Towards a reopening

On 20 May, the government’s announcement paved the way for a further reopening of Danish society - including the universities. Since then, AU has worked hard to ensure that the university’s employees can return to a safe and secure work environment.

Right now, management and employees are working together to establish the practical framework of the reopening of each building and each academic and administrative department. The frameworks will take point of departure in AU’s overall guidelines for the reopening. When the school opens its doors on 2 June, employees will thus have to get used to a new set of guidelines - particularly in terms of cleaning, hygiene and distance requirements, but also in terms of meetings with external partners, etc.

We all have a responsibility

Aarhus BSS Building Services have been monitoring the buildings throughout the shutdown period and they are now busy making the buildings ready for use on Tuesday.  They will clean all offices, contact surfaces and communal areas thoroughly, install disinfection dispensers and make sure that employees have plenty of opportunities to disinfect their own work equipment. As individual employees, we all have a responsibility, says Head of Building Services Peter Bachmann Vestergaard.

“The most important thing is that employees can feel comfortable returning to campus - and they can, because we are following all applicable guidelines in connection with the reopening. And even though they will be returning to a slightly new kind of working day where we all have to be more aware of cleaning and hygiene. As employees, we are all responsible for ensuring good hygiene at our place of work and for taking care of ourselves and others.”

So far, only the school’s employees will have access to the buildings. Students can only access the buildings to take part in exams or specific courses. At the moment, selected oral exams are taking place on campus and things are going well, says Peter Bachmann Vestergaard.

Dean looks forward to reopening

Dean Thomas Pallesen is delighted that the school can now welcome back its employees:

“The shutdown has demanded a great deal from all of us, and I would like to thank all employees for their extraordinary contribution during a very turbulent time,” he says. “Although we now have to get used to a new set of guidelines on campus and we would also have liked to welcome back our students, I am looking forward to returning to a more normal working day.”  

Facts about cleaning and hygiene measures:

• Until August, Building Services will clean all communal areas (kitchen and toilet facilities, meeting and exam rooms) and contact surfaces (e.g. door handles, sockets, hand rails etc.) once a day. The offices will be cleaned once a week as usual.
• As an employee, you must wash or disinfect your hands when you arrive on campus and throughout the day.
• You must also disinfect after yourself when you have used communal areas, meetings rooms, etc.

Would you like to know more?  

Read AU's guidelines for the reopening