The university i currently in lime level as of 14 June. This means that all university operations will from then on take place, once again, according to the main rule of "Distance when it works, campus when it’s needed." This thus means that, with adaptations and ranked priorities, certain activities can be conducted on campus. The decision is based on adjustments and priorities in relation to where society is in its gradual return to “normal,” as presented by the government and the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

The university's decision applies until the end of the first study period in the autumn term of 2021; however, no later than 14 November. University operations at the University of Borås are to be prepared to return to level green during the autumn term, i.e. normal mode.

Read the decision in its entirety under Reg. 258-20 (Swedish only); below is a summary.

Summary of the decision

• University operations will continue to be carried out with precautionary measures and in accordance with the preventive measures and recommendations specified by the Public Health Agency of Sweden, regional and local infection control, and the university's own guidelines. Great emphasis is placed on employees’ and students' personal responsibility.
• Priorities are made on an ongoing basis to limit the number of people present on campus at the same time. The Workgroup for Pandemic Issues is responsible for developing ranked priorities in consultation with the university as a whole.
• Deans of Faculty, the Head of Professional Services, the Director of Executive Office, and the Director of Research and Innovation are responsible for creating the necessary conditions and coordinating assessments of activities that require physical presence on campus within their respective areas.
• The following are prioritised: students in nursing and police programmes; students in English-language courses and programmes with international students which under normal circumstances are conducted on campus; and newly admitted students to campus programmes in the autumn term 2021 and students admitted to campus programmes in the spring term 2021.
• Priority educational activities: components that take place within the Clinical Training Centre and VFU/student placements/internships within programmes at the Department of Caring Science; teaching components within the Police Education Programme that are not possible to complete at a distance; and VFU/student placements/internships within teacher training.
• Examinations on campus can be carried out to a limited extent.
• The re-examination period in August is planned based on level yellow (distance and digital).
• Adjustments on campus must be made regarding physical distances on our premises, protective equipment in certain spaces where social distancing cannot always be maintained, access to hand disinfectant, extra cleaning, and more.
• The student introduction of new students in the autumn term 2021 will be carried out digitally with physical components, according to the decision.

• All government employees are to work remotely. Your nearest manager will give you information regarding what this means to you.
• We have created a website that provides inspiration for alternative forms of examination. Here you can take part of the information.
• The university has set up the following recommendations to minimise the spread of infection:
  • Wash your hands frequently
  • Stay home if you're sick
  • Keep a distance of 1.5 meters
  • Avoid larger groups of people

• Hand sanitiser have been placed on certain premises such as student pantries, computer halls etc.
• Specific for students in risk groups:
  • Students are advised, following the advice of the Public Health Agency of Sweden, to consult with their doctors about what they can do to reduce the risk of becoming ill.
  • The university makes general adjustments in the campus environment to minimise the spread of infection.
  • Students who do not consider that the adjustments are sufficient can apply to defer the start of studies or for temporary interruption of studies. 

• The campus remains open for students and staff. 

Distance

We recommend that people keep a distance of 1.5 meters on university premises. We have put up signs so it will be easy for everyone on the premises to do the right thing and follow the recommendations in place. Each individual must also take personal responsibility and practice social distancing.

Limit of larger groups

We are adapting our operations to minimise the number of people who are present on campus at the same time and to conduct necessary campus components as safely as possible when it comes to the spread of infection.

Re-examination period August 2021

We have developed a website that provides inspiration for alternative forms of examination. Here you can take part of the information.

Here you can find an overview of exam periods etc.

Your closest manager can give you information about the order of priority for Zoom-supervised exam.

Filming and GDPR

Information regarding what applies when it comes to GDPR in connection with filmed lectures, etc. is available in Swedish (see the Swedish webpage).

Below, you will find the document “Priorities guidance for educational programmes in level lime Autumn 21.” This was also sent to you as PDF via e-mail 17 June.

This guidance will facilitate the work of making the necessary priorities of which components may be carried out on campus during the autumn. The Dean of Faculty has the responsibility of drawing up rules of procedure for informed decisions, administrative procedure, documentation, and communication in matters regarding priorities. Course or programme coordinators or examiners need to conduct an inventory and assessment. It is then your Head of Department/closest manager who will make the decision. 

In the Vice-Chancellor's decision from 7 June (Reg. 258-20) it was decided to move to level lime and that there are a number of priorities that constitute starting points for the priorities guidance.

Level lime - meaning and priorities

According to the action plan, the main rule in level lime is “Distance when it works, campus when it’s needed.” The main rule applies to all activities, not just teaching.

The main rule entails the possibility of conducting certain activities on campus with clear priorities and with protective measures to reduce the risk of the spread of infection that the authorities, infection control, and the university recommend.

To ensure coordination regarding the use of limited resources, small spaces, and busy times when we know that many students and staff will be on our premises at the same time, it is required that:

1. the Dean of Faculty draws up rules of procedure for informed decisions, administrative procedure, documentation, and communication in matters regarding priorities,
2. that decided components are registered in KronoX as soon as possible:
   1. at least six weeks' notice for written examinations on campus in priority educational areas (nursing and police),
   2. at least four weeks in advance for other priority components and written examinations on campus.[2]

Decisions on priorities around which activities/components need to be carried out on campus to ensure high quality are made at the departmental level by the Head of Department/closest manager.

Assessment of educational or examination components

To assess which activities and educational components need to be given on campus, an inventory and evaluation is required.

• The course or programme coordinator makes an assessment of whether an educational component, exercise, etc. needs to be carried out on campus or can be carried out remotely.
• The examiner assesses whether an examination needs to be conducted on campus (as a written examination or other form) or can be conducted remotely.

In each assessment, the risk of the spread of infection must be weighed against other assessment criteria. To ensure that we, in level lime, manage the balance between the risk of infection, quality aspects, and work environment and study environment aspects, continued personal responsibility is required.

The following criteria are to be taken into account together in the assessment of which components are to be prioritised to be carried out on campus.

• What courses/components/examinations have components that need to be carried out on campus to maintain continued high quality? To be considered:
  • examinations that contain practical components
  • examination components that are judged to have very high safety demands in relation to individual citizens such as e.g. healthcare recipients
  • practical training components of a particularly operationally important nature, e.g. exercises in police education,
  • components where implementation and assessment require the actual physical space in order to ensure quality, e.g. exercises in aesthetic subjects
  • laboratory and material-intensive components
• Is the course/component aimed at new programme students? New students will be offered an opportunity to get to know the university on campus at some point during study period 1.
• Is the course/component aimed at programme students who have been admitted in the spring of 2021 and who have not been on campus yet?
• Is the course/component aimed at students who are to graduate in spring 2021?
• Students who need to complete compulsory parts in order to graduate but who have not been able to do so due to university decisions must be prioritised.
• Does the course/component include international students?
• Safety and assessment of risks for the spread of infection:
  • Can these measures be carried out with the necessary precautions and in line with current recommendations to reduce the spread of infection?
  • How big is the student group?
  • Are there teachers who are members of a risk group?
  • Are there people in the risk group in the student group – see separate recommendation.
• Does the implementation of these components require any coordination with other units/departments within the university? Are there components of such a nature that special coordination is needed regarding:
  • the demand on laboratories
  • Student Centre
  • common areas, or
  • other resources within the university?

From assessment to decision

Assessments as above are made on an ongoing basis as long in advance as possible (see above). In doing so, the planning possibilities and work/study environment for employees and students are taken into account.

Please note that communication with the relevant student groups is very important, regardless of whether the assessment is that the components are to be carried out remotely or on campus.

If you think that the relevant components can be carried out remotely: proceed with planning.

If you think a component or examination needs to be prioritised to be carried out on campus:

• Contact your Head of Department/closest manager in accordance with a locally established orders and present a document with your assessment based on one or more of the criteria specified in the list above.

Heads of Department have the responsibility and authority for each department:

• to make decisions about components that need to be prioritised to implement on campus.
• in consultation with the relevant Professional Services departments (where applicable), ensure that operations can be carried out taking into account the required recommended and decided precautionary measures;[3]
• to conduct an ongoing dialogue with the education committees on quality aspects.

Lab managers have the responsibility and authority to develop forms and rules for what should apply in each lab based on the university's guidelines and the criteria in the checklist above.

After the decision has been made

When you, as the person responsible for a component, have received confirmation from your Head of Department that this can be carried out on campus, you must ensure that the scheduling and booking of suitable premises takes place.

• To support campus scheduling, KronoX has been updated regarding the limitation of the number of students in each lecture hall. Information on technical equipment available in halls has also been updated.
• The intention is to spread out activities throughout our premises to avoid large groups when students move to and from lecture halls.
  • It is important that students are encouraged to leave the lecture hall and adjacent spaces after completing components.
• It is also important to spread the activities out over time so that lessons begin and end at times other than those normally used for scheduling.
  • It will be necessary to schedule campus components both early in the morning and late in the afternoon to facilitate logistics.

Coordination through KronoX

The KronoX scheduling system is used to monitor how bookings are placed in different parts of the campus. For this to be feasible and effective, it is required:

• to schedule at least four weeks in advance (for priority areas and written exams, six weeks as above applies)
• to remove outdated KronoX bookings

A coordination group is responsible for continuously reviewing and assessing the bookings.[4]

• KronoX bookers are responsible for identifying critical times when there is a risk of there being too many people in any part of the campus.
• In some cases, KronoX bookers may need to advance or delay certain campus components by 15 minutes to control the number of people in corridors and stairwells. Check your schedule to see if any changes have been made to your campus components.
• In the event that the coordination group sees a need for changes of more than 15 minutes, the teacher concerned is contacted.

[1] https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/smittskydd-beredskap/utbrott/aktuella-utbrott/covid-19/verksamheter/larosaten-och-annan-hogre-utbildning/

[2] Note that two weeks’ advance notice usually applies when scheduling in advance of course start.

[3] Normally, the relevant course coordinator/examiner is responsible for communication with the relevant Professional Services department when needed, but the Head of Department is responsible, in connection with making decisions, for keeping informed that appropriate necessary contacts are made.

[4] The group consists of the responsible manager within the Faculty Support Office, the KronoX head scheduler at the Faculty Support Office, a KronoX Systems Manager, a representative for the Student Centre, a safety manager for the campus, and a coordinator for pandemic work.

The university's employees are advised to follow the information available from the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the government. Your manager will provide you with information specific for your department. The Public Health Agency of Sweden has issued general advice regarding the novel coronavirus, for example, that employers should ensure that staff and visitors keep a distance between each other.

Measures for employees

• All government employees are to work remotely. Your nearest manager will give you information regarding what this means to you.
• Meetings should, if possible, be conducted in digital form.
• Conferences and business trips are postponed or carried out digitally.
• New review of routines and protective measures at necessary campus activities (eg in the educational areas excluded from distance education and lab environments). A discussion takes place with the organisation of safety representatives regarding planned measures.

Vaccination during working hours

In order to enable and facilitate vaccination against COVID-19, the University of Borås has decided that vaccination appointments that are booked during regular working hours may take place without any salary deduction. Before taking this time off, let your manager know.

Deducation from sick pay

Compensation for the deducation from sick pay is regulated directly with the Social Insurance Office. The application applies retroactively from 11 March 2020.

Insurance when working at home

In the case of telework, occupational injury insurance (TFA and PSA) applies. Unlike work at work, the accident is required to be directly related to the work you do, i.e. the injury occurs while performing your duties. For example, if you injure yourself when you are making coffee in the kitchen, this does not count as an accident at work, even if it occurs during fixed working hours.

Headset

If you need a headset, these are available at the IT service desk. Make an appointment for pickup via email it@hb.se. Please note that you should also make an appointment for any other matters at the IT service desk.

Receiving visitors from another country

The Dean of Faculty/Head of Professional Services makes decisions on a case-by-case basis. When the University of Borås receives visitors who have travelled here from another country (e.g. guest lecturers, visiting researchers, partners), the recommendations of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs apply. The department receiving the guest(s) plans for the stay taking into account the pandemic and health and safety at work concerns. Workplace introductions and meeting colleagues are to be planned to take into account the current recommendations and precautions, and the responsible manager is to ensure that the relevant staff are informed of the visit in good time.

Working at home

All government employees are to work remotely. You should discuss with your manager what applies to you. The main rule is still that you and your manager are to come to an agreement on working from home if the work allows it. It is still important that we follow the Public Health Agency of Sweden’s recommendations to reduce the spread of infection.

Work travel

Conferences and business trips are postponed or carried out digitally.

Within Sweden: Together with your manager, an assessment is made about the need for the intended work travel in relation to any alternatives as well as the situation around the pandemic, any local infection rates, etc. If the work travel is deemed to be necessary after such considerations are made, please ensure that the relevant recommendations and restrictions are complied with. Take note of the Public Health Agency of Sweden's information

Abroad: We follow the recommendations of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Dean of Faculty/Head of Professional Services makes decisions on a case-by-case basis. Otherwise, the same precautions apply as do for domestic travel, as well as that the guidelines applicable locally/regionally at the destination are followed. 

On the staff website, there is information regarding the cancellation of work travel. Read more about this.

Private travel

Employees are encouraged to follow the recommendations and restrictions regarding private travel given by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Public Health Agency of Sweden. If you decide to travel, it is important to be prepared, informed, and to give yourself wide margins when it comes to both time and finances.

The university follows the assessments of the Swedish Agency for Government Employers regarding both work and holiday travel. Read more about these on their website Questions and answers about travel (Swedish only)

Do not forget

• If the situation requires, make sure to change your bookings in KronoX. It is recommended that everyone delete their own bookings if necessary. 
• Review your information under the heading "Personal data" in Primula. It is important that the university has up-to-date information about, for example, your next of kin. 
• Read through these pages with tips and advices (the pages will regularly be updated)
  • Tips if working from home
  • Tips for distance education
  • Tips for digital meetings

• The campus remains open for staff and students.
• You need an access card for all doors leading to corridors with study rooms, offices, and open spaces for staff and students.
• As far as possible, avoid both planned and spontaneous larger groups of students in, for example, entrances, auditoriums, examination or lecture halls.
• There will be a limit of the number of people who may be in lecture halls, computer halls and study rooms at the same time.
• The furnishing has been thinned out in lecture halls, and it has been highlighted which places one can use in computer halls and auditoriums. 
• The starting time for lectures will be spread out during the day to reduce the number of students who are on campus at the same time.
• The furnishing in open spaces has been thinned out.
• Service desks in public areas have been equipped with an acrylic glass.
• A signage has been carried out on campus with distance markings, information regarding the university's recommendations, requests to leave the halls immediately after examination or teaching, etc. 

Information regarding how many people can be present in different rooms, which technical capabilities are present in each room, etc. is found in KronoX.

In KronoX, you can also see information about the rooms that have been renovated. For example, if you want a room for streaming or recording a lecture, you can use the search bar in the upper right corner of KronoX and type "E-meeting". Then you will find the appropriate spaces. Just keep in mind that this information is not complete yet, but more information is in the works! You can find a manual about this on the KronoX webpage.

Refurbishment have taken place in lecture halls/teaching spaces around the university and students are referred to the places that have been adapted with regards to the coronavirus. In certain teaching situations and spaces, adaptations may be possible, but this is always conducted under one’s own responsibility and with respect for students' desire not to sit closely to other students. We would also like to remind teachers that they should leave the lecture hall/teaching space as they found it at the beginning of the class. If you notice problems or defects in the premises associated with these adaptations, please quickly inform the Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office.

The purchasing of some technical equipment is underway.

Access card

Do not forget to have your access card with you when you are on university premises. It is needed in order to pass through doors and use the lifts.

Cleaning

Cleaning of the university's premises is intensified with cleaning of handles and buttons that many people often touch.

Entrances

Choose the entrance closest to where you are going and, as far as possible, plan an outdoors route when navigating around campus. Take a look at the map and find the entrance closest to your destination

Gym

The gym is still open – we have ordered extra cleaning so that it is possible to work out here when other gyms close. There is also information in the gym about how to clean all equipment both before and after use.

Special opening hours

For several of our operations, special conditions regarding opening hours or possible closures apply. More information about special opening hours

The university's premises are generally open to students and staff. For work enviroment reasons and the risk of infection, some areas, such as the textile labs, are closed to students since there is no teaching there for the moment.

Technology for students

The university has no possibility to lend out computers or other technology to students for home work. However, students continue to have access to the premises. The premises are locked to the public.

How should I act if I find out that one or more of my students has COVID-19?

If a student is diagnosed with COVID-19, they receive special instructions from their physician. This information lets them know what applies when it comes to sick leave, possible quarantine, contact tracing, and information for others. It is these individuals themselves who are responsible for providing any necessary information to others.

The student provides this information to the programme or course coordinator. The programme or course coordinator is to then notify the Head of Department directly, who in turn informs the Dean of Faculty and Head of Professional Services in order for the university to maintain an overall view of the spread of infection.

If several students in the same group/programme have reported a COVID-19 infection, the university's Head of Professional Services contacts, if necessary, the infectious disease control physician for an assessment when it comes to measures to be taken.

The Head of Professional Services convenes, if necessary, a meeting of staff who work with crises for further management of the situation.

Comprehensive information should always be provided to the Head of Department, Dean of Faculty, chief safety representative, HR manager, and student representative.

How should I act if I suspect I've contracted COVID-19?

According to the infectious disease control physician, you are legally required to test yourself if you suspect you have COVID-19. Therefore, if you have symptoms which you suspect may be due to COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider for testing immediately. The testing is free of charge and you should stay at home until you have received the test results. Read more at Vårdguiden (Vårdguiden 1177 is a Swedish service providing healthcare by telephone and the central national infrastructure for Swedish healthcare online.)

Am I obliged to inform my manager if I am found to have COVID-19?

Physicians and the healthcare system determine whom an infected person must inform. However, if an employee, voluntarily or as instructed by the healthcare system, provides this information to a manager, it is important that the manager makes an assessment regarding infection and informs the Dean of Faculty (in cases of infection within the Faculty) and Head of Professional Services (in all cases of infection) to make an assessment when it comes to measures to be taken. If necessary, the infectious disease control doctor is contacted. In this way, the university will have an overall view of the spread of infection and have the opportunity to take action based on it.

How should I act as a manager if I find out that an employee has COVID-19?

If an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19, they receive special instructions from their physician. This information lets them know what applies when it comes to sick leave, possible quarantine, contact tracing, and information for others. It is these individuals themselves who are responsible for providing any necessary information to others.

The relevant manager makes an assessment regarding infection and takes those measures deemed relevant based on the situation and its circumstances. The relevant manager directly informs the (in case of infection within the academy) and head of administration (in case of all infection). In this way, the university will have an overall view of the spread of infection and have the opportunity to take action based on it.

The Head of Professional Services convenes, if necessary, a meeting of staff who work with crises for further management of the situation.

Comprehensive information should always be provided to the Head of Department, Dean of Faculty, chief safety representative, HR manager, and student representative.

What happens if many employees in a group/area have found COVID-19?

If several employees in the same group are ill in COVID-19, the responsible manager should contact the relevant Dean of Faculty (in cases of infection within the Faculty) and Head of Professional Services (in all cases of infection).

If several employees in a group/work area have reported COVID-19 infection, if necessary, the infectious disease control physician will be contacted for an assessment when it comes to measures to be taken.

The Head of Professional Services convenes, if necessary, a meeting of staff who work with crises for further management of the situation.

Comprehensive information should always be provided to the Head of Department, Dean of Faculty, chief safety representative, HR manager, and student representative.

“Spikning” (notification of the date of the defence of a doctoral thesis)

Information about such notifications can be found on the website about thesis publication support.

Doctoral thesis defence

This applies to public defences as a result of the travel and infection control restrictions linked to COVID-19:

• A doctoral defence/licentiate seminar is to be public, which means that it should be arranged in an auditorium where audiences can attend. If auditoriums are closed to the public for reasons of infection control, there must be clear information available when publicising the doctoral defence/licentiate seminar on how to attend digitally. In order to reduce the spread of infection, no more than eight people should be gathered in the auditorium.
• The doctoral student should be present in the auditorium.
• External examiners and members of the examining committee can participate via link (Zoom) if travel and other quarantine restrictions make it impossible for them to travel to the university.

If the external examiner and/or one or more members of the examining committee participates via link, the following applies:

• Everyone present in the room should be able to see and hear all those who are involved via link.
• Everyone who is involved via link should be able to see and hear the doctoral student, presentations given in the auditorium, and everyone who speaking in the auditorium.
• For all those who participate via link, there should be the possibility of direct telephone contact between a contact person appointed by the university and the person in question. (This is in order to handle any technical problems.)

The external examiner must be able to see and hear the doctoral student's presentation and be able to participate throughout. Members of the examining committee must be able to take part in the entire public defence. If there are technical problems that mean that the above requirements cannot be met, the public defence must be repeated/postponed.

It is the Department, or alternatively the doctoral programme, that is responsible for arranging any needed links, with the support of the university's Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office.

Extension of doctoral studies due to COVID-19

The Swedish Agency for Government Employers has determined that if a doctoral student has not been able to perform the duties of a doctoral student due to circumstances that can be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, it should be possible to extend the total length of employment that is otherwise four years long.

The following guidelines should clarify when a doctoral studentship position at the University of Borås is to be extended due to the consequences of COVID-19. These guidelines follow the usual rules that are already established at the university regarding the extension of study time due to events that have affected the doctoral student's ability to conduct his/her studies and which have been beyond the doctoral student's control.

• The university is not providing a general extension to all doctoral students; rather, this is only done after an assessment of each individual case.
• Extensions are given in cases in which the doctoral education has been delayed due to the fact that parts could not be carried out or replaced with other relevant tasks and provided that the doctoral student in consultation with the supervisor has actively investigated the possibility of rescheduling his/her studies.
• Changes in the doctoral education should be clearly documented in the doctoral student's individual study plan or related documents. Even if COVID-19 has not had an impact on the doctoral student's studies, this should be documented in the doctoral student's ISP.  Follow-up is done at least once a year.
• In cases deemed to have a sound basis, the doctoral student is to seek an extension in accordance with regular handling of extensions.

Do you want to stay up to date with what information the students get? Take a look at the student website. 

Study abroad

The university follows the recommendations of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. If they advise against travel abroad, the university will advise students not to carry out planned studies abroad.

This autumn's introduction of new students

The student introduction of new students in the autumn term 2021 will be carried out digitally with physical components, according to the decision.

Please read the frequently asked questions (are updated continuosly)

If you have questions about the university's actions regarding the coronavirus outbreak, contact your immediate manager.

If you have questions about the coronavirus, please contact the national information number SOS Alarm 113 13. This number conveys information to the public in the event of serious accidents and crises in society.

In case of flu-like symptoms and respiratory problems, contact healthcare services through the medical information telephone number 1177 and follow their instructions.

Public Health Agency of Sweden's questions and answers  

Travel information from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Only in Swedish)

Krisinformation.se – emergency information from Swedish authorities 

Information to students from CSN, The Swedish Board of Student Finance (in Swedish only

Information from The Swedish Agency for Government Employers (in Swedish only)