[04/18/2020 - 20:37h] Notes of the Director. Weekly Report (IV). COVID-19

Dear Community,

Soon it will be the fifth week of massive confinement and after Easter we have retaken this collective routine of normality. Unfortunately, as the time passes by, we have to lament more losses, but also arrives news of hopeful recoveries, particularly inside ESEIAAT’s community. As always I want to transmit, as possible, all the strength and encouragement to everyone affected directly or indirectly.

The global virtualization of UPC teaching seemed incredible just 2 months ago, but now it is part of our daily life and we will continue with remote teaching and non-face-to-face evaluation until the end of this course 2019-2020.

I remember that this Thursday was the deadline for introducing in ATENEA the specific information of each subject about partial exams:

• Exact content that goes into the partial exam;
• Percentage of the final note that involves the partial examinations, and
• Typology of the exam to be performed.

If this information is not complete, I ask the teachers to update it quickly.

This and other changes in the normal functioning of the teaching activity and in the development of the subjects must be collected in order to have an official record and for this reason a simple Addenda model has been sent to all teachers at the Teaching Guide. It is necessary that each Coordinator Subject completes it and sends it to the Directorate (before April 26) to validate and upload the validated document to ATENEA for reporting the students. This information must be available at ATENEA before April 30.

This data it is also important for those students that, due to the actual circumstances, wish to totally or partially canceled their registration. The Government’s Council through the CG/2020/31 agreement has extended the term of subjects cancelation with exclusively academic effect, until April 30, 2020.

During this ending week, from UPC a number of documents were made public which we consider to emphasize here:

• The UPC’s commitment to academic integrity, it is a declarative document that students have access through ATENEA and that summarizes the obligations of the students towards the evaluation process.
• The document “Recommendations regarding evaluation tests in the context of the exceptional situation of non-face-to-face teaching motivated by COVID-19” , it is a general suggestions compilation that includes specific information to make properly on-line teaching and assessment tests as well as pick up recommendations from the ICT point of view.  It also contains FAQs and other considerations to take into account.
• The text “ICT security criteria and personal data protection in class and/or remote evaluation” the legal framemark  of action is more specific in this situation, addresses in detail the personal data protection at a class and/or evaluation through working tools on remote.

The las two documents include specific instructions to guarantee the right of personal data protection with the inclusion of an informative table of data protection that each subject should include at ATENEA. It is recommended that the communications with the students, always include the phrase “All information regarding compliance with the regulations related to Personal Data Protection can be consulted at «link»” and such «link» must lead to the aforementioned information table.

On the informative side, we will continue to hold informative sessions to specific groups to whom we will particularly notify. For example, it has been already call the Administrative and Service Personnel for April 21. During this week were held three of these virtual meetings for specific topics:

• Two specific informative sessions for students aimed at solving doubts about Final Studies Research (TFS) (157 attendees) and External Internships (112 attendees).
• A specific informative session for PDI to explain the details and resolve doubts regarding recommendations for evaluations and data protection (154 attendees).

Recordings of the explanatory parts of these sessions, as well as a summary of the questions asked with their corresponding answers, are now uploaded to our exceptional portal: the TAAIESE website https://taaiese.upc.edu/ca    

I would also like to inform you that changes in the registrations are been allowed for students who have been harmed by the suspension of their mobility or their internships (usually last year students). The changes allow students to take optional subjects of the second quarter (beginning of teaching on May 4) and, thus, are able to finish their studies in the time provided before the current situation.

From the Directorate, we insist that in order to keep the system functioning properly, the following points must be strictly observed:

• Use of UPC identity with G Suite by the student.
• Use ATENEA as a central meeting point for students and teachers.
• Warm at least 1 week in advance of any activity to be performed.
• Plan according to the student’s load capacity.
• Maintain the teaching timetables.

In addition, following the general recommendations of the UPC, it is advisable for students during the assessments to have a telephone number where they can call in case of a technical incident. For this reason, the process has been facilitated in order to temporarily divert the telephone from the PDI offices (link). In fact, this diversion is also advisable to be done by synchronous classes, since cases of teachers who have lost connection unknowingly have been detected and have taught the class all by themselves and with no option a student warns him. Everything you learn from…

I want to end by recognizing the new development of your great effort in this general situation which is new and unknown. To overcome it we have to get used to manage uncertainty with much understanding. I am convinced that we will come out together.

Thank you for the dedication and the interest of letting everything work out. Please stay safe!

Hugs,

Xavier Roca

ESEIAAT’s Director