Closure of higher education institutions ended by Regional State Administrative Agencies – new instructions regarding work on campus as of 14 May

The closure of higher education institutions ordered by the Regional State Administrative Agencies will end on 13 May 2020. This will enable the partial return of staff on campus following safety and hygiene guidelines. However, students will still be prohibited from entering the campus until 31 July.

We will follow the government’s restrictions on public gatherings closely:

Events with more than 10 people will be prohibited until 31 May.

Events with more than 50 people will be prohibited as of 1 June until further notice.

Employees of higher education institutions are recommended to continue working remotely until 31 July. Employees who need devices or facilities on campus for their work may, as of 14 May, work on campus with their supervisor’s consent. This enables us to follow the restrictions on gatherings.

Employees who work on campus must comply with the hygiene and social distance guidelines of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. We recommend that internal meetings be held remotely until 31 July.

Employees at risk should discuss their work arrangements with their immediate supervisor. No one should come to the campus if they feel sick or have respiratory tract symptoms.

Employees should work only at their own workstation unless their duties require otherwise. On the Lahti campus, LAB employees must work at one single desk permanently to promote hygiene at work.

As for education, we had previously decided to finish the spring semester remotely. In other words, the campus will be closed to students until 31 July. We will continue our current practice of authorising students access as necessary, complying with the restrictions on gatherings. The vice rector or vice president for education may authorise individual students or small student groups access to the campus if it is required for the progress of studies or graduation.

Some library services will be available on campus as of 14 May: customers may reserve books online and collect them at an agreed time on campus.

Campus restaurants will remain closed until 31 May in accordance with the Finnish government’s decision. We will comply with orders issued by authorities and explore other possibilities to arrange lunch services.

Travel abroad should be avoided for the time being, as recommended by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The Ministry of the Interior will issue more detailed instructions on gradually resuming cross-border travel.

We will give further guidelines on working on campus, events for under 50 people (e.g. public examinations of dissertations) and loaning books from the library later this week (week 19).