The Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers signed days ago by Giuseppe Conte has an impact on the UniTrento student community too, with new measures to address the Covid-19 emergency in Italy. From 9 November, only first-year lectures and laboratory classes will take place in face to face mode.
All teaching activities for students who are not in the first year of their progamme of study will be provided in distance mode.
This is probably the most important piece of news included in today's Rector's Decree, which was signed in the afternoon and has just reached the University community. The directors of Departments and Centres have one day to implement the necessary changes in a way that suits the needs of their student community, adopting the measures required to provide the best possible teaching experience.
Another measure that will impact student life concerns study spaces, which will be closed. The Central University Library (BUC), the Science Library and the Engineering Library, however, are open and providing loan and on-site consultation services. Access to the libraries is granted only to the members of UniTrento in compliance with Covid-19 safety measures.
Based on the Rector's Decree, all examinations and assessments will take place in distance mode, except for laboratory assessments, and all meetings of collegial bodies will take place online, too. Measures have been adopted to ensure that students with a disability or special needs can obtain an authorisation to sit examinations in a University building. Work trips to other regions are suspended, except those that have already been authorised for urgent matters.
These changes have significant consequences, but the University was prepared. Face to face classes had started on 14 September thanks to a safety protocol that included many restrictions. In these months, in compliance with the safety rules to access University buildings, part of the teaching activity took place in face to face mode after the lockdown months, when all activities moved online.
Now, with the new decree, only first-year students of all the degree programmes will attend face to face lectures. In this way, the University contains the spread of the virus and lightens the burden on public transport.
To access buildings, first year students are required to check in and out using the UniTrentoApp from their smartphones. QR codes can be found at the entrances and exits of every building; there are different entrance and exit points, clearly marked, to direct the flow of people in and out of buildings and avoid gatherings. In general, stay up to date using the app, wear a face mask, sanitize your hands and follow the signage to reach your destination. You can remain in the building and move around only as much as necessary to attend classes.