Glad to open for on-campus education

The measures have been changed from regulations to recommendations and implies that the campus is open and that we will be able to offer students on-campus education to a significantly greater extent.

On-campus teaching

The government is allowing on-campus teaching and wants all students to have parts of their education on campus.

"I am glad for the opportunity we now have to be able to open up for on-campus education and increased presence on campus. We know how important this is for our students, both to create a good learning environment and to take care of their mental health", says UiB Rector Margareth Hagen.

When teaching in smaller rooms, the maximum number is 30 persons with a distance of one meter. The distance requirement can be deviated from if it affects the opportunity to offer students on-campus teaching. 

For lectures in auditoriums, the maximum number is 200 persons with marking and fixed seats and one meter distance. Here, too, the distance requirement can be deviated from somewhat if it affects the opportunity to offer on-campus teaching. 

If there are any outbreaks of Covid-19 among students who have been present on campus, the students at the course in question will be noticed. 

Students who are dependent on conducting experiments, laboratory activities or skills training in order to progress in their studies, should be given priority for on-campus education. 

UiB is planning teaching and exams in the spring semester in accordance with these assessments. The Minister also announces that the planned introduction of a two-sensor scheme is postponed for one year.

It is important to use the room that the new guidelines give UiB to ensure both a good learning environment and with regard to the students' mental health. 

It is also important to have a good dialogue with the students and that the faculties provide information to their students about how the implementation of the spring semester will be.

"We welcome students back to campus and to Bergen. Student work places, libraries and laboratories have been open since New Year and many students are already back in town. We will now facilitate for more attendance on campus, and a more normal student life, of course with good infection control", says Hagen.

She encourages students to test themselves frequently, stay home in case of illness and continue their good efforts to respect the infection control rules that have helped keep infection rates on campus low.

Reception of new students

UiB accepts foreign students in January. The quarantine hotel scheme is maintained, and UiB covers the expenses in connection with this. Information for foreign students can be found here

Open campus

The university is open. Research and education activities will be maintained, although it will still be necessary to facilitate some digital teaching. Libraries and reading rooms are open. Distance requirements apply on campus.

Events and gatherings:

For events, these rules apply:

• Requirements are set for infection control, distance and face masks
• Please limit the number of social gatherings and events that you choose to attend
• Private events / gatherings in public places, rented / borrowed premises:
  Indoors: Maximum 30 people, maximum 50 people at memorial service.
  Outdoors: Max 50 people.
  Indoors, the audience are to wear face masks. 
• Public indoor events:
  Without fixed allocated seats: Maximum 30 people.
  With fixed allocated seats: Max 200 people.
  Face masks are mandatory. 
• Except for libraries, museums, shops and shopping centers, companies must register contact information for those guests who agree to it.

Home office

Although the main rule is still home office, there is also some more room to be present on campus for employees. The employer can make individual assessments for individual employees who need to come to work on campus.

It is a prerequisite that the campus must be open to all students and employees who have the necessary and important activity that makes them have to work on campus, and increased activity means that more employees must be on campus. This means that faculty staff who must be on campus to take care of professional progression in their work, have the opportunity to do so. Correspondingly, the necessary support functions for professional activities and operations that require a presence on campus must be taken care of.

Contingency plans

NIPH expects high infection rates in the period ahead. The units are asked to review their contingency plans / continuity plans to ensure the maintenance of important functions given more sick leave among employees.

New quarantine rules

For those who have received the 3rd dose of the corona vaccine, it is possible to replace the quarantine with testing. This can be useful in relation to the situation with a shortage of employees.

Face masks

It is mandatory to use a face mask when it is not possible to keep a distance of at least one meter in shops, malls, restaurants, public transport, taxis, and indoor station areas.

Mandatory face masks when it is not possible to keep at least 1 meter distance also apply to indoor events (lectures are not counted as events), in libraries and in museums. In other respects, there are recommendations for the use of face masks where distance cannot be maintained.

Self-tests

Students can pick up Self-tests several places on campus. Read more here.