Guidelines Update – COVID-19

We are now on a new phase of the pandemic, which allows us to change many guidelines currently in place. Considering the Recommendations of the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 25-A/2022 of 18 February, Politécnico de Leiria will:

  1. Lift all remaining COVID-19 preventions measures, except the mandatory use of the mask in all in-door spaces with open access of Politécnico de Leiria.

Within this framework, there will be no restrictions to the number of people allowed inside Politécnico de Leiria’s buildings. People will also no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 test to enter Politécnico de Leiria’s buildings.

The provisions of this Order will be in force from 27 February. Until then, you should follow the measures currently in place.

Inform the academic community of this Order and publish it on the Politécnico de Leiria’s website.

Order No. 36 /2022
Guidelines Update – COVID-19

Leiria, 23 February 2022
Rui Pedrosa
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria

Guidelines Update COVID-19

Politécnico de Leiria – with the collaboration and support of the whole academic community – has been able to provide in-person teaching/learning activities during the first semester of the academic year 2021/2022.

However, the recent rise of COVID-19 new cases has forced us to consider extra health and safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus, support the Portuguese political and health authorities, and protect everyone.

In line with the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 157/2021, of 27 November, and the COVID-19 prevention measures approved by the Council of Ministers on 25 November, that have introduced the state of calamity nationwide, Politécnico de Leiria has heard the deans of its five schools and put in place the following measures from 6 December until the end of January 2022

I General measures

  1. Whenever possible, the rotation of teams’ working type should be preferred, to ensure all services are kept available, except essential support services that are impossible to be done from home. Remote work and the rotation of employees should be discussed with direct managers;
  2. Politécnico de Leiria advises those who wish to contact our services in person to book an appointment in advance through our website or by phone, to avoid unnecessary gatherings;
  3. Meetings and events should be online whenever possible;
  4. The biometric attendance system is suspended and replaced by the online attendance platform, as previously used;
  5. To access the Politécnico de Leiria’s canteens and cafeterias, people are required to show the EU Digital COVID-19 Certificate attesting that they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 or have a negative test result, similarly to the rules to access restaurants;
  6. It is mandatory to use a mask in all indoor spaces.

I Specific measures to come into force from 2 to 9 January 2022

  1. Given the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 104/2021, of 27 November, all in-person teaching/learning activities and support services are forbidden. It is recommended that online teaching/learning activities should be set to a minimum during this week;
  2. In-person assessments may occur during this week, but it is recommended that they are scheduled for another time, whenever possible.

These measures will be constantly monitored and evaluated and may be changed, according to the development of the pandemic, the health authorities guidelines and other exceptional situations that may occur.

Politécnico de Leiria encourages all those who haven’t been vaccinated yet to do so because that is a civic behaviour and we will only be able to overcome this pandemic if we work together.

Inform the academic community of this Order and publish it on the website of Politécnico de Leiria.

Order n.º 216/2021
Guidelines update – COVID-19

Leiria, 02 December 2021
Rui Pedrosa
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria

GUIDELINES UPDATE – COVID-19 – ACADEMIC YEAR 2021/2022

With the support and collaboration of the whole academic community, Politécnico de Leiria was able to deliver high-quality education throughout the academic year 2020/2021, despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Portugal’s high COVID-19 vaccination rate and the government and health authorities’ decisions have enabled us to prepare a safe return to in-person activities.

Considering the Recommendations for Higher Education and Science Institutions to ensure safe curricular and non-curricular activities (DGES/DGS) and the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 114-A/2021 of 20 August, Politécnico de Leiria will adhere to the following guidelines from 13 September:

  1. All teaching/learning activities meant to be in person will restart, according to the regime of each study programme.
  2. All support services, research and development activities meant to be in person will restart, except those not supposed to, according to the law.
  3. Schools’ Deans, in collaboration with Coordinators of Departments and Coordinators of Programmes, will design risk mitigation plans under their specific needs.
  4. It is still mandatory to use a mask in all in-door spaces at Politécnico de Leiria. During teaching activities, teachers are allowed not to use masks ensuring there is a minimum safety distance.
  5. Politécnico de Leiria will continue providing disinfection equipment (for hands and surfaces), encouraging the academic community to use them to access teaching spaces or the workplace. We also encourage you to clean the surfaces you’ve touched after using them.
  6. Politécnico de Leiria advises the academic community to maintain doors and windows open to ensure indoor air quality. Doors should also be kept open to avoid people touching on the same surface.
  7. We emphasise that gyms and other sports facilities, including dance and body language classrooms, follow the above-mentioned health and safety guidelines, as well as the physical safety distance. People are allowed not to use masks when doing exercises in those spaces.
  8. Politécnico de Leiria will continue providing in-person enquiry services, but you should book a slot in advance.
  9. In-person meetings can return, but people can also keep using videoconferencing tools to meet with your colleagues, including for public assessments, namely, a dissertation defence, project or report teamwork, human resources hiring processes, and governmental and management meetings.
  10. Student accommodation will continue working according to the legislation in force. The number of people allowed in common spaces will be increased.
  11. Food Services spaces (canteens, cafeterias, etc.) should return to the pre-pandemic number and organization of tables, leaving a one-space gap between users. Canteens will maintain their takeaway services and the opening hours will be extended.
  12. If there are suspicions of a possible positive COVID-19 case, you should follow the procedures stated on Politécnico de Leiria’s Contingency Plan and the guidelines provided by the SNS24 once you contact them.

Politécnico de Leiria encourages the academic community to get vaccinated to protect Public Health and prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Please keep doing with your hard work, so that together we ensure everyone follows these safety rules and act responsibly to protect others. Together, we will move toward social and academic normality, which is certainly everyone’s desire!

We thank the academic community once again for all its incomparable hard work, collaboration, and resilience.

Inform the academic community of this Order and publish it on the website of Politécnico de Leiria.

Order No. 216 /2021
Guidelines Update – COVID-19 – Academic Year 2021/2022

Leiria, 10 September 2021
Rui Pedrosa
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria

PROGRESSIVE RESUMPTION OF FACE-TO-FACE ACTIVITIES-2nd SEMESTER 2020/2021

As you should know, the state of emergency in Portugal was renewed, by the Decree of the President of the Republic no. 41-A / 2021, of 14.04. The Council of Ministers, meeting yesterday, April 15th, took a set of decisions that confirm the reopening of classroom teaching and non-teaching activities in higher education institutions starting on April 19, 2021.

The current suspension has been lifted and all types of trips are authorized for the performance of activities in educational establishments, as well as the permanence in these establishments, for carrying out tests and exams and for the performance of professional or equivalent activities when there is no place for teleworking.

The Polytechnic of Leiria remains fully committed to the quality of teaching, research and other activities that are developed, within a framework of safety for all members of its academic community. Thus, in addition to all the measures already implemented and which are constantly being updated and reinforced, we are, as you know, carrying out a massive testing of the entire academic community with regard to Covid-19.

Thus, within the framework of the state of emergency and Decree No. 6-A / 2021, of 15.04, and after hearing the School Deans, I determine that starting on April 19th, 2021:

  1. Teaching activities and learning contexts essentially supported by classroom teaching are resumed, in accordance with what is appropriate and foreseen within the scope of the functioning of each cycle of studies.
  2. The School Boards, together with the Course Coordinators, define the risk reduction methodologies that are appropriate to their specific reality, which must include the tendency to teach theoretical classes on a distance basis and the others on a face-to-face basis or mixed.
  3. The rules of operation for reducing pressure on campuses, the crowding of spaces, the mandatory use of a mask, social distance, and the rules of respiratory etiquette will be, essentially, the same as those that existed in the first semester.
  4. Risk reduction measures appropriate to current legislative norms must be adopted across Schools and Services. In particular, regarding the management of spaces and access flows, the adaptation of classrooms and class schedules, the definition of specific rules for the use of equipment, the opening hours of some services and the priority for virtual assistance.
  5. The face-to-face activity of teachers, researchers and technicians should be resumed gradually, depending on the needs associated with supporting face-to-face activities. Whenever possible, operating strategies should be adopted with the use of teleworking and the use of mirror teams, in accordance with the guidelines of the School and Service Directorates.
  6. Mechanisms that aim to ensure conditions of equity in learning and assessment, which promote the academic success of all students, must continue to be defined and strengthened.
  7. The face-to-face evaluation of the assessments in the regular period and the performance of the appeal exams will be the rule. The School Board may, exceptionally, authorize the online assessment of learning in the aforementioned periods of assessment.
  8. Whenever necessary, exceptional and temporary measures may be adopted to adapt the teaching regime and the functioning of services, in compliance with the specific guidelines of the Health authorities.
  9. The present measures will continue to be monitored and evaluated permanently, and new guidelines can be communicated, in view of the evolution of the pandemic, in view of the guidelines of the health authorities and the exceptional situations that may require it.

We thank you once again for the exemplary effort, collaboration and resilience of all members of our academic community.

We ask all of you to continue this effort, so that, together, we can ensure compliance with safety rules, adopting behaviours that protect everyone, in order to guarantee the maintenance of face-to-face activities until the end of the semester, which is certainly the aspiration and everyone’s wish!

Let the academic community know and publish it on the website of the Polytechnic of Leiria.

Order no. 105/2021
Update measures – COVID-19 – 2nd semester 2020/2021
Progressive resumption of face-to-face activities

Leiria, Abril 16th, 2021
Rui Pedrosa
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria

UPDATE MEASURES – COVID-19

The Polytechnic of Leiria remains fully committed to the quality of learning and teaching, research and other activities that are developed, within a framework of safety for all members of its academic community. We are a socially responsible public higher education institution in support of our community and the regions where we operate.

To pursue this goal, we have always relied on the exemplary effort, collaboration and resilience of all members of our academic community.

We have tried to provide tranquility, stability and to reinforce the security and containment measures of the pandemic, actively collaborating with the political and health authorities, protecting everyone.

Thus, within the framework of the state of emergency declared by the Decree of the President of the Republic no. 31-A/2021 of March 25th, and taking into account the other legislative measures currently in force, in particular those applicable to higher education and, after hearing the School Deans, I determine:

1. The operating conditions of the 2nd semester established by Order no. 40/2021 are extended until the 17th of April;

2. The resumption of in-person activities is being planned to take place on April 19th, with the framework presented by the Government for higher education institutions, complying with all the guidelines of the health authorities, reinforcing the testing plan of the academic community.

Let the academic community know and publish it on the website of the Polytechnic of Leiria.

Order No. 79/2021
Update Measures – COVID 19

Leiria, March 26th, 2021
Rui Pedrosa
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria

UPDATE MEASURES COVID-19 – 2ND SEMESTER 2020/2021

The Polytechnic of Leiria, with the effort and collaboration of all members of its academic community, managed to ensure the classroom activity during the 1st semester and, simultaneously, continued to be a public higher education institution socially responsible in supporting its community and the region where it is located.

During all this complex and highly uncertain time, today, we are probably experiencing the hardest period in our country, in our region, including in personal and family contexts directly linked to COVID-19 within our academic community and in the national health system. For all these reasons, it is important to provide tranquillity, stability and maintain additional measures to reinforce security and contain the pandemic, actively collaborating with the political and health authorities, with the aim of protecting everyone.

Thus, within the framework of the state of emergency declared by the Decree of the President of the Republic No. 9-A / 2021, January 28, and of the legislative measures currently in force, and after hearing the School Deans, the Polytechnic of Leiria adopts the following measures:

1. The academic calendar remains unchanged;

2. The 2nd Semester will start with academic activities exclusively online, which will continue until the Easter school break, on March 27. The School Boards will articulate the organization and implementation of online teaching activities, keeping the academic community informed, through the School’s website and the usual communication channels. At the end of this period, and, in view of the evolution of the pandemic, if security conditions are met, the teaching activities and learning contexts will be mainly supported by teaching in person;

3. Internships, pedagogical practices and clinical teaching can be maintained in person, respecting the rules in force for the sector of activity in which they are inserted;

4. The deadline for submitting dissertations, project work reports and internship reports scheduled until March 31, 2021, is extended until September 30, 2021;

5. All students enrolled in 2020/2021 will be admitted to the assessment in a special season, up to a limit of 30 ECTS credits, being this access dependent on the respective enrolment and the payment of the fee provided for scholarship students;

6. The measures contained in Dispatch no. 19/2021 remain in force, not being changed by this order.

The measures will continue to be monitored and evaluated permanently, and new guidelines can be communicated, in view of the evolution of the pandemic, the guidelines issued by the health authorities and exceptional situations that may require it.

Let the academic community know and publish it on the website of the Polytechnic of Leiria.

Order No. 40/2021
Update measures – COVID-19 – 2nd semester 2020/2021

Leiria, February 4th, 2021
Rui Pedrosa
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria

UPDATE MEASURES – COVID-19

The Polytechnic of Leiria, with the support and the enormous effort and transversal collaboration of all members of its academic community, managed to ensure a high quality activity throughout the 1st semester, maintaining the teaching activities and the learning contexts, essentially, supported by classroom teaching and in safe conditions. However, the evolution of the pandemic, in the country and in the regions in which we operate, shows alarming numbers associated with positive cases, outbreaks, hospitalizations and deaths, so it is important to adopt additional measures to strengthen security and contain the pandemic, collaborating actively with political and health authorities, protecting everyone.

It is also important to ensure fairness among students, in terms of learning and assessment, ensuring access to all those who will have travel limitations in this pandemic context, within the framework of the state of emergency declared by Decree of the President of the Republic No. 6- B / 2021, of January 13th, and of the measures approved by the Council of Ministers, of January 13th.

Thus, after hearing the School Deans, the Polytechnic of Leiria adopts the following measures:

1. The classroom activities of the 1st semester, for classes that have not yet completed their activities, are replaced by online teaching activities. The School Board and Course Coordinators articulate this transition by keeping the academic community informed, through the School’s website and the usual communication channels;

2. Internships, pedagogical practices and clinical teaching may remain in person, in compliance with the rules in force for the sector of activity in which they operate;

3. Conducting online assessments of the exams period as a rule. The School Board may, exceptionally, authorize the face-to-face assessment, namely in matters of practical/laboratory scope;

4. The face-to-face service of the Services is provided by prior appointment, with the provision of services through digital means that will be maintained and reinforced;

5. The provision of services by employees, safeguarding the support services essential to the activity and functioning of the Polytechnic of Leiria, will be carried out with a focus on operating strategies such as teleworking and team rotation. The rule of having only one employee in the same workspace must be respected. In open space services must comply with the rule of 0.05 people per square meter. The organization of the teleworking and team rotation regime will be articulated by the hierarchical superiors;

6. In-person research and community service activities should be reduced, significantly limiting the number of people present in each laboratory or workshop, as a rule 0.05 people per square meter, favoring the use of telework to optimize operation, tasks that must be articulated by those responsible for them;

7. Meetings should start to be held exclusively by telematics means (video or teleconference), including the provision of public defenses, namely, defense of dissertation, project work or report, juries of tender procedures within the scope of the teaching career in higher education, of research, of the technical staff and also in meetings of government and management bodies;

8. Continuity of functioning of student residences;

9. Canteens must reinforce the take-away service and the capacity for normal operation will be reduced to 25% of its capacity. Some food units and / or spaces may be closed;

10. Maintenance of the Libraries’ face-to-face functioning, as an integrated support structure to support and prepare evaluation moments, with the introduction of more restrictive rules regarding the allocation and management of spaces and access flows and adaptation of schedules;

11. Medical Services remain in operation;

12. The COVID-19 Diagnostic Center of the Polytechnic of Leiria and its work team are fully operational.

Technical and digital conditions will be guaranteed on all campuses, as well as scientific infrastructures and transversal support services to guarantee the functioning of the Polytechnic of Leiria.

These measures are adopted from January 18, and can be implemented before that date whenever the conditions are met, for a period of 5 weeks, with the objective of resuming teaching activities and learning contexts, essentially, supported by classroom teaching and in safe conditions, to take place from the beginning of the 2nd semester.

The measures will continue to be monitored and evaluated permanently, and new guidelines can be communicated, in view of the evolution of the pandemic, the guidelines of the health authorities and exceptional situations that may require it.

Let the academic community know and publish it on the website of the Polytechnic of Leiria.

Order No. 19/2021
Update measures – COVID-19

Leiria, January 13th, 2021
Rui Pedrosa
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria

MEASURES FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SCHOOL YEAR 2020/2021 AT THE POLITECHNIC OF LEIRIA, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Considering:

– The determinations of the Government and health authorities regarding the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic;

– The responsibility of scientific and higher education institutions in leading the process of normalization of the various sectors of activity that is underway in Portugal and in the rest of Europe;

– The full commitment of the Polytechnic of Leiria, as an intervening agent in the process of resuming academic, social, cultural and economic activities, in conditions of safety for all, and without setbacks, in the positive evolution that has been felt in Portugal;

– The evaluation, carried out in July, of the security conditions of all spaces at the Polytechnic of Leiria, with the definition of the capacity and rules for the use of the spaces and the adaptations that are being promoted in order to guarantee the safety of all;

1. The regular regime for teaching activities is face-to-face and must respect the terms of accreditation defined by the Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education – A3ES.

2. The School Boards, in conjunction with the Course Coordinators, will define the risk reduction methodologies that are appropriate to their specific reality, which should tendency include the theoretical teaching on distance learning classes (e-Learning). The other classes should occur in person or can be mixed (b-learning), when the capacity of the classrooms limits the regime exclusively in person.

3. Risk mitigation measures that involve adapting the management of spaces and access flows, the adaptation of classrooms and class schedules, the definition of specific rules for the use of equipment, the extension of the opening hours of some services and the reinforcement of virtual assistance, must be adopted across Schools and Services.

4. The activity of teachers, researchers and technical staff will, as a rule, be in person.

5. Mechanisms must also be defined and reinforced to ensure conditions of equity on the learning and assessment, in order to promote the academic success of all students.

6. Whenever necessary, exceptional and temporary measures may be adopted to promote the adequacy of the teaching regime and the functioning of services, in compliance with the specific guidelines of the Health authorities.

7. The present measures will continue to be monitored and evaluated permanently, and new guidelines can be communicated, in view of the evolution of the pandemic, in view of the guidelines of the health authorities and exceptional situations that may require it.

Inform the academic community and publish it on the website of the Polytechnic of Leiria.

Order No. 195/ 2020
Measures for the Organization of the Academic Year 2020/2021 at the Polytechnic of Leiria, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Leiria, July 24, 2020
Rui Pedrosa
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria

ACCESS TO THE SPECIAL PERIOD OF EXAMS

The academic year 2019/2020 is a year of profound challenges for everyone, due to the pandemic that we are going through. The academic community of the Polytechnic of Leiria has been able to cope with this situation in an exemplary manner, revealing great resilience, dedication, work capacity and adaptation to the teaching-learning models that we had to adopt. 

The joint effort of all teachers, staff and students has been remarkable, and has allowed the school year to run smoothly and serenely in the atypical context in which we live. 

Considering the particular circumstances experienced by all students, emotional, social, environmental and economic, and after hearing the Schools Management, it was understood to create a mechanism to reinforce the conditions that promote students’ academic success.  

Thus, I determine: 

1. Students are admitted to do the evaluation by final exam in the special period to those who, to complete the course, do not miss more than 30 ECTS credits, as well as students who benefit from special regimes, under the terms defined on the specific regulations. 

2. Exceptionally, students can be admitted to the special period of assessment in any 2nd semester course unit, up to a limit of 30 ECTS credits, in case they have not been successful on those course units in which they were enrolled in 2019/2020. 

3. Access to the special period of exams is extended to students enrolled in courses in curricular transition and in this situation they can carry out assessment in any curricular unit that ceases to be part of the study plan, under the terms established by the Schools. 

4. Access to the special period of exams depends on the completion of the respective registration, to be made until August 8, and on the payment of the respective fee in the amount applied to students receiving scholarships.  

5. The exams for curricular units of the 1st semester will be carried out face-to-face, in accordance with the fixed schedules of the Schools. The assessment for the curricular units of the 2nd semester will be carried out, preferably, non-face-to-face according to the teaching-learning strategies developed, and according to the fixed schedules of the Schools. 

Inform the academic community and publish it on the website of the Polytechnic of Leiria. 

Order No. 182/2020 
Access to the special period of exams 

Leiria, July 10, 2020 
Rui Pedrosa 
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria 

GUIDELINES FOR STRENGTHENING THE RESUMPTION OF PRESENTIAL ACTIVITIES AT THE POLYTECHNIC OF LEIRIA

Considering:

– The determinations of the Government and health authorities regarding the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic;

– The current existence of a legal framework for conducting academic and non-academic activities with the presence of students, by virtue of the derogation of paragraph 1 of article 9 of Decree-Law no. 10-A / 2020, of 13 March, in the current wording;

The Recommendation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, of 15 May, which highlights the effective continuity of plans for the progressive lifting of the containment measures adopted to combat the pandemic associated with COVID-19, as well as the phased and responsible reactivation activities in the presence of students, teachers, researchers and other collaborators, as well as the responsibility of scientific and higher education institutions in leading the process of standardization of the various sectors of activity that is ongoing in Portugal and in the rest of Europe;

– The full commitment of the Polytechnic of Leiria, as an intervening agent in the process of resuming academic, social, cultural and economic activities, in conditions of safety for all, and without setbacks, in the positive evolution that has been felt in Portugal;

– The positive results of the gradual recovery that has been implemented in the Schools and Services of the Polytechnic of Leiria, in conditions of safety for all;

– Having heard the School Boards;

I determine:

1. The normalization of the opening of laboratories and workshops for research activities, provision of services and projects of finalist students, with the respective rules of operation and access to them, under safe conditions;

2. The opening of spaces allocated to the Research Units;

3. The opening of libraries with access to common spaces for consultations and studies, with the publication of opening hours and access conditions;

4. The progressive normalization of the opening and operation of the canteens, ensuring lunches on all campuses and in compliance with the specific guidelines of the Health authorities;

5. The significant reinforcement of the opening of a larger number of rooms for study support and e-learning activities, with students respecting the defined rules and the capacity of the rooms;

6. Opening and facilitating access to teachers’ offices;

7. The resumption of face-to-face meetings of organs and juries, whenever hygiene and safety conditions are met and the presence of all stakeholders is guaranteed;

8. The progressive normalization of missions on duty;

9. The plan to gradually resume attendance and face-to-face operation of all Services should be continued, with a view to gradually reducing the use of teleworking and adopting, whenever possible, the rotation and operation of the teams in “mirror”. The progressive resumption of face-to-face activity must be articulated by hierarchical superiors in order to safeguard specific, vulnerable and at-risk groups; this articulation must also take into account the legal provisions related to the other activities of normalization of society (such as the reopening of pre-school education), to allow their conciliation;

10. The opening of teaching spaces, research activities, support services, teachers’ offices, among others, must safeguard the social distance of 2 meters, the mandatory use of a mask and, whenever possible, an area of 5 square meters per person;

11. Requests for exceptions to the provisions relating to teaching and assessment activities may be analyzed in Order No. 120, of April 22, provided that the equity of access for all students is safeguarded and that safety issues are safeguarded, as well as the recommendations of health authorities.

12. The present measures will continue to be monitored and evaluated permanently, and new guidelines can be communicated, in view of the evolution of the pandemic and exceptional situations that may require it;

These measures must be implemented between May 25th and June 1st by the School Directors, Research Unit Coordinators and Services Directorates. They will be responsible for the management of the progressive recovery plans, and updated information on the rules, times and conditions of access to each of the spaces that must be explicit on the respective web pages.

Let the academic community know and publish it on the website of the Polytechnic of Leiria.

Inform the academic community and publish it on the website of the Polytechnic of Leiria.

Order No. 136/2020

Guidelines for strengthening the resumption of presential activities at the Polytechnic of Leiria

Leiria, April 22, 2020
Rui Pedrosa
President of the Polytechnic of Leiria