The first days of offering online education went rather smoothly at the UT. Thank you for your perseverance, creativity and improvisation to make this happen! Undoubtedly we all will need some time to get used to interacting via digital channels instead of meeting face-to-face. The experiences of the past few days will surely help to improve the programme for the coming weeks.
Online education until 1 June
We have decided to extend the period for (solely) providing online education from 6 April to 1 June. By extending the term for offering only online education, we strive to provide more clarity for both staff and students. In addition, we can now invest more attention to the quality of our online education. In case government regulations would change before 1 June, we will assess at that time what activities would still be feasible at the campus. We are also investigating what options we have for activities for which there is no online alternative available, such as some practical assignments and exams. Possibly part of those activities will have to take place during the summer period.
No more meetings
Monday evening, the Dutch national authorities announced new measures. The most significant new rule is the ban on all gatherings with three or more persons. The period for restrictive measures has been extended to 1 June. The local government will close areas where and when necessary if people do not comply with the rules. Fines can also be handed out.
The new measures have implications for all events that would take place on campus in the coming months. For example, the Batavierenrace and Create Tomorrow (postponed to 7-8 October) are cancelled, as goes for Kingsnight and Green Vibrations. This is very unfortunate for the organisers who have put a lot of work into these events.
No groups, please
Even yesterday, we noticed that groups are still gathering on campus, not adhering to safety measures. This concerned both campus residents and external parties. We placed signs and assigned security staff at various locations to point out the rules. Please note that with the new government measures, any gathering is now prohibited. Please obey the rules!
Help for return from abroad
The national government took a new initiative on Monday to help travellers elsewhere to return to the Netherlands. If needed, you can register for support via www.bijzonderebijstandbuitenland.nl. Flights are being arranged where and when possible, for which a personal financial contribution applies.
Facilities available for societal initiatives
Many initiatives are currently being taken by the UT community to support society. For example, TechMed employees help their colleagues in healthcare with the additional healthcare demand that is presently coming their way. For that, the TechMed Centre has opened up certain facilities. Also, the NanoLab will be open to a limited extent for companies in the region for whom use is crucial.
On www.utwente.nl/wall you will find some personal experiences shared by members of the UT community. For more detailed information on various topics, please visit www.utwente.nl/corona. If you cannot find the answer to your question there, please contact us via info@utwente.nl.
