Following new measures announced by the Dutch national government today, Thursday 12 March 2020, the University of Twente has decided to issue new guidelines for our daily work. As from now, the Central Crisis Team (CCT) is active to ensure we can anticipate rapidly and effectively to the new situation. The portfolio holders operational management of the faculties have been added temporarily to the CCT, which is led by Victor van der Chijs, president of the Executive Board of the UT.
New guidelines from the Dutch national government
The new guidelines from the Dutch national government that were presented today will be in force until 31 March. It will also affect the University of Twente in other ways. For instance, the University of Twente will not be organising any meetings with over 100 persons.
For our daily practice, this will lead to:
- All scheduled examinations for Friday 13 March will be postponed. Currently, we are in the process of finding ways for letting them take place at a later stage.
- There will be no educational activities on Friday 13 March: Furthermore, all gatherings with more than 100 persons will be cancelled. Universities, and universities of applied sciences, have been requested to offer distance/online education as much as possible. We are currently preparing for offering our educational programmes -or parts - online. We hope to inform you tomorrow on how the educational processes will be organised. This will be done in close collaboration with the faculty boards.
- All activities in the Sports Centre will be cancelled. This goes for the use of halls, fitness rooms and the group lessons. The Sports Centre will be open for other purposes, like visiting the physiotherapist.
- Events: all events with more than 100 prospected visitors will be cancelled.
- Working from home: The national government encourages people to work from home as much as possible or spread their working hours. We are working on more detailed guidelines to introduce this smoothly.
All research activities can go on as planned, if not restrained by any of the above.
Cancellation of the Open Days
One immediate effect of the new guidelines was visible today, as the Open Days that were to be held until Saturday were cancelled. Prospective students that visited the Master Open Days on campus will be able to apply for a compensation in travel costs. More information will follow. Study seekers who registered for the bachelor open days have received a notification of cancellation.
We will consider ways to make sure prospective students will be well informed on the possibilities for studying at the University of Twente. There is the opportunity to take part in the Student for a day-programme and an Online Open Day will be held on 13 May. In the coming period, we will further develop specific content for the Online Open Day so all study programmes will be presented thoroughly.
Stay updated
We will continue to inform you via www.utwente.nl/corona when necessary. We are open to your feedback, as it helps to integrate different viewpoints in handling with the current situation suitably. And more specifically how we can communicate in a way and on topics relevant to you. There is a communication team answering questions and passing on your suggestions to the Central Crisis Team. You may contact them via info@utwente.nl. In most cases, you will receive an answer within four hours, the team is also available on weekend days.
To conclude
We do realise a lot is being asked from everyone. We would like you to think along with us: follow the guidelines responsibly and please do not visit large-scale events, like events from study associations and user facilities like (drinking) bars. We are confident that if we all contribute, we can establish a safe and workable situation for all.
