Latest announcements to students

Dear students and staff,

The night before last, the Danish Parliament reached a reopening agreement by a broad majority. The agreement lifts or eases many of the restrictions we have been living with for many months.

What this means for the universities has not yet been clarified completely, but we can confirm that:

Exams will be held as planned as a general rule, as exams are already underway. (In other words, there will be no changes to your exams as a consequence of this announcement.)

From Monday 14 June, the following guidelines will apply on all of AU’s campuses:

• Face coverings will no longer be required.
• The 1-2 metre social distancing guideline will no longer apply.
• As previously announced, 50 per cent of staff may return work on campus from Monday 14 June. Staff members should make arrangements with their manager/PhD supervisor.
• The current rule that everyone who comes to campus must able to present documentation of a negative Covid-19 test/a valid Covid passport will remain in place until 1 August.

Professional and social events may be held in person. Check the guidelines here. In the event that these guidelines change, the website will be updated.


It has already been announced that additional restrictions will be lifted from 1 August:

• It will no longer be necessary to present documentation of a negative test result/a valid Covid-19 passport.
• Universities will no longer be required to offer testing on campus.
• All personnel will be able to work on campus again. (Note that it will still be up to local managers and their staff to make agreements regarding remote work.)

And remember: Although we find ourselves in the fortunate situation that rules and restrictions are being lifted and eased, we must all continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of infection. If there are local outbreaks, restrictions will be reimposed. So please:
 

• Keep up the good hand hygiene – use the hand sanitiser dispensers on campus, and wash your hands.
• Air out the rooms you spend time in.
• Stay at home if you feel sick.

Without a doubt, there will be questions this announcement does not address. We will update our coronavirus site as additional clarification becomes available.

We encourage everyone to continue the constructive, respectful dialogue with your fellow students and staff – and to show consideration for those who choose to continue wearing a face covering or wish to maintain social distancing.

Kind regards,
The senior management team

Dear students and staff,

As of Friday 21 May, all students will again be welcome back on campus, and more staff will be able to come back to work at the university. This good news is part of the the government’s most recent reopening agreement.

For you as a student, this means that you will have access to the university’s study spaces, group rooms and other student facilities regardless of year group and degree programme. This also applies to PhD students.

Check your local study portal for more information about any special guidelines that might apply to your programme.

For you as a staff member, the reopening agreement means that there will be a gradual relaxation of the restrictions on on-site work over the coming weeks.

As of Friday 21 May, 20 per cent of the university’s employees will be able to come to work on site. This percentage is in addition to the employees who are already working on campus in connection with research, teaching and critical functions. The percentage is set to increase to 50 per cent as of 14 June, and as of 1 August, all of the university’s employees will be able to work on site.

The possibility of on-site working also applies to meetings and academic/professional events.

Your immediate supervisor is responsible for ensuring compliance with the new quotas for on on-site work. Which staff members will need to work on-site and when will be decided through local agreements between managers and their employees.

With regard to social events, the public health authorities are in the process of updating their recommendations. AU’s coronavirus website will be updated as soon as we have been informed of the new guidelines for the universities.

We have complete confidence that you – both staff and students – will continue to adhere to the guidelines to prevent the spread of infection when working and studying on campus. If you are unsure about the rules, consult the guidelines for behaviour at the university. And remember that you are free to use AU’s supervised self-testing sites for students and staff.  

We’re delighted that we’ll see more life on campus again starting on Friday. 

Best regards, 

The senior management team

Dear students and staff,

On 22 March, a majority of parties in Parliament reached a political agreement to gradually ease lockdown restrictions in Denmark. As a consequence, we now have options that were not available to us at the time of our announcement of 22 March regarding Covid-19 restrictions at the university. Classes will not exclusively be offered online for the remainder of the semester, as we announced at that time.

Students and employees will be able to return to campus to some extent. Below, we outline an overall plan for who will be able to participate in on-campus activities and on what conditions.

If you are a student, you will be getting information about your access to campus from your faculty’s studies administration office, the study portal and Blackboard. If you are an employee, you should contact your immediate supervisor if you have any questions about the possibility of working on campus.

We are now in the process of putting the puzzle pieces in place to determine how to make the best use of the options available to us under the government’s reopening plan. Around the university, staff are working full throttle to make it possible to reopen campus under safe conditions and in full compliance with the Covid-19 guidelines for institutions of higher education. 

In accordance with the government’s timeline, we will begin this phase of the reopening on 6 April; restrictions will be eased gradually and to the extent that it is practicable to do so. And as the framework agreement (in Danish) makes clear, this phase of the reopening will be quite limited. We have been authorised to allow up to 20 per cent of the university’s students to participate in classes and exam activities on a daily basis, and have been directed to give first priority to first-year students in relation to in-person classes. We have also been authorised to give an additional 10 per cent of the student body access to reading rooms, study spaces and group rooms on a daily basis. In addition to these groups, students in their final year of Master’s degree programmes which include a practical dimension that is essential to their completion of the programme will also be given access to campus.

There are challenges associated with easing Covid-19 restrictions that we will have to take into account. According to the public health guidelines, both students and employees must be able to present a negative Covid-19 test (PCR or rapid test) taken no more than 72 hours previously in order to participate in on-campus activities. In this regard, testing capacity may be a limiting factor, as there will be considerable demands on public testing capacity in connection with the more general reopening of society. For this reason, intensive preparations are being made to ready the university to offer students and staff a supplementary testing setup with supervised self-tests as early as possible in April. 

For many students, in-person participation is simply crucial to their motivation and well-being. This is why – despite these challenges – we are doing everything in our power to make it possible for more students to learn and study on campus.

Giving students access to reading rooms, group rooms and other student facilities is high on our list of priorities, so that we can take the first tentative steps towards reviving student life on campus. The individual faculties are currently working on a model for how this can function in practice.

After we announced that all classes would be taught online for the remainder of the spring semester, many students and lecturers have made their desire to resume in-person classes very clear. On this background, we have made a close examination of the new – though still quite limited – possibilities, in dialogue with student representatives and lecturers. In-person classroom activities will be organised by the individual faculties, and there will be a particular emphasis on making it possible for first-year students to participate in in-person classes within the given framework. 

As we mentioned above, students will be informed about any changes in their classes as well as the possibility of coming to campus by their local studies administration office, the study portals and Blackboard.

Responsibility for ensuring that the faculties comply with the quotas for in-person student attendance will fall to the leadership teams of the individual faculties. The faculty leadership teams will also be responsible for prioritising teaching and exam activities, with the involvement of the boards of studies. 

A significant proportion of employees will still be required to work from home – at least until 6 May.

By agreement with their immediate supervisor, the following categories of employees may come to work on campus from 6 April:

• Lecturers and other employees who perform functions that are a prerequisite for carrying out activities with student participation on campus.
• Researchers, including PhD students, who need to have physical access to the university in connection with their research.
• Employees who perform functions critical to the operation of labs, clinics and research infrastructure that require their presence on campus.

We have a strong focus on ensuring that all activities on campus take place in a responsible manner and in compliance with the public health authorities’ infection prevention guidelines. We are under an obligation to carry out random checks of test results among participants in on-campus activities; this means that everyone who comes to campus must be able to present a negative Covid-19 test. From 6 April, updated guidelines for behaviour on campus will be available on the AU coronavirus website, and the guidelines will be posted in the university’s buildings.

We are pleased that more of you will be able to come to campus in April. The faculties are working hard to put all of the many puzzle pieces in place to make this possible. We ask for your patience in the meantime.

We wish you all a good Easter holiday and a happy spring!

Sincerely,  

The senior management team

Dear students and staff,

Yesterday on 22 March, the government presented a long-term plan for the reopening of the country. We are delighted that the universities are included in the first phase of the reopening plan, which will come into effect on 6 April.

As described in the government's framework agreement for the reopening of Denmark (in Danish only), more detailed guidelines for the reopening of the universities will be discussed in the so-called sectoral partnership for higher education, in which government authorities, educational institutions, student organisations and employee organisations are represented.

Once these general guidelines have been finalised, we will consider the possibilities they afford, and we will announce how they will be implemented here at Aarhus University.


Kind regards,

Arnold Boon
University Director

Dear students and staff,

As the government announced on 9 March, the universities are unfortunately still not covered by the government's plans to reopen society. We’re very hopeful that there is light at the end of the tunnel, but there is a lot of uncertainty about the months ahead and we don’t know exactly when we’ll be allowed to reopen campus and under what conditions.

Predictability is extremely important for us, in the interests of academic quality and for both students and staff to be able to plan and prepare. Therefore, we’ve decided on a framework for teaching and exams at Aarhus University up to the summer, and what activities will be prioritised in the event of a possible reopening. 

Teaching to continue online 

• Teaching will continue online for the rest of this semester to secure as much stability as possible. This is also our starting point for any reopening.
• As is the current situation, some courses will continue to be held physically, for example in connection with clinical, laboratory and workshop teaching.
• If there is any reopening, the study environment and academic collaboration between students will have top priority. If possible, study spaces and study groups on campus will be opened, and there will be access to the university's innovation hubs. Similarly, the student associations will be able to hold certain academic/social events. 
  
  

Exam schedules after Easter

• Exams in the 2021 spring semester will generally be held online.
• Practical exams in laboratories, clinics and workshops, as well as exams with no aids will be held on campus if possible under the government's reopening plans.
• A few other exams will also be planned for physical attendance, if there are very specific academic reasons for doing so. The exams in question will be determined on the basis of local discussions in the boards of studies, and will be decided by the faculties.
• The updated exam schedules will be available immediately after Easter. Students can follow the situation on their local study portals.
• If an exam scheduled with physical attendance cannot be taken on campus as a result of the lockdown, as far as possible students will be notified of the new situation no later than 30 days before the exam date.

We’ll do all we can to meet our responsibilities and establish a framework for a safe reopening of the university, with physical attendance in full accordance with the authorities’ guidelines on preventing infection. In the near future, it’s likely we’ll have to consider new guidelines on further reopening, including possible requirements for tests, and we will keep you informed as openings arise for more physical attendance.

For the moment, we will have to continue to study and work from home and stay positive during the spring months.


Best regards,
Brian, Berit, Arnold, Johnny, Lars Bo, Thomas, Kristian, Eskild and Lone
Senior management team

Dear students and staff,

Unfortunately, the government’s announcement of 24 February did not loosen the Covid-19 restrictions on the country’s universities. As a consequence, Aarhus University’s campuses will remain closed at least through 5 April 2020. In brief:

• Classes will be conducted online. As before, in-person activities will only be allowed in exceptional cases, such as clinical, laboratory and workshop-based instruction.
• All employees must continue to work from home, with the exception of employees who perform essential functions. Employees may only participate in in-person activities by agreement with their manager/supervisor.
• The university’s buildings will remain locked, and the libraries are closed. However, it is possible to return and collect materials for use in connection with research and teaching activities. More information is available on the AU Library website .

Fortunately, we will get past this: we will be able to meet in person on campus again on the other side of the pandemic. We’re all really looking forward to that day. As announced previously, we will announce the guidelines that will apply to the university’s activities after the Eastesr break by mid-March at the latest. 

You will find up-to-date information about current guidelines on  AU’s coronavirus website. We also encourage all students to check your study portal for the latest information.

We wish you all a good weekend.

Sincerely,

University Director Arnold Boon on behalf of the senior management team

Dear students and staff,

The government has extended the current Covid-19 restrictions. This means that Aarhus University’s locations will remain closed through 28 February, and that the public health guidelines announced on 15 January will remain in force. In brief:

• Classes, exams and activities in connection with the commencement of the new semester will take place online. In-person activities will only be allowed in exceptional cases, such as clinical, laboratory and workshop-based instruction.

• All employees must continue to work from home, with the exception of employees who perform essential functions. Employees may only participate in in-person activities by agreement with their manager/supervisor.

• The university’s buildings will remain locked, and the libraries are closed. However, it is possible to return and collect materials for use in connection with research and teaching activities. Practical information is available on the AU Library website.

You can read more about the details on AU’s Covid-19 website. The information on the site will be updated regularly.
We also encourage all students to check your study portal for the latest information.

We wish you all a good weekend.

Yours sincerely, University Director Arnold Boon
On behalf of the Senior Management Team

Dear students,

The government extended the current public health restrictions earlier this week, which was hardly surprising. As a consequence, Aarhus University’s campuses will remain closed through 7 February 2020.

Online classes until the end of March
As a general rule, classes at Aarhus University will take place online until the end of March. This has been decided in order to provide you with the greatest possible degree of consistency and predictability.

In-person classes only in exceptional cases
Classes may only take place in person in isolated, exceptional cases where online teaching is not an option – for example in a clinical setting, in labs and in workshops. Aarhus University will strictly adhere to all social distancing and hygiene guidelines in these cases.

No further changes to exam schedules
All winter exams have already been converted to online formats, with few exceptions. This means that scheduled exams will not be affected by the extension of the restrictions.

Understandably, the situation is having a negative effect on your motivation and engagement in your studies. You’re handling this really well. We really hope that you will continue to meet with your study groups, stay in touch with your fellow students and continue to support each other in every way you can. Remember that you can always get help from AU – for example, the student-run AU Helpline, the university chaplains and AU’s student counsellors are all there for you.

We are planning to announce how we will tackle the situation at the university after the Easter holiday by mid-March at the latest, unless the situation changes significantly before then. Naturally, we will be monitoring the situation closely.

It will be incredibly sad to have yet another spring with no students on campus. We’re crossing our fingers and hoping that we will only have to do without campus life for the first two months of the semester.

Have a great weekend, and best of luck on your exams!

Yours sincerely,

Brian, Berit, Arnold, Johnny, Thomas, Lars Bo, Kristian, Eskild and Lone

The senior management team

Dear students,


As all of you know, we entered the new year under tighter public health restrictions. In December, Aarhus University had already converted exams to online formats for the entire winter semester, with few exceptions. This means that the current tightened restrictions will not have any additional practical consequences for your planned exams.

In-person exams will still be held in cases in which in-person participation is necessary – for example in connection with clinical, lab and workshop courses. The university will strictly adhere to all public health guidelines in connection with in-person exams.


Covid-19 tests before in-person participation
On behalf of the public health authorities, AU strongly encourages all of you to take a Covid-19 test before participating in any scheduled in-person exams or other activities. 

You can get a standard PCR test for free at a variety of locations, including on AU’s main campus in Aarhus at the Lakeside Lecture Theatres. Check your options for PCR tests on your region’s website.

You can also get a quick test (also free). Check the coronasmitte.dk website to find out where you can be tested (in Danish only).

Exam rules during the Covid-19 pandemic
Your exams will be held under different conditions than we had hoped for. This situation places extra demands on you, both in relation to how you prepare for your exams and how they will be conducted.

Right before the Christmas holiday, there were a number of stories in the media about problems with cheating at exams at Danish universities. We’re glad that cheating still remains the exception to the rule at Aarhus University. Your respect for academic integrity is helping us make sure the quality of our degree programmes is the same as always.

If you have any doubts about what rules apply to your online exams, we encourage you to thoroughly familiarise yourselves with the guidelines, which you will find on your study portal. For example, it’s very important to understand when and how you are allowed to collaborate with your fellow students in connection with exams. You should also be aware that you may be asked to pan the room with your camera before an online oral exam.  Let’s work together to make sure that cheating at exams remains the rare exception to the rule at Aarhus University. 


Classes and the new semester
We don’t yet know what restrictions will apply after 17 January. We will announce detailed rules and guidelines for classes and the beginning of the new semester after the authorities have announced what restrictions will continue to apply after 17 January.

We wish you all the best of luck with your exams. We hope that you all do well despite this challenging time of shutdowns, limited opportunities for meeting in study groups and high infection rates. We hope and believe that brighter days are just around the corner.


Yours sincerely,
The senior management team

Dear students and employees

Yesterday evening, the government made yet another announcement about the stricter national public health guidelines currently in place. These restrictions have been extended and will remain in force through 17 January 2021. 

This means that all of the guidelines for students and employees of Aarhus University that we announced just before Christmas will also remain in force through 17 January. 

• Exams and teaching are online. There may be a few exceptions, for example in connection with exams and teaching activities in labs, clinics and workshops, as well as in cases where digital exams are not practicable.
• All employees must continue to work from home, with the exception of employees who perform essential functions. No one may access locations on AU’s campuses without prior agreement with their manager/supervisor.
• The university’s buildings will remain locked, and the libraries are closed. However, it is possible to return and collect materials for use in connection with research and teaching activities. More information is available on the AU Library website .

When these stricter restrictions are lifted, a variety of other restrictions will still remain in force through 28 February 2021. These restrictions apply to the entire country and include a mask/face shield mandate as well as recommendations to work from home and cancel social events wherever possible. Read more in the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s announcement

We continue to strictly adhere to the authorities’ public health recommendations. Until it becomes possible to relax these restrictions, we must remain patient, both in relation to the situation and each other. The first weeks of the year will be particularly challenging for students and employees with younger children who have been sent home from school. We must all show consideration for their situation, and we must all continue to do our part to help bring the infection rate down in Denmark. 

In light of recent developments in the rate of infection, it’s not surprising that 2021 will begin in the same way that 2020 is ending. Fortunately, we can expect that the infection rate will begin to fall as spring approaches, and as progress is made in vaccinating the population: there is plenty to be optimistic about here on the threshold to 2021. So here’s hoping for brighter days! We wish you all a safe and happy New Year.


Kind regards,

Brian, Berit, Arnold, Johnny, Thomas, Lars Bo, Kristian, Eskild and Lone

The senior management team

Dear students and staff,

Earlier today the government announced that the tighter Covid-19 restrictions announced earlier this week will now be imposed on an additional 31 municipalities. 

This means that AU’s Herning campus will also be shut down, as well as AU’s locations in Foulum, Silkeborg and Kalø. The new restrictions come into effect on Friday 11 December at 16:00/4 pm, and will apply at least through 3 January 2021, as is the case for the other affected 38 municipalities.

A mail was sent out Thursday 8 December explaining what the new restrictions mean for staff and students in the affected municipalities. The same will apply in Herning, Foulum, Silkeborg and Kalø starting tomorrow.

• Mail to students of 8 December
• Mail to staff of 8 December

AU’s coronavirus website is being updated on a regular basis.

Once again, the Covid-19 situation is making heavy demands on our patience. We sincerely hope that the government’s current measures will make it possible for all of us to celebrate Christmas safely, with the least possible risk of infection.

Kind regards,

Brian, Berit, Arnold, Johnny, Thomas, Lars Bo, Kristian, Eskild and Lone

The senior management team

Dear students,

On Monday, the prime minister announced strict new public health measures. Unfortunately, these measures will have a major impact on most students at Aarhus University. The new restrictions will come into force starting on Wednesday 9 December and will apply at least through Sunday 3 January. They will apply to the Emdrup campus and the Aarhus campus – but not the Herning campus.

The infection rate is still rising sharply, and this will affect the coming exam period and your access to campus. This is what the new restrictions will mean for students at the Emdrup and Aarhus campuses:

As a general rule, all teaching activities must take place online during this period. However, there may be a few cases in which this cannot be done for practical reasons, for example in connection with teaching activities in labs, clinics and workshops.

As a rule, all exams must take place online. To give you as much certainty as possible, we have decided that all exams and re-exams will be converted to online formats for the entirety of the current exam period. However, there may be exceptional cases in which in-person exams are necessary, for example for clinical courses, lab courses and other courses with a practical dimension. There may also be cases in which it is not practicable to offer exams online, for example because of time constraints or out of consideration for the quality of the specific exam. There will be an even greater focus on making sure everyone adheres to the public health guidelines in connection with exams that take place in person.

Check your study portal for updated information about your exams. Students at Aarhus BSS should consult the faculty’s FAQ.

The Aarhus and Emdrup campuses will be closed from Thursday 9 December at least through Sunday 3 January. You will be able to use your student ID card to enter AU buildings through 10 December so that you can pick up any equipment and other belongings you might need. After this date, it will only be possible for students to access AU buildings in exceptional situations in connection with in-person exams and classes.

No student events or activities organised by student associations of any kind may be held during this period.

Unfortunately, the shutdown will also mean that students may not use study spaces, libraries, canteens, and so on. However, you may still turn in and borrow library materials for use in connection with research and classes. More information will be posted on the AU Library website as soon as possible.

Your local studies administration office and your teachers are working hard right now to make sure that you get the information you need as quickly as possible. For the time being, we must ask for your patience.

The government has also decided to extend the current national public health guidelines until 28 February. This means that at AU locations that are not shut down, everyone must still wear a face mask or a visor and stay home if they have any symptoms, and social events are still not allowed.

It would have been nice to start the holiday season in a more uplifting way. But the rate of infection in our society is increasing, and it goes without saying that we will adhere to the government’s guidelines.

This is another long, tough haul and a very challenging situation, and we must ask for your understanding once more. We encourage you in the strongest possible terms to continue to take care of yourselves and each other.

We sincerely hope that through our joint efforts, we can make this a safe and secure holiday season for all.

Kind regards,

The senior management team

Dear students – particularly those of you who have activities in the Copenhagen metropolitan area,

Effective on Monday 7 December, the government has introduced new restrictions in seventeen municipalities in the Copenhagen metropolitan area: Albertslund, Ballerup, Brøndby, Dragør, Frederiksberg, Gentofte, Gladsaxe, Glostrup, Herlev, Hvidovre, Høje-Taastrup, Ishøj, København, Lyngby-Taarbæk, Rødovre, Tårnby and Vallensbæk.

These restrictions will remain in place at least through 2 January 2021, and will primarily affect students at the Emdrup campus.

With these new restrictions, the government has sent a signal that the amount of in-person activity taking place in connection with higher education in these municipalities must be reduced, while still allowing flexibility in relation to teaching and exams.

This means that if you have scheduled teaching and exam activities on campus in Emdrup in the period through 2 January, you can expect that Aarhus University will permit these activities to continue as planned to the greatest possible extent. All in-person activities are organised so as to comply with the healthcare authorities’ guidelines. If it becomes necessary to convert a planned in-person activity to an online activity, this will be announced on your local study portal.

However, if you are planning other kinds of in-person activities on the Emdrup campus in the period through 2 January, such as study group meetings or working in a reading room, you must postpone these activities or participate in them online.

All teaching and exams in Aarhus and Herning will take place as planned.

If you have any doubts about what to do, please contact your local studies administration office. You’ll find contact information on AU’s corona website.

We would like to take this opportunity to ask all students to be even more conscientious about adhering to the Covid-19 public health guidelines. The infection rate is rising. We all need to make a special effort to stick to our good public health habits. Please: maintain social distancing, sanitise your hands, remember your face mask and stay home if you have symptoms. Even though this isn’t easy, it’s what has to happen if we are to continue to have teaching and exams in person. So let’s take good care of each other and do our part to beat this virus.

Kind regards,

The senior management team

Dear students – particularly those of you who live in or have activities in northern Jutland,

On Thursday 5 November, the government introduced tough new restrictions in seven municipalities in northern Jutland that will remain in force at least through 3 December. For the majority of students at AU, the restrictions will have no direct impact – but there will be consequences for a few of you.

The government is asking residents of the municipalities of Hjørring, Frederikshavn, Vesthimmerland, Brønderslev, Jammerbugt, Thisted and Læsø not to travel outside their home municipalities. If you live in one of these seven municipalities and normally commute to AU, you must stay home and continue your studies remotely.

If your studies are affected by the situation in northern Jutland and you are not sure what to do, please contact your studies administration office. You’ll find contact information on AU’s corona website. We also encourage affected students to take advantage of AU’s academic assistant programme for students who are unable to come to campus due to Covid-19.

The situation also affects other students who are planning to travel to the affected municipalities. If you have planned in-person/on-site activities over the next four weeks in any of the affected municipalities (fieldwork/workplacement, data collection, etc.), you will unfortunately have to postpone these activities or carry them out remotely.

The hard lockdown has been imposed on northern Jutland because Statens Serum Institut has identified a coronavirus mutation (known as ‘cluster 5’) that has spread from mink to humans.

Naturally, we will monitor the situation closely, and we hope that this intervention will prevent the mutated virus from spreading beyond the seven municipalities in Northern Jutland.

Sincerely,

The senior management team

Dear students and employees,

Since our last announcement on 25 October, we have received additional clarifications of the government’s most recent COVID-19 restrictions from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. As a result, we have adjusted our guidelines as outlined below.

But before we explain the changes, we feel it is important to emphasise that generally speaking, the conditions and guidelines for work and study at the university are unchanged by the government’s most recent announcement. The most significant change is that wearing face masks is now mandatory in certain locations.

Face masks – ‘communal areas’ are defined by management at local level

While on campus, students, employees and others must wear face masks when moving around indoors. For example, this applies in canteens, in hallways and in other communal areas.

However, the ministry has informed us that there may be areas where employees are not required to wear face masks, as the ministry defines ‘communal areas’ in the following way:

[Communal areas]...are areas to which both employees, students, etc. have access. For this reason, the individual institution may exempt administrative buildings/areas from the face mask mandate if students, etc. do not have general access to the particular area. This will still be subject to a concrete assessment at the individual institution.”

As an employee, you should contact your immediate supervisor for more information on where you are exempt from the face mask mandate.

Meetings with more than ten participants are possible after all:

In addition, the ministry has also clarified that the universities are exempt from the 10-person maximum limit for gatherings. This means that we are allowed to hold in-person meetings with more than ten participants. In-person meetings may be held if they:

• are important and can be held in a safe manner, and if it is possible to adhere to the healthcare authorities’ social distancing and hygiene guidelines.

• respect the maximum number of occupants set for the room where they take place.

Local management is still responsible for deciding whether an in-person meeting is appropriate based on an overall assessment of factors, including the importance of the meeting and the number of participants, and whether it is safe to bring people together from many different places.

It is still possible to hold academic events. However, the ministry has clarified that they must be held during the day (8:00 - 20:00).

Read more about meetings and events here.

Student association academic events – current guidelines extended through 2 January 2021:

Student associations may continue to hold academic events if they are sufficiently important and can be held in a safe way. The maximum number of participants at such events is still 50 persons, and participants must remain seated for the majority of the event. Read more. This will apply at least through 2 January 2021. 

As we have noted, most of the conditions and guidelines for study and work at the university are not affected by the government’s latest announcement of new measures. However, there is one significant exception: both students and employees must wear face masks when moving about in communal areas on campus, at least until 2 January 2021.

In addition, the ban on holding social events at or by the university will apply at least until the same date. This is a truly unfortunate consequence of the serious situation we are facing: that we cannot meet socially and enjoy lots of ‘hygge’ together as we normally do in the upcoming festive season, with Christmas and New Year right around the corner. And we could certainly do with some cheering up – more now than ever. Again: Let’s help each other keep our spirits up as best we can, and let’s hope that additional measures and restrictions won’t be necessary.

Kind regards,

Brian, Berit, Arnold, Lone, Thomas, Lars Bo, Kristian, Johnny and Eskild

Dear students and employees,

On 23 October, the Danish government announced that additional COVID-19 restrictions are required, and some of these restrictions will affect students’ and employees’ activities at Aarhus University.

FACE MASKS

As of Thursday 29 October, It will be mandatory to wear face masks in more situations than before. Currently, it is mandatory to wear face masks in the canteens. As of 29 October, students and employees must wear face masks indoors in the communal areas on campus.

When you are seated in the room you are going to stay in – e.g. a classroom or an office – you can remove your face mask. However, you must still comply with the distancing requirement of one metre and disinfect contact surfaces thoroughly.

Normally, teaching staff and speakers are not required to wear face masks or visor when teaching, but must, as before, comply with a distancing requirement of two metres to the nearest members of the audience. However, teaching staff who teach more than two classes during a day must wear face masks or visor in connection with teaching.

The rules for use of protective equipment in laboratories have not changed.

RESTRICTIONS ON GATHERINGS

The maximum size of gatherings has been reduced from 50 to 10 people. These restrictions enter into force on Monday 26 October and have, at this point in time, been set to continue the next four weeks. Meetings with more than 10 participants must therefore be held online.

The restrictions on gatherings do not apply to teaching activities, exams or similar where physical attendance is necessary.

Unfortunately, social events (including Christmas parties) cannot be held at the university up to and including 2 January 2021.

ON-SITE WORK AND TEACHING

The current restrictions have not been changed. The university’s employees still work from home if this is considered possible and appropriate by the immediate supervisor. When considering whether working from home is appropriate, aspects such as specific task performance, psychological well-being and organisational cohesion can be taken into consideration.

As before, the immediate supervisor can clarify to what extent and how it is possible for the individual employee to go to work on campus.

Again, we have been asked to take special precautions to contribute to reducing the rate of infection in our society. We are fully aware that these uncertainties and changes are exhausting. These are the conditions we share with the rest of society and, unfortunately, we cannot change them.  However, we can continue to support each other as much as we can and keep our spirits up together. We therefore encourage all of you, students and employees, to reach out to your fellow students and colleagues, even without a direct work- or study-related purpose.

This is what we know right now. On Wednesday, there will be a partnership meeting in the educational sector which may lead to adjustments in relation to the guidelines above. Therefore, we ask you to keep an eye on the university’s corona website which will be updated regularly.

Kind regards,

The senior management team

Dear students and employees,

The government has just introduced a number of new restrictions and recommendations that will also affect the universities. They will remain in force until 4 October.

New guidelines for students and employees outside the Copenhagen area

As a rule, in-person classes will continue as planned. In other words, the university will not shut down during this period. However, we must work from home to the extent that this is possible and reasonable given the nature of the work. Research activities and administrative support functions may still be performed on campus if physical attendance is important for the performance of the work in question. If you have doubts, we encourage you to discuss your situation with your immediate supervisor so that you can decide on the appropriate course of action together.

 New guidelines for students and employees in the Copenhagen area

The restrictions for the Copenhagen area announced on September 7 and 15 have been extended until 4 October. This means that on-site classes will proceed as planned. Employees must continue to work from home as far as possible. You are welcome to contact your immediate supervisor if you need to discuss your situation.

For all employees and students

Work-related meetings and events may be held in person if they are sufficiently important and can be held in accordance with the COVID-19 guidelines. If you have questions, please contact your immediate supervisor. If you decide to hold a meeting or event in person, you are still naturally required to be particularly careful to adhere to the current healthcare guidelines and recommendations. Please also note that the maximum size of gatherings has been reduced from 100 to 50 people.

On the other hand, all social events, both for employees and students at the entire university, must be cancelled, for the time being until 4 October.

We very much hope that by making a rapid, effective and joint effort, we will be able to avoid the need to introduce additional measures. However, we will be monitoring the situation closely, and will keep you informed of any developments.

We recommend that you check the university’s coronavirus site regularly for up-to-date information on the situation.

Kind regards,

Rector’s Office

Berit, Arnold and Brian

Dear students

Orientation week at Aarhus University starts on 24 August – and this applies to university’s locations in Aarhus as well. The scheduled on-site teaching activities and intro programmes will proceed as planned, in accordance with the most recent guidance from the Danish Patient Safety Authority, issued 19 August.

On all of Aarhus University’s campuses, all activities must take place in accordance with the guidelines from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. The most important of these are:

• Making sure that everyone adheres to the social distancing guidelines
• Making sure that hand sanitiser, hand washing facilities, etc. are available.
• Limiting the number of people present in the same room at the same time as much as possible (for example, by dividing up classes).
• Thorough cleaning.

You will receive more information from your degree programme about how orientation week and your classes will take place. This will include when you are to come to classes on campus, what will take place online and whether there are any special circumstances you should be aware of when you arrive and spend time on campus.

A shared responsibility

When we come to campus, we all need to be very careful to maintain social distancing and practice good hygiene, as well as contact surfaces like door handles. So far, the general tendency seems to be that we’re all really good at adhering to the guidelines in the classroom – but that it’s more difficult during breaks. Remember to practice social distancing. We all have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and each other – and we have to help each other do the right thing. This is a shared responsibility. 

We have asked for your patience and understanding a number of times already in connection with the pandemic. And we are doing so again. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis will not be over any time soon – and is lasting longer than most of us could have imagined. This is why it’s still important that we as a community all do our part to get through this challenging time as painlessly and sensibly as we can. To do this, we have to adhere to the guidelines the authorities have announced.

You can always find the latest guidelines on the au.dk/corona website. Both from the authorities and from AU. 

This may not be the last time we have to deal with a partial, local shutdown of activities in response to an increase in COVID-19 infections. Only time can tell. But for now, we need to focus on doing our best to stop the spread of infection wherever we are, so that you students can come to campus for as many of your classes as possible.

If you are a new student, you will be contacted by your degree programme with information about the orientation week programme. If you are a returning student, you’ll find up-to-date information on your study portal.

We would like to welcome you all to a new semester at AU, despite the circumstances.

Sincerely,

The senior management team

The new political agreement reached on 20 May on the next phase of the reopening of Danish society will have a big impact on working conditions for Aarhus University staff. Under this agreement, it will now be possible for many of the university’s researchers and technical/administrative employees to return to work in the university’s buildings.

Employees who work at the university’s locations in Jutland and on Funen will have access to their workplace at the university. For the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand, the parties to the agreement have limited this additional reopening to public sector research that requires physical attendance. As a rule, this applies to all researchers and the technical personnel who are needed for research to be carried out.

To reopen in a responsible way, we must comply with the guidelines laid down by the authorities, which will involve a number of restrictions. For example, in relation to how many employees may be at work at the same time and physical distancing, just as it will be necessary to exercise particular caution in relation to contact points like meeting rooms, lunch rooms, coffee machines and restrooms. Compliance will require very detailed planning at the local level, building by building, and this process will begin as quickly as possible. When it has been concluded, details on this phase of the reopening will be organised will also be announced at the local level. In other words, you will be informed by your management about when your place of work will be ready for you to return, and under what conditions.

This additional reopening of the university is a major step towards resuming our normal daily lives, which is extremely positive. Naturally, the reopening must take place in a responsible way, in compliance with the healthcare authorities’ instructions, out of consideration for the individual employee and society.

If you have questions, you are always welcome to contact your immediate supervisor. However, we encourage you to wait a few days, because there is a lot of complex planning to be done, and this will take some time.

Access to campus for students is still limited    

But while daily life will return to something resembling normality for many employees under the agreement, on the other hand, advanced degree programmes will not fully reopen until phase 4 of the reopening in August. Unfortunately, what this means is that we can only give students access to AU’s campuses if they are involved in the selected exam and teaching activities that require physical attendance.

The agreement also states that “advanced degree programmes may conduct oral exams as well as teaching activities that require physical attendance”. This will only apply to a few selected exams. As part of phase 2, the university is already conducting exam and teaching activities on campus. This is taking place in full compliance with the healthcare guidance from the authorities.

We are well aware that many students have a keen desire to come back to campus. We share their desire to return to normal academic life, and we are very much looking forward to being reunited with our students on our campuses.

The Rector’s Office

Dear students and staff,

On 7 May, a political agreement was made regarding phase 2 of a controlled reopening of Danish society.

With effect from 18 May, it will be possible for universities to expand the partial reopening to include teaching and exams which require physical attendance. This will mean that an agreed number of students and academic staff can access the universities.

In the coming week, the ministry and Universities Denmark will clarify and determine the specific details, guidelines etc in relation to the partial reopening. The opening will take place in a controlled way in accordance with the health authorities’ guidelines.

In addition, the political agreement on the plan for reopening states that the following initiatives may be a possibility in phase 3 with effect from 8 June:

• Full opening of public research activities that require physical attendance 
• Increased level of physical attendance at public workplaces

From August, there are plans for a full opening of all degree programmes.

The reopening initiatives above require that the epidemic is kept at a controlled level.

At AU, we are working hard to clarify what phase 2 specifically means for us. We expect to be able to give you more detailed information at the end of next week. 

We are, of course, pleased to see that we as a society are moving in the right direction. However, there is still a long way to go before we are back to normal at the universities.

In the management team, we are fully aware of this and we ask for your patience.

Again, we would like to express our appreciation for your exemplary efforts and willingness to make things work in this extraordinary situation.

Kind regards,

The senior management team

Dear students,

As the prime minister announced on Monday 6 April, the universities will not be part of the first wave of the reopening of Danish society. The physical shutdown of the university has been extended until 10 May.

This new date brings us even closer to the exam period. We would have liked to give as many of you as possible the opportunity to take the type of examination you have been preparing for. This was what we wrote to you on Friday. But this is not compatible with the prime minister’s most recent announcement.

For this reason, we have decided to convert this semester’s exams to digital exams wherever possible. You will receive more information from your degree programme about what this will mean in relation to your upcoming exams.

In other words, we will work hard to offer as many exams as possible digitally in order to ensure that you can complete the semester as planned. Unfortunately, there will be a very few exams which we will have to postpone because they require physical attendance. We are aware that this will have regrettable consequences for some of you. But we will do everything in our power to help you avoid problems in relation to the active enrolment requirement or maximum degree completion time due to COVID-19.

If it becomes possible to open the university physically later this semester, your boards of studies will have the option of administering your exams in the original form in cases in which there are strong arguments in favour of doing so. If this affects any of your exams, you will be notified at least three weeks in advance.

It is no easy task for your teachers and boards of studies to reorganise exams to this extent, but they will start planning immediately after Easter. You will be informed directly when the plan is ready.

Despite this situation, which can be challenging for all of us, I hope that you will have a relaxed and pleasant Easter holiday. 

On behalf of the senior management team,

Berit Eika

Dear students at Aarhus University,

I hope you are doing well. This is a difficult situation for all of us, and on behalf of the university senior management team I want you to know that we sincerely appreciate the way you are handling it.

Please remember to take care of yourselves, and look out for each other. Stay in touch with your fellow students via online platforms – in particular our international students who are separated from their families. Consider giving them a call or reach out on social media – as many of you are already doing - for example via #yourniversity on Instagram. For those of you living in dorms it is particularly important to support and respect each other. Living in close quarters can be challenging under these circumstances, so please be mindful and help each other keep the common areas clean.

Yesterday, Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, extended the current shutdown to be in effect through 13 April. Hence, Aarhus University will remain physically closed until further notice. Even though many days have gone by already, we have to remain patient and vigilant and act according to the advice of the Danish health authorities: Stay at home as much as possible, meet up with your classmates online instead of in person, keep distance, and refrain from attending large social gatherings. By following these guidelines, we are slowing the spread of the virus and helping our health system to cope with the pressure.

At AU, we are still working hard to deliver educational activities, including exams, online. We are also trying our best to address your questions and concerns about exams, internships, and all the other things that have been affected by the corona virus outbreak. Please check the FAQ, which we are updating on a regular basis – and keep in mind that our student counsellors are online every weekday from 8am to 4pm: https://medarbejdere.au.dk/en/corona/faq-and-chat-for-students/

If you need to talk to someone, remember that university chaplain is available via phone, and the lovely volunteers at AU Helpline are ready to chat as well.

Best wishes,

Prorector at Aarhus University, Berit Eika

Please stay at home tomorrow, Thursday March 12, 2020. We will identify adequate solutions as soon as possible

Dear Student at Aarhus University,

The Danish Government has just initiated new measures in order to limit the spread of the corona virus. Aarhus University closely follows the authority’s recommendations.

Consequently, Aarhus University temporarily discontinues all educational activities on the three campus in Herning, Emdrup and Aarhus from Thursday morning March 12, 2020. The university campuses will remain closed for students until March 27, 2020.

We are facing an extraordinary and difficult situation where we all need to demonstrate civility. The university is working determinedly to prepare digital solutions in order to offer distance learning online. We are in the process of testing the technology. We expect to be ready in the beginning of next week in order to ensure your learning. The university has not applied the technology before on such a large scale. Therefore, we ask for your patience.

Please keep yourself informed on your Aarhus University e-mail account. Information will also be available at the university webpage regarding the handling of the corona virus.

Best regards,

The Senior Management

Dear Aarhus University student,

As I’m sure you’re aware, the coronavirus outbreak in Denmark right now is a serious situation. As an educational and state institution, we have a special responsibility to do our part to limit the spread of the virus, which is the government's very clear focus right now. 

To live up to our responsibility, we have decided to introduce a number of measures you can read about below.

If you have any symptoms that could mean you have the coronavirus,you must immediately contact your own doctor by phone and follow his or her instructions. If you have had or are in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus, you must also contact your own doctor by telephone and follow his or her instructions.  

As a university, it is crucial that we carry on performing our core activities to the greatest extent possible in relation to society, education, research and public sector consultancy.

Until further notice, the university’s planned teaching activities will continue, with regard to both classes and exams. However, there is one exception: medical Master’s degree students must not participate in physical lectures and classroom instruction. For the time being, this will apply for the month of March. Read more here

We strongly encourage you to comply with the authorities’ advice on how to prevent infection – (read more on the government’s official coronavirus website – in English).

We will keep libraries, study spaces and cafeterias open for the time being. We are doing so to ensure that you have access to study spaces. However, here as well we strongly emphasise that you must show consideration for others when you use these facilities, for example by maintaining social distance and washing or disinfecting your hands when entering and leaving the room. This is how we can all do our part to limit the spread of the virus – read more on the government’s official coronavirus website in English.

Digital teaching platforms

We are preparing for the scenario that we may not be be able to continue conducting teaching as usual, and are in the process of setting up digital teaching solutions that will make remote teaching possible. We expect to be able to introduce remote teaching for the majority of teaching activities in a very short time in the event that this becomes necessary. Naturally, we will keep you informed about these developments.

Events, including Friday bars

Effective immediately and until further notice, Aarhus University will only hold events like conferences and seminars if they are critical to the core activities education, research and consultancy.

This means that it will not be possible to hold social gatherings such as Friday bars until further notice. This also applies to events with fewer than 100 guests. We are doing this to help limit the spread of the virus in society.

Study trips

Teaching staff and students should cancel any study trips for the time being.

Transportation to and from the university

Aarhus University advises employees and students to follow the government’s instructions regarding public transportation carefully.

Task force and monitoring of the situation

We have established a corona task force at the university which is monitoring the situation closely, and which is in regular contact with the other Danish universities. Get the latest advice and instructions from the university on the corona website. The site will be updated as the situation develops.  

On behalf of the senior management team  

Arnold Boon, Berit Eika and Brian Bech Nielsen