Örebro University planning for return to campus in November
Plans for allowing all students at Örebro University to return to campus are now underway.
“The autumn semester will kick off gently, with both online and on-campus teaching. But our hope is that we’ll be able to welcome everyone back to campus in November,” says Vice-Chancellor Johan Schnürer.
It was clear already in April that the first part of the autumn semester would involve a gradual return to campus. On-campus classes will be mixed with online teaching to facilitate social distancing. All students are to have approximately one session on campus per week and teaching activities will be spread over the whole day and throughout the facilities.
A new decision, among other things based on the projections by the Public Health Agency of Sweden, now outlines the plans for the second half of the autumn semester. If nothing unforeseen happens, all teaching activities should be able to return to campus as of 8 November.
“We’re happy to say that there is now a date for when we believe that we can start to meet as usual again. We know that many have so been looking forward to returning to studies on campus,” says Johan Schnürer.
The majority of university staff have been working from home for a long time. Next semester, they will, little by little, be allowed to return to the office.
The decision also entails more scope for conducting moderated on-campus examinations. Business travel within Sweden and to certain other countries may be permitted during the latter part of the autumn. Larger groups of visitors from abroad will, however, have to wait.
Meanwhile, there is a preparedness to review the situation should circumstances change. The university’s central crisis management team continues to monitor infection rates, vaccination rates, and any new decisions and recommendations issued.
“We’re always prepared for a rapid shift should the situation deteriorate,” says Johan Schnürer, vice-chancellor of Örebro University.