The corona virus continues to dominate the course of affairs at Radboud University, forcing a major overhaul of our academic year. This week, the Executive Board presents its much anticipated relaunch plan for the coming months.

The government’s road map for gradual relaxation of the corona prevention measures – presented on 6 May – formed the basis for the university’s own relaunch plan. After weeks of preparation, Radboud University submitted a concept relaunch plan to the Joint Assembly yesterday. The document is set for adoption by the Executive Board this week, before its full publication on Thursday.

The new normal

The plan describes six subsequent steps towards ‘the new normal’, which is supposed to start on 1 September. This projected date marks the moment that face-to-face education can – within limits – take place again on campus. While some labs are currently already accessible within certain limits, guidelines will allow for all researchers to return to campus in September.

Yet, there are many restrictions and uncertainties. The requirement to keep 1.5 meters distance remains in place in the new academic year and will have a huge impact on our education. The largest lecture hall of our campus in the Grotius Building, for instance, will see its capacity reduced from 482 to 48 people. ‘That was quite the shock,’ admitted Rector Han van Krieken to the members of the participation council on Monday. ‘It is exactly that physical interaction and the exchange of ideas that is so vital to our small-scale education.’ The Executive Board will prioritise education on campus for first-year Bachelor’s and Master’s students.

Lecturers will continue to provide large-scale lectures online, although it became clear during yesterday’s meeting that the university is exploring unorthodox solutions, such as renting De Vereeniging. A work group has started investigating how, with the partial shift to online education, quality can be maintained. ‘We must be honest,’ said Van Krieken. ‘While our education was still of good quality in the past few months, it may certainly not always have been up to our usual standards.’

Accessibility

In addition to the 1.5-meter-distance requirement, campus accessibility is another major obstacle to the return to a normal campus life. The government has decided that education for now may only be provided outside of rush hours, between 11 am – 3 pm and evenings after 8 pm. Exceptions can be made when (regional) transport companies can guarantee capacity. The university is currently discussing this with Radboud university medical center, HAN, ROC and the public transport companies.

Certain education and research activities are allowed to commence before the new academic year. From 15 June onwards, there will be room on campus for small-scale practical education, along with assessments that cannot be taken online, for a maximum of 30 students (100 students from 1 July onwards). Rector Han van Krieken surmised yesterday that certain exams might have to be postponed to July. But in addition to that, it must always be an option to sit exams online because students with health complaints will not be allowed to visit campus.

Takeaway meals

As of 1 July, PhD defences may be attended by a maximum of 50 people. The Central Library will also be allowed to accommodate 50 students at most. A food outlet will open to provide takeaway meals and restrictions for outdoor sports will relax.

The plan specifically mentions the holiday period. Programmes cannot use the entire summer period to catch up with delayed lectures and assessments. There should be no education during at least three, but preferably four weeks, to give students and lecturers a break during the summer holidays. This will be followed by the orientation period, that will be held on-campus as well as off-campus. The Executive Board will present a separate plan for this next week.

Any employees that can work from home, must continue to do so until 1 September. Staff members who now occasionally visit the office to print documents, for example, should absolutely not stay for the day – however tempting the prospect.