The Government has announced that the introduction of step four of the national reopening plan will be delayed. At the same time, some adjustments have been introduced in step 3.
From August 15, university students are exempt from the requirement to keep at least one meter distance during lectures. They are still required to socially distance outside auditoriums and classrooms, such as corridors, canteens and at social events.
There will be no changes to the schedule at USN for the next two weeks.
USN has prepared a timetable that maintains a meter distance during lectures. No changes will be introduced the following two weeks, until August 30. As soon as possible after this date full fledge on-campus teaching will be introduced.
– There are several reasons why we do not make changes immediately. Teachers should have sufficient time to plan for changes, and it takes some time to change room plans and schedules. We also urge students to maintain ood infection control at the many social events in the coming weeks. We believe that the students have a better understanding of this if they do not sit close together during lectures at the same time.
PhD students
The Government also made it known today that people admitted to a PhD programme at a Norwegian educational institution is allowed to enter the country from August 15th. They must follow the same test and quarantine requirements as others travelling from third countries.
Buddy week (“Fadderuke”)
The size of the social events on USN campuses during Buddy week implies that we do not require a corona pass for any of the activities. We are in contact with our local municipalities about offering corona tests on campus and will facilitate this where possible. There is close collaboration with the local municipalities and the police to ensure a safe start to the semester for everyone.
Net- and session based study programmes
In accordance with previous decisions and information provided to the students there will not be arranged campus-session in net- and session based study programmes until September 13. Returning full time students to campus will be prioritized, and we still need to limit the number of people on campus so that there is room to keep a safe distance in common areas. It is also not beneficial for commuting students to change the schedule on short notice.
– We look forward to welcoming students to a new semester. The pandemic, however, is not over and there is still a risk of local outbreaks leading to stricter infection control regulations at the municipality-level. We hope to avoid having to shut down campuses this autumn. Therefore, everyone is encouraged to continue to practice good infection control, and please download and use the smittestopp-app.