students can be tested.

The University of Cambridge plans to test all students living in university accommodation weekly, while the University of Exeter has invested in rapid saliva testing facilities.

Imperial College in London has gone further and set up campus-wide tracing, with a “Covid-19 contact tracing hub”. Students who return positive tests will be reached and asked to provide details for those they have had close contact with, including “intimate physical or sexual contact” or skin-to-skin contact, as well as anyone with whom they have spent at least a minute within 1 metre.

Alastair Sim, director of Universities Scotland, said the governments in England and Scotland could not provide enough tests to universities because of shortages caused by schools reopening.

“There was a big peak with schools going back and I think the testing capacity got, I wouldn’t say overwhelmed but certainly stretched [in a way] that wasn’t really anticipated. The government, and this is both governments, could not make testing available for many students,” he told the BBC.

Salford University, which has reported 20 infections among students, is among those running its own test-and-trace system, known as Sprout. But it has not yet been synchronised with class lists, meaning students were having to report to staff if they were symptomatic or living with someone who was.

At Salford, student gatherings in halls were said to have been broken up by security staff. “They’ve been on hold for so long and have obviously gone a bit crazy as first-years do and now they’re faced with this,” said a lecturer. “Staff are really worried, none of us want to go back to face-to-face learning. We’re the ones with the risk factors, rather than the 18, 19 and 20-year-olds.”

The University of Southampton has developed its own rapid-response saliva test, and will test all incoming students and staff when they arrive on campus.

Universities in Liverpool and Manchester have switched to online teaching, with only clinical subjects retaining in-person classes in most cases.

Manchester’s universities are preparing to clamp down on illegal gatherings with strict measures including potentially expelling students who do not comply with social distancing rules and imposing curfews on residential halls.

The University of Manchester has so far taken disciplinary action against 200 students for breaching social distancing guidelines, while several have also been issued with £100 fixed penalty notices by police.

A spokesperson for the university said it saw imposing a curfew on students living in halls as a “last resort”, but “if residents fail to adhere to social distancing rules we will be faced with no alternative”.

A government spokesperson said: “Testing capacity is the highest it has ever been, but we are seeing a significant demand for tests. It is vital that staff and students only get a test if they develop coronavirus symptoms.

“Our universities are home to world-leading science and innovation, but for those producing their own tests, it is important that the process works with the national system so we know what is happening and where, so we can utilise it for public safety.”

In Scotland, there was intense criticism and growing confusion around new restrictions announced by universities, including a bar on going out this weekend, which the country’s commissioner for children and young people said raised “concerning human rights implications”.

The first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, confirmed that the ban on visiting bars, cafes or restaurants this weekend applies to all students in Scotland, even those studying part-time or living outside halls of residence.

But she hinted at a U-turn on guidance from the government’s clinical director, Jason Leitch, who said students were not allowed to return to their family homes, saying there would be further guidance over the weekend. Addressing students directly at her daily briefing, Sturgeon told them: “I know you might feel like you are somehow being blamed … it’s not your fault.”

Publicație: The Guardian

‘I had a little sob’: freshers face up to strict new Covid rules

UK students are feeling anxious following Scottish ban on parties, campus lockdowns and a warning against travelling home for Christmas

As freshers week drew to a close at the Parker House hall of residence in Dundee last week, one flat invited 30 or so fellow students to a party. Unknown to any of the attendees, one was experiencing early symptoms of coronavirus. When that party-goer and their flatmates all tested positive for the virus, the whole flat locked down, followed by the entire block.

The outbreak has turned an initially pleasant freshers week of socially distanced fun into a nightmare for Duncan Rendall, a first-year student at Abertay University who is now in his fourth day of lockdown. “I can’t leave my flat at all so I’m just stuck in my room,” he says. “It’s very isolating. You come to uni and expect to be able to socialise with new friends.”

While Rendall is lucky to have a more spacious disabled room, his flatmates are stuck in cramped quarters. “Even I’m feeling claustrophobic in my room but for them it’s taking quite a toll mentally.”

Rendall and his flatmates’ experience is one shared by hundreds of students around the country. They are facing up to a very different freshers to the one they expected, with coronavirus outbreaks replacing the traditional freshers flu and halls of residence lockdowns instead of wild parties.

One fresher at Nottingham is frustrated to find herself already asked to self-isolate two days after moving in. She thinks that only those students who have been directly in contact with an infected person should have to quarantine.

“If we need to isolate every time a suspected case is flagged up, then – as there’s almost 30 students per block – we could probably end up being holed-up in our rooms for the rest of the term,” she says. “As if the trauma of our A level results wasn’t bad enough. I don’t know how much more I can handle before I have a complete breakdown.”

Coronavirus cases have now spread to over 20 universities across the country, with particularly large outbreaks in Glasgow and Dundee, where the term starts earlier than at English universities. As a result, new restrictions in Scotland have banned students from socialising, while the UK government has advised all students against visiting their parents during term-time, including potentially confining them to halls over Christmas.

“[The new restrictions] are pretty drastic and it’s all a bit scary,” says Ralph Bennett-Richards, a first-year Glasgow student. “Moving up from London, living away from home for the first time, was scary enough without people now saying that we may not be able to home for Christmas. That’s made me really upset and I did have a little sob last night.”

Bennett-Richards says he plans to observe the restrictions, but he is worried about their impact on student mental health. “The mood in halls is quite sombre at the moment and everyone is just a little bit scared by the uncertainty. There definitely needs to be action to reduce the number of cases but singling out students as the problem, after being told to go out and eat and to come onto campus, seems really unfair.”

Under a new Scottish law introduced in May, students are permitted to exit their rental contracts early for reasons “relating to coronavirus”. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland these remain legally binding, which the National Union of Students is urging the Westminster and devolved governments to change.

Bennett-Richards says he is considering this option. “Having gone through the emotional toll of coming up here I’m not sure I could face going back. I’m just very confused at the moment.”

Students at other universities which have yet to report Covid-19 outbreaks agree that the experience has been strange – though not necessarily bad. Freshers week for Jude Parker, who is starting an undergraduate degree at Kings College, London, exceeded his expectations, thanks to socialising within his “household” of 14 people.

“I imagined it would just consist of me getting drunk in my room whilst playing parlour games with strangers on Zoom. Fortunately I was wrong to doubt the resourcefulness of students,” he says. “Most nights normally start in our kitchen with all of us mixing Smirnoff vodka with various flavours of juice. Afterwards, we tend to amble towards a pub.”

Isobel Whitfield, a first-year at university in Wales, has been invited to a few flat parties in her first week, some of which exceed the government’s new rule of six. But she adds that most students are trying to be careful: “The ones I’ve been to are pretty small, with only about 10 people there. They usually don’t go on very long either and tend to be quite quiet as people don’t want to get shut down by campus security.”

Police across the country have been breaking up student house parties, including one high profile incident in which a Nottingham student was fined £10,000. Some gatherings have been tackled by campus security, such as one involving over 400 students at Exeter University, while the University of Bristol is funding the police to patrol student neighbourhoods for house parties, according to student news outlet the Tab.

Jasmin Ly, a third-year student at the University of Nottingham, says she has observed first-year students socialising as they would in any normal freshers week. “On campus there is little social distancing and a lack of awareness that Covid is very much still present. Nottingham city centre is also busy with students.”

Universities are struggling to strike to the right balance between recognising their students’ independence and minimising the risk of coronavirus outbreaks. “It’s been a tightrope,” says Helen Higson, a pro vice-chancellor at Aston University, located in the centre of Birmingham.

“We’ve ensured our campus is Covid-secure and taken precautions to enable social distancing, but actually the young people arriving on campus have had no schooling for six months, they’ve been in lockdown, and they just want to let their hair down. That has been a struggle for them and for us,” she says.

“We’re managing this through lots of messaging such as our Aston Together campaign where we ask people to be safe, be kind, be respectful. We prefer not to have a heavy-handed approach, but to create a sense of responsibility and a sense of what it means to be an adult.”

Publicație: The Guardian

Dorm snitches and party bans: how universities around the world are tackling Covid

From asking students to report illicit gatherings to expanded online teaching, educational institutions continue to adapt

From overcrowded lecture halls in France to a ban on sleepovers in Ireland, special coronavirus apps in the UK, snitching on dorm parties in the US and shuttered campus gates in India, students face a range of experiences when – or if – universities reopen.

Authorities around the world have introduced different measures to try to balance the needs of third-level education with those of public health amid an autumnal surge in Covid-19 infections. Students will encounter new rules, tensions and scrutiny in response to fears that universities and colleges will open the pandemic’s floodgates.

At one extreme lies France where the government wants people back in lecture halls and tutorial rooms to bridge education inequities worsened by the crisis. Mask wearing is mandatory at all times and social distancing is encouraged but some institutions – not all – are overcrowded, with students cramming every seat and nook of lecture halls.

“It’s quite hard at the moment because we haven’t got any extra means,” said Franziska Heimburger, the assistant director of the University of Sorbonne’s English department. “We don’t have any more teachers, we don’t have any more space, so we basically have to teach as best we can.”

Some students across France have denounced overcrowding and inadequate hygiene on social media using the hashtag #balancetafac (squeal on your uni).

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Across Europe, where universities open this and next month, there are rules on social distancing and hand washing as well as expanded online teaching. Italy is prioritising in-class teaching for first-year students.

Some British colleges have set up their own testing sites and apps to identify, track – and hopefully help contain – outbreaks. University College London will use only a quarter of its buildings at one time, a policy recommended by one of the UK’s leading public health experts.

Many countries have banned student parties. In Scotland students have been told not to go to pubs this weekend.

Ireland has banned students from hosting visitors or overnight guests in college accommodation. Universities planned to reduce in-person learning and on Friday agreed to a government request to further scale that back.

Staff at one Dublin university said preparations were “Pythonesque”, with authorities at one point wanting to limit hand-sanitising stations lest they drew crowds.

In Greece students are demanding emergency funding for extra teaching staff and cleaners to ensure not all lessons are conducted remotely. Students in Thessaloniki are lobbying to be allowed to use expansive facilities that normally house the city’s international trade fair.

Israeli universities barely had time to work out their coronavirus policies for the autumn semester before record infection rates triggered a second national lockdown last week, shuttering nurseries, schools and universities.

In India, where daily coronavirus cases exceed 80,000, only one state has given approval for universities to reopen for the new term, which typically begins in November. Restrictions overseas have prompted many Indians – 61%, according to one survey – to postpone plans for international study.

The pandemic has thrown US universities into disarray. Despite distancing rules in classrooms and canteens, dozens of campuses have become virus hotspots, with suspicion falling on cramped dorms and parties. Some universities have sent students home and cancelled in-person instruction, alarming health officials who worry students will spread the virus at home.

Some colleges, such as Yale, have set up hotlines to report risky activity. Others are asking students to report illicit parties and name peers who break rules, prompting a debate on the ethics of snitching in the era of Covid-19

Publicație: The Guardian

 

 28 septembrie 2020

Invazie de studenți la Iași! De săptămână aceasta, peste 15 mii de tineri sunt cazați în campusurile marilor universități și trebuie să respecte o serie de reguli anti-COVID-19

De săptămână aceasta, peste 15 mii de studenți sunt cazați în campusurile marilor universități din Iași! Aceștia trebuie să respecte o serie de reguli anti-COVID-19

De săptămâna aceasta, la Iași ajung 15 mii de studenți! Aceștia sunt cazați în campusurile marilor universități din Iași și trebuie să respecte o serie de reguli anti-COVID-19! Așadar, fie că e vorba de locuit sau de mers la cursuri, marile universități de stat au stabilit o serie de reguli speciale. În principal, totul se leagă de distanțare fizică, dezinfectare, accesul în cămine, amfiteatre, cantine sau alte spații educaționale.

La Iași au ajuns peste 15 mii de studenți! Cazați în campusurile marilor universități, aceștia trebuie să respecte o serie de reguli anti-COVID-19

Astfel, la Iași au ajuns peste 15 mii de studenți! Cazați în campusurile marilor universități, aceștia trebuie să respecte o serie de reguli anti-COVID-19. Printre principalele instrucțiuni pentru desfășurarea activităților în condiții de siguranță pentru prevenirea îmbolnăvirilor cu virusul SARS-CoV-2 se regăsesc: purtarea obligatorie a măștii pentru studenți/cursanți, precum și pentru întregul personal al universităților, atât în timpul orelor de curs, cât și în timpul pauzelor (în spațiul închis), igiena riguroasă a mâinilor, realizarea curățeniei și a dezinfecției. Separarea și limitarea contactului între studenții/cursanții din formații de studiu diferite, neparticiparea la activitățile didactice a studenților/cursanților, a cadrelor didactice și a altor categorii de personal ce prezintă febră sau simptome caracteristice infectării cu SARS-CoV-2 sunt măsuri esențiale de prevenție.

Se vor stabili căi de acces separate de intrare și de ieșire din clădire, când vin studenții la cursuri

De asemenea, se vor stabili căi de acces separate de intrare și de ieșire din clădire, când vin studenții la cursuri. Organizarea circuitelor în interiorul universităților se face prin demarcare cu benzi vizibile, care să asigure „trasee prestabilite” de intrare, deplasare în interiorul universităților și de părăsire a acesteia, facilitând păstrarea unei distanțe fizice între studenți.

Vor fi limitate întâlnirile între studenții din grupe/ serii/ ani diferiți, prin stabilirea unor zone de așteptare, înainte de intrarea în spații care au fost ocupate de alți studenți, astfel încât să fie asigurată distanțarea fizică. Ușile de acces în sălile în care se desfășoară activități didactice vor fi menținute deschise, dacă este posibil, pentru a evita punctele de contact. Acest principiu nu trebuie să împiedice aplicarea regulilor de evacuare în caz de incendiu (spre exemplu, ușile de incendiu neutilizate vor fi menținute închise). Ușile sălilor în care se desfășoară activități didactice vor fi menținute deschise până la sosirea tuturor studenților.

În campusurile mari ale universităților din Iași a fost redus numărul studenților cazați

Pe de altă parte, în campusurile mari ale universităților din Iași a fost redus numărul studenților cazați. Spre exemplu, în cel mai mare Campus Studențesc „Tudor Vladimirescu”, de la Universitatea Tehnică „Gheorghe Asachi”, sunt cazați doar peste 5.000 de tineri. Un singur cămin a fost rezervat pentru situațiile de carantină. În camerele de cămin a fost redus, de asemenea, numărul celor cazați. Și aici au fost stabilite căi de acces separate, la flux de intrare și ieșire. Sunt puse la dispoziție materiale de dezinfecție. La toalete, utilizarea acestora se va face doar pe grupuri și paliere de cămin, ca măsură de prevenire a infecției cu COVID-19.

Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași

 The dilemmas faced by students and campuses

Universities cannot survive without the revenue generated by students on site, writes one anonymous reader, while Lotte Hondebrink says keeping access to education is essential. Plus letters from Prof Mahesan Niranjan and Margaret Gabbe

As a UK academic, I think there is one key thing missing from your coverage of the safety of campuses opening up again: universities cannot survive without the revenue generated by students living on campus (Universities should be two-thirds empty to avoid Covid spikes, says expert, 25 September). This is not just about tuition fees; it includes accommodation fees and revenue from student bars, shops and sports centres. Since there is no longer comprehensive government funding for higher education, this is the only way that universities can survive.

For most institutions, cancelling face-to-face teaching would be financial suicide because so many students would not live on campus. The blame for this should be directed at the party currently in government, which is responsible for designing this funding system in the first place and for refusing a comprehensive bail-out of universities that would allow them to cancel face-to-face teaching for the year and allow students to stay at home.
Name and address supplied

  • Prof John Ashton argues that students do not adhere to the Covid-19 restrictions very well. The reason, he says, is that they would think “why bother?” because their trust has been broken by the Dominic Cummings affair.

As a student myself, I don’t believe this is the case. I try my best with the restrictions, which prevent me from receiving any form of in-person education, have me quarantining for 14 days because I come from abroad, and make it impossible to meet new people. Undoubtedly, there are some people who actually think “why bother?”, but I have not come across any.

What Prof Ashton also seems to forget is that students make up a significant proportion of the group of people who have to deal with the recession that is already here and will likely get worse. Allowing students to remain in education and in halls is therefore a necessity in order to equip them for the monstrous task that awaits them.

Right now, I am in quarantine. Despite the amazing efforts of my college, this is hard. But I stay inside, because I care about society. One of the things that is best about it though, is the access to education. I do not want to come out of isolation only to find that carelessly thrown away.
Lotte Hondebrink
PhD student, University of Cambridge

  • What is most striking about the difference of opinion between what the universities are doing in opening campuses for partial face-to-face teaching, and the trade union’s objection to it (Report, 25 September) is the one-size-fits-all mantra they both appear to be locked into. A more sensible approach is to call back to campus only the students on courses that require laboratory-based teaching or those who have specific difficulties in learning from home. If we taught the remaining students online, the density on campuses will be about a quarter of their usual capacity and everyone could be safe.
    Prof Mahesan Niranjan
    University of Southampton
  • We live near Canterbury, a relatively small city compared with, say, Manchester, but we have roughly as many students here in term time as locals. I can’t be the only local resident who’s annoyed by the media’s assumption that all students live in halls “on campus”. There are a great number of privately owned rented student “houses” in the city, where students live cheek-by-jowl with local families. Addressing their contact with other residents must be difficult to control.
    Margaret Gabbe
    Kent

 Publicație : The Guardian

Delay university term until on-campus testing ready, says Labour

 Letter to education secretary comes as thousands of students confined to halls after outbreak

The government should consider delaying the start of some university terms until mass testing is available on campuses, Labour has said, as thousands of students were confined to their halls of residence following outbreaks.

In a letter to the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, his Labour shadow, Kate Green, said: “The key to students staying safe on campus is testing … Despite the government’s inaction, universities like Leicester and Cambridge are developing their own testing capacity. What steps is your department taking to ensure that every university that wishes to do so is able to deliver this capacity on their campus? And what progress is the government making to ensure there is sufficient testing capacity in university communities to ensure those who have symptoms can be tested quickly?”

At Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), 1,700 students told to quarantine for a fortnight are banned from leaving their flats to get a test, even though there is a walk-in centre less than a mile away.

At least one firm has offered to act pro bono for MMU students wanting to challenge the legality of their quarantine, with lawyers noting that in the community, those with symptoms are allowed to leave their homes to be tested.

Larissa Kennedy, president of the National Union of Students, warned: “It is completely unacceptable – and potentially unlawful – for students to be subject to different rules than everyone else. This will only make public health guidance even more confusing and harder to follow.”

At MMU’s Cambridge halls of residence on Sunday, students had ignored orders from the university to take down signs they had put up in their windows using Post-it notes. “Fuck Boris with a cactus” read one; “9k 4 what?” read another, a reference to student fees.

Outside, supermarket vans delivered crates of food and drink. One mask-wearing mother pulled up in a car filled with supplies for her son, including weights – “He can’t get to the gym” – and a big screen for gaming.

“I’ll tell you what’s going on here,” shouted one young man out of his kitchen window. “It’s a two-week piss-up. We’ve just had a delivery of 200 cans of lager. It’s Sheffield United versus Leeds on the telly later and it’s going to get messy.”

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Four out of 10 students in his flat have tested positive, with a further two receiving “inconclusive” results. “We’re just assuming we’ve all got it,” said one of his flatmates. When the quarantine was announced on Friday evening, MMU said 127 students had tested positive, with more showing symptoms.

On the Birley campus nearby, one 19-year-old complained at having to stay indoors for a fortnight despite having completing a quarantine period last week following a positive test shortly after arriving on 7 September.

“My flat have all recently finished our self-isolation periods as all eight of us tested positive for coronavirus, and now we’re unable to leave for a further two weeks. We had an email yesterday saying that no one was allowed to leave for coronavirus testing,” he said.

The message from MMU said: “We appreciate some of you may need to take a Covid-19 test. Unfortunately, due to the self-isolation, you will not be permitted to travel to the local testing centre on Denmark Road.

“We are working with the local health services to put another testing system in place and will update you as soon as this is confirmed.”

Levins Solicitors said it would help quarantined students. “To the MMU students at Birley campus and Cambridge halls: get in touch and we will do our best to help, pro bono,” the firm tweeted.

Labour’s Kate Green suggested a “pause” for those universities where students have yet to arrive for freshers’ week. “Given the virus’s rapid progress, and the concerning scenes we have seen already, will the government now consider a delay to the start of term or a pause in the migration for universities where term has not yet begun to allow improvements in testing capacity and remote learning provision?” she asked.

In Birmingham on Saturday night, police patrolled student accommodation following reports of parties in halls during the week.

On Thursday the accommodation manager at the University of Birmingham wrote to students in halls, warning them that the university would call the police to break up illegal parties.

The letter also warned: “Anyone found to be part of a gathering of more than six people, or visiting a flat other than their own, will automatically be referred to the university’s conduct process, which could ultimately result in their permanent withdrawal from the university. They will also be instructed to leave their accommodation with immediate effect.”

In a letter to the University of Birmingham, the West Midlands representative of the University and College Union, which represents lecturers and support staff, said the measure showed that “the university is unable to control the behaviour of a significant number of its students in campus accommodation”.

The NUS also called for online learning to be the default and for functioning test and trace: “The NUS has long called for online learning to be the default, and the government must urgently invest in digital infrastructure and tackle digital poverty so that all students can continue to access their education remotely. We also need them to get a functional test-and-trace system in place on campuses and adequate funding to tackle the student mental health crisis,” said Kennedy, the union president.

Prof Malcolm Press, vice-chancellor of MMU, said student welfare was a top priority and the university was “urgently preparing” a care package to give to all those isolating, plus “financial support”, although he did not say how much.

In a statement he said: “I recognise the impact that this situation is having on our students, particularly given the extremely short period of time we had to inform them of the decision … We expect students to follow the guidance for self-isolation set out by the government and Public Health England. Our staff are on hand 24 hours a day to provide support, guidance and deal with concerns. We are unable to prevent our students from leaving the halls, but our students are bright young adults and we trust that they will do the right thing.”

Despite MMU students being prevented from leaving their flats to get tests, a government spokesperson said: “The message to students and staff is simple – get tested if you have symptoms … We are processing tests at unprecedented scale – 225,000 a day on average over the last week – and our approach means we are targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most.”

Publicație : The Guardian

Follow Covid rules so students can go home for Christmas, says minister

 Oliver Dowden says everyone must follow rules after Labour urges promise on ‘unfair’ restrictions

University students should be able to return home to their families at Christmas if the country “pulls together” and observes the new coronavirus rules, a cabinet minister has said.

The government is under pressure to guarantee young people are not confined to their halls of residence over the festive period because of Covid-19 outbreaks on campuses.

Thousands of students are currently self-isolating in their rooms following a surge in cases at institutions including Glasgow, Manchester Metropolitan and Edinburgh Napier.

Labour has asked the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, to “ensure that every student has access to testing to allow a safe journey home” for Christmas.

But the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said it would only be possible for young people to visit their family at the end of term if the country follows existing guidance.

He told Sky: “I very much want students to be able to go home at Christmas, and if we all pull together and observe these new rules, we follow the guidance, then we will be able to get to a point where that should be possible.”

In a statement, she said: “Leaving home to go to university should be a momentous and exciting step for young people and their families. Universities have done all they can to prepare for students’ safe return, but the government has again let young people down.

Labour’s Kate Green said in a statement: “It is unthinkable that students will be locked in their rooms and unable to return home to spend Christmas with their families. The government must promise that this will not happen, and work with universities to enable every student to access tests so that they can travel home safely.

“Gavin Williamson must urgently come to parliament and set out how he will resolve the critical situation in our universities that is causing such anxiety for families across the country.”

Dowden also insisted there was “definitely science” behind the 10pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants – despite a scientist advising the government saying he had “never heard” the measure discussed at meetings of the scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage).

Videos posted on social media on Saturday evening suggested the early closing times were leading to street parties in city centres.

But Dowden said: “There is definitely science behind it, that’s why we’re requiring people to be seated in pubs and restaurants, so that stops the flow of them to and from the bar.

“We are reducing the closing times to stop people staying later and drinking. And the point about all of this is that everyone has their part to play. If we all play by the rules, we can ensure that there are not further, more draconian restrictions.”

Prof Graham Medley, an infectious disease modelling expert, said on Saturday he did not recall the curfew being discussed by Sage.

Publicație : The Guardian

 Covid-19 : un tiers des clusters concerne l’école et l’université

Avec 285 foyers de contamination en cours d’investigation, le milieu scolaire et universitaire devient la première « collectivité » de circulation du virus, devant les entreprises, selon le dernier bulletin hebdomadaire de Santé publique France.

Les établissements scolaires et les universités sont-ils en passe de devenir les principaux foyers de contamination de cette nouvelle vague épidémique du Covid-19 ? Le dernier bulletin hebdomadaire de l’agence Santé publique France (SPF), publié jeudi 24 septembre, peut le laisser penser : 32 % des 899 clusters en cours d’investigation concernent le milieu scolaire et universitaire (chiffre arrêté au 21 septembre).

Avec 285 clusters, le monde éducatif passe, pour la première fois, devant celui de l’entreprise, qui en compte 195. Viennent ensuite les établissements de santé (97) et les « événements publics ou privés : rassemblements temporaires de personnes » (77), écrit SPF. Dans son précédent bulletin, daté du 17 septembre, le milieu scolaire et universitaire comptabilisait 160 clusters en cours d’investigation (soit 22 % du total), et 26 seulement au 10 septembre. Ces chiffres, établis « par type de collectivités », excluent les établissements d’hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes (Ehpad) et le « milieu familial restreint », précise l’institution.

A noter, toutefois : si l’on prend en compte l’ensemble des clusters identifiés (y compris ceux maîtrisés ou clôturés), et pas seulement ceux en cours d’investigation, les entreprises restent le premier type de collectivités touchées, avec 26 % du total des 2 442 foyers de transmission ; le milieu scolaire et universitaire en réunit 383, soit 16 % d’entre eux.

« Bon respect des règles sanitaires »

Il n’empêche : la montée en puissance des cas groupés identifiés dans la jeunesse intervient alors que l’éducation nationale a communiqué, vendredi 25 septembre, un point de situation plutôt rassurant des établissements touchés. A cette date, 19 structures scolaires et 1 152 classes sont fermées, contre 90 établissements et 2 000 classes une semaine plus tôt. « C’est le signal d’un bon respect des règles sanitaires », s’est réjoui le ministre de l’éducation, Jean-Michel Blanquer, vendredi sur Franceinfo. « Sur le terrain, il n’y a pas tant de contaminations que cela », a-t-il assuré.

Faut-il en déduire que les foyers de contamination se trouvent surtout dans le monde universitaire ? Plus d’une dizaine de clusters étaient identifiés dans des établissements de ce type, au 13 septembre, d’après le ministère de l’enseignement supérieur, qui n’a pas, depuis, publié de nouveaux chiffres. Mais chaque jour voit s’allonger la liste des facs et grandes écoles touchées par des contaminations dans les rangs étudiants, et qui, pour certaines, ferment leurs portes en basculant dans un enseignement à distance – Centrale Lyon, Sciences Po, Polytechnique…

Publicație : Le Monde