Establishment of teaching and examination regimes at faculties and departments
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Palacký University Olomouc is being operated in accordance with government measures and Ministry of Education instructions. Assessment of individual decrees, with the participation of representatives of the directors of the Regional Public Health Authority, University Hospital Olomouc, and other experts, is ongoing, and the final strategy for the teaching and examination regime is being determined according to the interpretation of government resolutions and upon the original request of individual faculties with respect to their specifics. Generally valid information is centralised and continually updated on the webpage upol.cz/en/covid-19, and it is of course necessary to also monitor the individual webpages of your faculties and departments (the links page can be found on the above-mentioned „Corona Web“), where you can read the details and explanations of said measures.
This individualised system will also be valid in the period to follow, respectiving the quite diverse needs of individual study programmes and reacting to the legislatively determined decisions of government agencies.
UP management asks for maximal use of on-line methods for examinations
University management is striving for the most detailed informing of the academic community and all employees via webpage, social networks, newsletters, and smartphone apps. At the same time, it is again calling for maximal possible use of on-line regimes for examining and for taking into consideration the current situation and limited possibilities of students, who in addition to studies are resolving other extraordinary life situations.
Summer semester, dormitories, Erasmus
At this time, it is assumed that the current on-line teaching regime will continue at the start of the summer semester. UP will make the details public by the end of January, after consultations with its faculties, other Czech universities, and the Ministry of Education.
Palacký University Olomouc management at the same time is asking international Erasmus programme students to reconsider their physical presence in Olomouc during the summer 2021 semester and recommend they instead postpone their study stay to a later date.
The regime of operations at the dormitories and dining halls is directly subordinate to government restrictions, and you will be immediately notified of any and all changes on both the Accommodation and Dining Service webpage, and via the UP communication channels. ADS management, with respect to the continuing situation, has decided to extend dormitory students the possibility to leave their room keys in the dormitory key safe and then only pay 50% of the dormitory fee (in Czech).
Czech Rectors’ Conference presses for prioritising vaccinating university teachers
At present, the Czech Rectors’ Conference is urging the following:
- to include university teachers among the prioritised professions for vaccination, on the same level as other types of teachers, and universities on the same level as other schools, in the interest of the quickest return to teaching in person;
- to let stand, during the course of the summer semester of the 2020/2021 academic year, exceptions for universities for teaching of selected subjects and study programmes in person in the same extent which was previously defined at the start of the second wave of the epidemic in the form of the instructions of the regional public health authorities.
The entire statement of the CRC, including that of Rector Jaroslav Miller, can be found in the UP Žurnál (in Czech).
Let us not forget that the crisis situation has not only been hugely stressful upon students, but also upon university employees. For this reason, UP is offering the option of discreet psychological and spiritual help (in Czech). First and foremost, this is a task for our entire community: that we strive for mutual respect, and considerate, constructive resolution of the crisis.