LiU in distance mode

(Updated 2020-03-18 14:10)

Distance mode is in operation at LiU due to the spread of the new coronavirus. This means that the university operations continue, but education and exams are carried out remotely, while co-workers work from home as much as possible. The decision has been taken by the central crisis management group at LiU, and distance mode will remain in force until further notice.

 

Keep your distance and act responsibly

(Updated 2020-04-01 16:30) The Public Health Agency of Sweden adopted on 1 April a stricter tone in its general advice to counteract the spread of the new coronavirus.

• Stay at home if you have any symptoms.
• Be thorough with hand hygiene.
• Keep your distance from other people and avoid large social gatherings.

The crisis management group at LiU therefore encourages all co-workers and students to:

• Cancel physical meetings and hold only remote meetings.
• If a physical meeting is unavoidable:
  avoid gathering many people on the premises and keep your distance from each other
  wash your hands often.

 

Checklist for distance mode

✔️ The university premises are open to students and co-workers, but a LiU Card is required to gain access.

✔️ The library (link) is open, and many of the library resources can also be accessed digitally.

✔️ Exams are carried out as distance exams. More information is available on the webpage about exams (link)

✔️ All courses during the spring will be converted to distance mode.

✔️ For co-workers, only meetings that are necessary to maintain operations may be carried out as physical meetings. Other meetings, conferences, seminars, etc., are to be postponed or carried out remotely.

✔️ All service-related travel has been cancelled until further notice. Journeys must be postponed, or it may be possible to use alternative forms of meeting.

✔️ The campus bus is operating, but the first journey of the day has been cancelled. In addition, double departures will be run as singles.

✔️ Several restaurants on the campuses are closed.

✔️ The Linköping University registrar’s office is open to the general public weekdays 9.00 am-noon. Standard opening hours for co-workers are 9.00 am-3.00 pm.

✔️ Some useful links for distance teaching and digital meetings are available in the left column.

 

The decision follows the recommendation from the Public Health Agency of Sweden, the Swedish government, and the health and medical care authorities. The measures that are being taken are based on the view that the current situation may extend for at least the remaining part of the 2020 spring term.

---

 

“Distance mode is how we live now.” Kent Waltersson, University Director and Helen Dannetun, Vice-Chancellor.

 

Latest updates

Deadline for submitting timetabling requests delayed

Teachers and those responsible for timetabling are to submit information about timetabling and their requests for room allocations for the 2020 autumn term. The deadline for submission has been put back to 4 May.

Too many students in Studenthuset

In the past few days, a trend has developed in which increasing numbers of students are finding their way back to the campuses, and this is particularly pronounced for Studenthuset on Campus Valla. The university management wants to stop this development.

Empty lunch restaurants on Campus

To close and wait for the autumn – this is the only alternative for the large lunch restaurants at LiU. Around 30 employees have been put onto short-time working. But some restaurants are holding on, even though guests are few and far between.

Crisis support from Student Health

Many students feel anxious about the coronavirus. Student Health offers counselling and advice.

IEI reconfigures to distance mode

A day and a half – 36 hours. That’s how long it took for LiU’s largest department to reconfigure to distance mode. Most things are working well, but loads of work remains. “This is a process, and new questions arise all the time”, says Louise Ödlund, head of department.

Summer Academy cancelled

LiU has decided to cancel the Summer Academy 2020 due to the Corona virus and looking forward to receiving new applications for the Summer Academy 2021.

Teaching cancelled

LiU has taken the decision to activate distance mode with effect from Wednesday 18 March. Following a statement from the Swedish government, all physical teaching and exams this week have been cancelled.

Welcome Fair being postponed

Due to the current situation regarding the coronavirus, and following the LiU guidelines, it has been decided to postpone the Welcome Fair for International Staff to a new date later this spring.

Cleaning intensified in response to coronavirus threat

As a preventive measure against coronavirus, Cleaning Services at LiU is intensifying activity when cleaning toilets and other surfaces that may harbour high concentrations of viruses.

LiU continues to follow recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Sweden

As the coronavirus continues to spread, the media are reporting how government agencies and employers act in different ways with respect to, for example, travel and work. LiU will, however, not establish any recommendations itself, and will continue to follow those published by the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

Service-related travel and the coronavirus

Many co-workers have questions about how the spread of the coronavirus affects booking and cancelling travel. Information about the regulations that apply before and during service-related travel is now available.

LiU’s crisis management group activated due to coronavirus

The central crisis management group at the university has been activated following the detection of the first infection of coronavirus in Östergötland. Students and co-workers at LiU are among those who have been tested, but so far no cases of disease have been detected.

Continuity plan for managing COVID-19

The university management has decided to draw up a continuity plan in order to reduce LiU’s vulnerability and increase its ability to cope with events that may influence operations.

---

Background

At the end of 2019, it was confirmed that a new coronavirus that can infect humans had been identified in the city of Wuhan in China. The virus has since then spread to several countries around the world, to different degrees. A few cases have occurred in Sweden among people who have entered the country from abroad.
A central working group under the leadership of Joakim Nejdeby, team leader for the LiU central crisis management group, was established in January 2020. The group works with LiU-wide activities associated with the coronavirus outbreak and its effects on operations at LiU, our students and co-workers.
The central crisis management group at the university has been activated following the detection of the first infection of coronavirus in Östergötland. 

Linköping University follows the recommendations issued by the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, while at the same time the central crisis management group at LiU has been activated. The crisis management group is taking proactive action, where the safety of our co-workers and students is the highest priority. The crisis management group is also investigating how the various operations at the university are affected, and how they can be adapted in the event that the spread of infection increases.