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Categories: Corona virus, Current, Studies

Questions & Answers at the Info Session 16 March 2020

In this article we answer all the questions by students at the info session on 16 March 2020.

Studying 

  • How long will distance learning go on for? 

Answer: Until 30 May 2020 unless the situation changes or things get back to normal earlier. 

  • If the campus is closed, does it mean that distance learning continues? 

Answer: Yes, distance learning will continue even when campuses are closed. 

  • How are theses published? Are the thesis seminars organised remotely? 

Answer: Theses will be published online. The seminar is in a month’s time, so there will be more detailed instructions later. 

  • On the Turku campus there are final exams in interpretation in two weeks beginning on 30 March. How will these be organised if the situation gets worse? Is there a risk that graduation will be delayed because of the delays in final exams? 

Answer: We are currently planning how to organise final exams under the circumstances and will hopefully have more information on this soon. It’s to everyone’s benefit that we find a way to organise the exams. 

Open UAS 

  • The open path students are interested to know how applications for the autumn term are processed in case they are unable to complete the required number of credits. 

Answer: Theory studies can be completed through distance learning. For health sector students with placements in the first term, the issue is currently under discussion. 

Graduation 

  • If the restrictions continue and the placements are moved/get more difficult, will there be an option to study during the summer? 

Answer: The Head of Education will decide how many different implementations will be organised in the case of a particular study module. More information on this will follow later. 

  • Will students graduate in time in spring 2020 if it is possible to complete placements? 

Answer: Yes, the graduation day remains the same even if the graduation ceremony is delayed or cancelled. 

Placements 

  • How long is the prohibition for students who are in the risk group? 

Answer: We will follow the instructions outlined by the Finnish institute for health and welfare. We can’t define the exact length of the isolation period. You should also follow the instructions given by the placement employer. 

  • Is it possible to complete the missing placement days with additional assignments, for example? Under the circumstances, the days will probably shorten significantly. 

Answer: Contact your supervising lecturer. We can’t give general instructions because all placements are different. 

  • If you are in the risk group, are all placements cancelled for you? 

Answer: Yes, if you are in the risk group, you are not allowed to participate in any placements. 

  • Do the placements of students who are not part of the risk group continue normally? 

Answer: The placements will continue normally if the employer doesn’t tell you otherwise. 

  • If I have requested study leave, for example until the end of April, and the placement has been cancelled, will I be on holiday for the next five weeks or do I do occasional work for my own employer? 

Answer: In this case we can only recommend that you to follow the instructions outlined by the institute of health and welfare. Try to take theory studies for the rest of the spring so that your studies will continue. 

  • What if you don’t get enough credits for the spring because of the situation? I have been on placement for three weeks. 

Answer:  With regard to student benefits, Kela has stated the following: In the sufficient advancement of studies and the existing instructions for the maximum periods of the student allowance make it possible to take into account this kind of a special reason. If studying hasn’t been possible: 

  • we can continue to pay student allowances even if the number of credits isn’t sufficient. 

If the situation prolongs and if the restrictions affect a large number of students, we could need new instructions for how we evaluate the allowance months or whether we track advancement at all. 

Events 

  • Are events such as the graduation ceremony considered public events? How will it be organised?  

Answer: Yes, the graduation ceremony is a public event. This spring the graduation ceremony will not be organised on any of the campuses. A decision will be made later whether there will be a ceremony, for instance, in the summer. 

  • At the end of April there should have been an international info in Helsinki. Are there going to be separate instructions for this? 

Answer: The event will be organised online.