[05/17/2020 - 10:33h] Notes of the Director. Weekly Report (VIII). COVID-19

Dear Community,

It’s been two months since we had to leave School in a hurry to begin confinement. The day of our return is approaching, but slowly. Yesterday on Saturday the Ministry of Health issued a Ministerial Order https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2020/05/16/pdfs/BOE-A-2020-5088.pdf in which it is indicated (page 26) that ALL University’s campuses pass to develop the planned activities of PHASE 1, although their municipality are still in PHASE 0. At School we have prepared conscientiously our buildings in order to ensure peoples’ safety as we are going back. For now, a big hug to our colleagues who have been affected by this damn pandemic. Cheer up!

At UPC’s level, the big news of the week was the approval of the Plan for the unlockdown and progressive reactivation of the activity at the UPC at the Governing Council on May 14. This is a roadmap that is expected to be updated as we move forward in the unlockdown process. The Plan puts the safety of people at the center and minimizes face-to-face attendance: it plans to maintain telework whenever possible, calls for a minimum physical presence in the centers, pays special attention to people at risk, facilitates conciliation measures, and defines the necessary self-protection measures. It is a document that covers many topics and in order to resolve the most common doubts the University has published some FAQs, which you have at your disposal.

Following the UPC’s Plan for the unlockdown, the recent School’s step into PHASE 1 implies that some activities can be retaken:

• Research activities with access and capacity limitations.

• Gradual reopening of scientific and technical services.

• Libraries, for activities linked to the loan in exceptional cases determine if it meets the appropriate security measures.

The research and scientific-technical services activities that can be reactivated in this phase are:

• Activities in UPC’s laboratories of low occupancy: it is understood those that respect <= 3 simultaneous people, and that maintain a space per person of 10m²/person, approximately.

• Maintenance or calibration activities for research equipment in low-occupancy UPC’s laboratories: <= 3 simultaneous people and that maintain a space per person of 10m²/person, approximately.

• Field activities carried out at countryside linked to research and especially on the agriculture ambit, environment, and the infrastructures, and that ensure at all times the minimum distance of 2m.

The process of requesting access to buildings for activities related to research and for punctual access to collect material continues to be a request from the concerned person and authorization in the first instance by the Academic Direction (sent an email to the School at direccio.eseiaat@upc.edu). Once given permission, it requires the person interested fill in the attached form: https://forms.gle/kaV6FrwKxa5efP2b6.

At the School level and internally, this week has begun the defenses of the Researches of End of Studies of the extraordinary call. At the same time we also had presentations of internships. Despite using online procedures completely new, the whole system has worked properly and we cross our fingers so that this does not change. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Next week there are two important calls. On the one hand it has been called for next Tuesday all Administration and Services Staff for a meeting that aims to gather doubts and concerns about the Plan for the unlockdown above mentioned. And in another hand has been called all students to an online plenary meeting for next Wednesday to make a follow up of the course and solve doubts that might have had arisen.

To conclude I want to say that no institution, company or person was prepared to face a situation like the one we are living in. And yet, both those who work at the School and those who study here, absolutely all we are giving our best to come forward. When all this ends we will remember with sorrow the difficulties, the ups and downs we are living and the irreparable ones losses we may have suffered. But I am fully convinced that we will also remember proudly what we did together to win and move forward, all that we are capable to do when extreme difficulties puts us to the test. Honestly, I`m really proud of how ESEIAAT’s community has reacted.

Once again, we ask that you please stay safe!

Hugs,

Xavier Roca

Director