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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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