Month: March 2020

Due to the coronavirus situation, the Board of the University of Eastern Finland decided on 13 March 2020 that the UEF University Regulations will be temporarily amended so that teachers in charge of courses can decide on changes to the ways their courses are organised and evaluated.

“By changing the way teaching and exams are organised is our way of responding to the coronavirus situation as smoothly as possible,” says Miia Turtiainen, Director of Student and Learning Services.

Under normal circumstances, these kinds of changes should be decided by the Faculty Councils but, due to the situation, the university wishes to minimise bureaucracy.

According to Turtiainen, the way a course is organised can be changed from, e.g., in-person teaching on campus to a recorded lecture or to a lecture organised online.
“Exams can also be changed to independently completed assignments that do not require physical presence on the campus.”

Changes can be made to ongoing courses and, indeed, they can be expected already in the week starting on 16 March. Teachers and units in charge of courses will directly inform course participants of any possible changes.

Turtiainen emphasises that it is not possible to move all teaching and exams online.
“When it comes to taking exams on campus, we seek to make sure that there is enough distance between the students, and we will take care of matters relating to hygiene. Of course, no one should come to an exam if they have a fever or are feeling otherwise ill.”

For the time being, the university recommends that its staff members do not organise gatherings of more than 10 people. This, however, is not directly applicable to teaching.

“We are, however, encouraging our teachers to start using alternative ways to organise their courses, whenever this is possible.”

The IT Service Desk is on call also during the weekend and is prepared to assist teachers if they wish to change the way their course is organised. The IT Service Desk can be contacted by email: servicedesk (at) uef.fi

Tips on how to organise online teaching are available on the university’s website: https://www.uef.fi/en/etaopetuksen-valineita

Instead of the teacher in charge of the course, the decision on the way teaching is organised can also be made by the Dean or the Vice-Dean. When the situation becomes normal again, the Rector will decide on the termination of this temporary authority given to teachers.

For further information, please contact:

Director of Student and Learning Services Miia Turtiainen, miia.turtiainen(at)uef.fi , +358504382610

Finnish institute for health and welfare:  Stay at home if you have mild symptoms and seek medical help only if your symptoms are severe

(13 Mar 2020)

If you have mild respiratory tract infection symptoms, such as rhinitis, cough, throat pain, muscle pain, or fever, stay at home to rest and recuperate. Stay home until the symptoms go away.

Contact your healthcare provider only if you experience severe symptoms such as shortness of breath or if your overall condition gets worse. In that case, contact your healthcare provider by phone to prevent spreading the disease to others. The aim is to ensure that those suffering from severe symptoms are able to receive treatment. Medical Helpline number is 116 117.

‘Avoid contact with others if you have symptoms of respiratory infection. Do not go to work or school when sick, and do not take sick children to day care or to the grandparents. That way, you are helping protect the elderly and people who are susceptible to coronavirus because of their primary disease,’ says Director Mika Salminen.

Please do not call to healthcare providers or go to your healthcare provider if you have mild symptoms of respiratory infection!

Teaching at the University of Eastern Finland is organised normally at the moment. However, since the coronavirus situation keeps evolving and it can be seen that the epidemic is expanding, the University of Eastern Finland seeks to safeguard the availability of teaching also under exceptional circumstances.

The university’s Academic Rector decided on 12 March 2020 that the faculties, Aducate, the Language Centre and the Library are to organise alternative ways to attend and complete courses for students who cannot participate in in-person teaching on the campuses due to the coronavirus situation. Where possible, in-person teaching on the campuses should be moved online either entirely or in part, or use other alternatives. In addition and where possible, the modes of taking exams should be changed so that they do not require physical presence on campus.

The goal is to make sure that students will be able to complete enough credits in view of, e.g. student financial aid, and that they can graduate within the time limit set for their degree. The units will notify students of any changes made to the way their teaching is offered.

For further information, please contact:
Academic Rector Tapio Määttä, tapio.maatta(at)uef.fi, tel. +358505751589

The World Health Organization, WHO, has declared the coronavirus situation a pandemic. Several countries have already decided to cancel public events attracting large international crowds. Although this is not yet the official recommendation issued by the Finnish authorities, the university strongly recommends that its staff members and students refrain from attending Kontiolahti Biathlon, or any other similar event attracting large international crowds, both in the course of their duties and as private citizens. The university will withdraw its participation in the Kontiolahti Biathlon competition area. This is an unfortunate development, but a necessary one in order to stop the virus from spreading.

The coronavirus situation has changed again. The epidemic area currently covers mainland China, Iran, South Korea and Italy, and now also Tyrol in Austria and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The epidemic areas are reassessed on a daily basis. Please see the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) for the latest information: https://thl.fi/en/web/infectious-diseases/what-s-new/coronavirus-covid-19-latest-updates

The university monitors the situation. An internal group of experts has discussed the following guidelines, under the lead of experts from Terveystalo and Kuopio University Hospital.

Travel to the epidemic area is prohibited, those returning need to stay at home for 14 days

Travel to the epidemic area is not allowed at the moment, not for business or for studying. People returning from the epidemic area (the university’s students and staff, and staff and pupils of the teacher training school) must study or work from home for 14 days. If you suffer any symptoms of a respiratory infection, contact your local health centre, occupational health care outlet or on-call clinic by telephone. You will receive more detailed instructions on how to proceed.

The same 14-day stay-at-home period applies to situations where someone you live with (a member of your family, roommate, etc.) returns from the epidemic area. In this case, too, you will need to study or work from home.

Travel in general should be carefully reconsidered at the moment. The instructions issued by THL and the travel advisories issued by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs need to be followed.

Trips that have already been booked should primarily sought to be cancelled or postponed.

The applicability of the university’s travel insurance policy to situations caused by the coronavirus has been explained in detail on Yammer (https://www.yammer.com/uef.fi/#/Threads/show?threadId=576256817569792). Students who discontinue their student exchange should primarily use their personal travel insurance. Further information can be obtained from the university’s Student and Learning Services.

No visitors from the epidemic area
At the moment, the university does not welcome visitors from the epidemic area. Visits that have already been agreed upon must be postponed or, if possible, held via videoconferencing solutions.

Meetings and conferences organised at UEF

At the moment, the university does not welcome visitors from the epidemic area. In addition, conference participants should follow the instructions issued by authorities in their home country. If it is possible to postpone an international conference, this is recommended. Videoconferencing solutions are also strongly recommended.

There is no need to impose any limitations on conferences or meeting aimed at domestic participants. However, it is wise to reserve the right to cancel, should the development of the coronavirus situation so require. In addition, it is wise to note and to remind people that they should refrain from attending public events when they are feeling ill or have symptoms.

Handshaking should be avoided at this moment.

Remote work

There is no need to change the university’s practices relating to remote work. Employees who belong to the risk groups can contact the occupational health care to discuss their personal situation.

Teaching on campus and group work

Teaching on the university’s campuses continues normally. The facilities are cleaned efficiently, and hand sanitizer will be made available on the campuses. People who are feeling ill should not attend lectures (this concerns students and teachers alike).

Coronavirus hotline
THL has opened a hotline for questions relating to the coronavirus, tel. 0295 535 535. The hotline is open on weekdays at 8–21 and on Saturdays at 9–15. The hotline is intended for general queries about the virus; not for health counselling nor for referrals to care in case of acute symptoms.