Prospect for the upcoming academic year

It is probably the question we receive most currently: what will the education in the upcoming academic year look like? As it becomes more clear what will be possible from 1 September onwards, we can provide more detailed information on what we have to offer. We would like to update you on that

Living up to our quality standards and personal development

First of all: University of Twente is proud of the recognition for delivering quality education and will also offer a study programme that is up to our standards in the academic year 2020-2021.

Studying at a university is more than just passing all your subjects. It is a period in your life in which you not only learn new knowledge and competences but also built a social network for life and get to know yourself a little bit better: who you are, what you are good at and how you see yourself in the future. The social aspect of studying is an essential aspect for which personal interactions between students and staff and between students among each other is indispensable. Studying is something you do together.

New academic year, new opportunities

With the new academic year coming up, new opportunities arise for the UT to design the study programmes to the best of our abilities. This will be done to a large extent on campus, though partial online education will be continued.

Rule of thumb is that we offer activities for which being physically present is indispensable on campus. In any case, we will stick to safety and health guidelines as the safety and health of our staff and students has the highest priority.

Testing is a frequently mentioned topic about what we do online and what we do offline. Proctoring is part of this. We carefully consider if and when we are going to make a use of it. So far we have agreed not to use proctoring. Of course, you will be informed well in advance about your form of assessment: online or physically at the campus. 

Also, we aim at organising thesis research projects, practicals and projects on campus, as it might be essential to attend these activities on campus either for reasons of personal contact or use of (lab) facilities.

We are convinced we able to host a fair amount of education activities on campus. For first-year students, we will provide additional opportunities to work on campus, as it is highly beneficial for them to settle in their new environment and to build a social network in and around the UT.

Strengthening online education

Partly, our education will still be offered online also in the coming academic year. In March, we had to switch abruptly from on-campus to online education. Now, we have some more and time and opportunities to prepare this carefully. UT offers teaching staff additional possibilities for developing a robust online programme, making use of all functionalities that will contribute to the education process.

Being prepared for the future

As there is no a vaccine for the coronavirus yet, there is a threat of a second wave of infections. We need to be prepared for that. New infection cases may lead to new lockdown measures which may limit our options in offering on-campus education. By being prepared now, we ensure that we will be able to adjust to a unique situation efficiently and effectively.

Also, we need to think about what to do in case some (international) students may not be able to start off their study on campus. Currently, travel limitations are being lifted, and airlines are resuming their services again. Still, some students may not be able to arrive on time. In this case, we will do our utmost best to offer a suitable programme, though this may (temporarily) be sub-optimal. It would be advised to organise your travel to Enschede way in advance and arrange housing so you will be able to start off the academic year adequately.

To conclude

We have informed you a little more on the proceedings for the next academic year. If you would like to know more, read the Hybrid Education in the 1.5-meter university document that has been provided to teaching staff as a guideline to prepare their education activities for 2020-2021. In the coming months, they will further develop their plans. We are proud of their tremendous spirit and dedication and are confident we will achieve a solid offer.

You may also want to view and listen to a few words from our president, Victor van der Chijs, in the video below.