COVID-19

Everyone should check their HR email regularly. All official PZI/WdKA/HR communication will land there. Turn on your Zulip notifications as well, all internal course info will be provided there.

General Info

Order free self-tests for STAFF AND STUDENTS

Don't wait, order your free self-tests here: https://www.zelftestonderwijs.nl The current recommendation is to test twice a week (obviously adjust based on the frequency of your IRL visits). You can order by lots of four, then you need to renew the order.

Protocol

In order to offer IRL teaching consistently, we will have to adhere to the rules of the RIVM:

• First and foremost: stay home and get tested if you have any symptoms like a head cold, coughing, tightness of breath, fever, sudden loss of smell or taste.
• Self-quarantine and get tested if any of your housemates have symptoms as mentioned above.
• Inform your course director and coordinator
• In case you must quarantine you will be able to follow teaching online and catch up.
• When at the academy, follow the rules of distance and hygiene (see HR guideline link below)

Official national and academy guidelines

• HR: https://www.rotterdamuas.com/go/information-corona/
• RIVM: https://www.rivm.nl/en/news/current-information-about-novel-coronavirus-covid-19
• Dutch Gov: https://coronadashboard.government.nl

XPUB COVID Etiquette

Next to the official rules, we would like to take a community-based approach to the situation to ensure everyone feels safe, that we stay in dialogue with each other, and that we can make the most of the time we can be all together on location. These are not rules, it's an etiquette and we welcome the feedback of everyone to improve these.

• We trust each other that we will do the necessary self-tests.
• Staff and students wear masks when moving about the room, or when sitting next to each other to work in close proximity (both in the classroom and the studio).
• Simple ventilation can be quite important in a combined strategy for reducing transmission. We will open at least one window each hour for 10 minutes. Adjusting the radiators can help compensate for the cold air. Please wear warm clothes so we can ventilate sufficiently.
• At the beginning of every group session on location, we discuss/decide to either:
  • stay sitting in close proximity and wear masks all the time or...
  • maintain distance allowing masks to be removed when seated (and still wear them when moving around).
• For one-on-one tutorials, be sure to notify your tutor/supervisor if you want to talk via video chat one day in advance of the tutorial, if possible. That way, if all students prefer video chat, a tutor/supervisor can decide to not travel to WdkA/PZI.
• When having class, we setup a hotline jitsi + pad and use screen sharing de rigueur. This is useful:
  • To make clear that a jitsi channel will always be available and to assure students/evt staff who elect to work at a distance (for whatever reason) that they won't miss out / aren't adding any extra work or stress to the group;
  • To get used to working in this way if we do need either to quarantine or if we return to state of limited (staff) access to the building.

HR/WdKA rules 29.11.2021

Classes on location still permitted even after 17.00


Teaching will continue as scheduled, even after five o’clock. Teaching activities are permitted in groups of no more than 75 people. Examinations and assessments are an exception to the restriction of 75 people per class. These will take place as scheduled. If you have a scheduled class on location, please attend.

In addition, independent study in our buildings still remains possible, as do one-on-one meetings with a counsellor or study career coach. Students are also allowed to work on a project with fellow students on location.

Working from home


Everyone who does not necessarily need to be at one of our locations will work from home. If your work requires you to come to the location, please do so. Do you feel uncomfortable working on location? Then discuss this with your manager in order to find a solution. Do not travel during rush hour if at all possible.

Dealing with infections and ‘quarantine’ in the classroom (the online rule)


RUAS is located in a city where the corona vaccination coverage is relatively low. This is, however, manageable if we exercise extra caution. We have not identified any source of infection at our locations, which is also based on our contact with the Municipal Health Service (GGD). Yet, with the rising rate of infection in the city and the region, we too will notice a higher number of infections at our school. You may wonder how we are dealing with all this. We will apply the following principles, which will inevitably mean some scaling down of on location teaching:

    1. In the event of two or more reported/known infections in a single class, teaching will be provided online for one week as a precautionary measure. (The class will be ‘quarantined’) A 'class' means all student formations in an educational setting.
    2. If an online alternative is impossible for a certain educational activity, such as practical training, then the study programme/teacher will provide a suitable alternative, such as a postponement, extra hygiene measures (for example, face masks), et cetera.
    3. Students who are faced with online classes for their internship return day, will self-test and follow the internship provider's advice.
    4. The teacher determines when classes will switch to online and communicates this to the class.
    5. If a class goes into quarantine according to the ‘online rule’, the teacher will inform the course director.
    6. Lecturer teams: in case of contamination in the team, colleagues will self-test or get tested at the Municipal Health Service (GGD) and discuss with their manager how classes can be continued.

The basic principle is to resume teaching on location as soon as possible. In case of any doubt the integral safety team, who are in touch with the GGD-Rotterdam will be consulted. Please note that this applies to our teaching, NOT to assessment and exams which is in line with government policy. Due to the spatial set-up during examinations and assessments, the ‘online rule’ does not apply here.

Inadequate observance of face mask measure


We would like to emphasize once again that wearing a face mask is mandatory when moving around in our buildings. We are dealing with a pandemic that is not under control. We therefore do not have the luxury of deciding for ourselves, whether or not to comply with the government's measures or our own policies. Education on location is still possible, let's cherish that and comply with the measures. Fortunately, many people are complying, however, not yet everyone.

All RUAS employees are part of the educational community that is Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and therefore have an exemplary role for the students. We consider adherence to the measures of our School Policy to be part of everyone's professional conduct and therefore assume that colleagues will adhere to the face mask rule and other measures and will help enforce these where necessary. Additional supervisors will be assigned in the coming period, please make sure they do not stand alone.

No events or meetings
 In the update of 14 November, we reported that on location events and meetings without a direct link to education would be cancelled, both on school grounds as on external locations. This measure will be extended until further notice. Do you doubt whether an activity has a direct link with education? Please consult your teacher, study career coach or manager.

Leave space for others
 Although the educational sector is exempt from the 1.5 metre rule, it is wise to keep as much distance as possible to others.

Corona Entry Pass for education
 This is still being discussed on a national level. As soon as there is more information available, we will inform you in a next update.

Rules for cultural sector

The organization of any XPUB related event (of educational nature or not) must be discussed with the course director.

FYI:

• https://business.gov.nl/regulation/corona-rules-arts-and-culture/
• https://business.gov.nl/regulation/corona-entry-pass-system/

WdKA Support

If you have personal problems, including financial issues, please get in touch with the student counselors through email or telephone directly:

to make an appointment register here: studentendecanaatwb@hr.nl

WDKA/PZI student counselors are:

• Clariet Helwig: [temporarily not available Feb 2021] tel. 010 - 794 4252 email: C.P.Helwig@hr.nl, chatten: helcp@hr.nl
• Marit Lems: tel. 010 - 794 6720 email: m.j.lems@hr.nl, chatten: lemmj@hr.nl

Kralingzoom

• Eduard de Ridder:

mon- thrus https://hint.hr.nl/nl/HR/english/study-information/international-student-ruas/my-study/my-student-assistence/student-counsellor/appointment-student-counsellor/