Archive for May, 2020
Updated RWTH Remote Work Guidelines
Despite the easing of restrictions and regulations in some areas of public life, the coronavirus still is a national public health emergency. In order to protect employees and students from infection, RWTH needs to take measures that are appropriate in the current situation.
Now the University needs to determine the next steps towards resuming normal operations, which will hopefully become possible soon.
As far as work from home arrangements are concerned, after June 1, 2020, working from home is to be encouraged where feasible, i.e., as long as employees can fulfill their essential job duties remotely and it contributes to improved prevention of infection.
In order to achieve an appropriate solution that takes the interests of all involved into account, managers in the respective University institutions should consult with their employees.
In principle, there are no objections against carrying out essential tasks on campus at RWTH as long as this does not involve any risk higher than that posed by engaging in normal everyday activities.
Tips for Remote Working During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, RWTH encourages its employees to work from home where possible. As a result, employees find themselves in a situation where they are working from home for weeks at a time without having any prior experience. Furthermore, combining working at home while also looking after children is putting employees under greater strain.
In this exceptional situation, there has been little time to prepare the sudden switch to remote work, resulting initially in makeshift solutions.
These guidelines seek to provide you with general tips and hints in oder to make working from home a more pleasant and stress-free experience.
Learning and Reading Rooms Remain Closed Until at Least June 22
Despite the initial easing of some measures, RWTH has decided to extend the temporary closure of its learning and reading rooms until at least June 22, 2020. As it is difficult to comply with the hygiene and safety regulations in these rooms, this is considered an important step towards the further containment of the pandemic. The decision was made with the involvement of the constitutional student body. The learning and reading rooms at the University Library will also remain closed during this time.
Updated Regulations on (Business) Travel
In accordance with the legal requirements, travelers from abroad must undergo a 14-day quarantine if they have been abroad for more than 72 hours. This does not apply to individuals who
- have stayed in an EU member country or in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, or Northern Ireland, unless the number of new infections in the respective country rises above a threshold of 50 per 100,000 people within the last seven days (according to the estimates of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control). Please note that quarantine requirements may be imposed when travelling abroad on university business. For this reason, travelers are advised to check the RKI website regularly before embarking on and during a business trip.
- have stayed in a country which, according to the RKI, does not require any coronavirus-related protective measures
This regulation also applies to business trips. Any business trips which, according to the above regulation, would result in a quarantine period must be reported, and the responsible university institution must ensure that the resulting quarantine regulations are observed. If any quarantine obligation arises during the business trip, this must be reported subsequently.
In principle, the possibility of using alternative forms of communication, such as video and telephone conferences, should be checked before approving international travel. In addition to a possible risk of infection, many states have imposed entry restrictions and/or restrictions on public life and mobility. Travellers should consult the Federal Foreign Office’s travel advice for up-to-date information on entry requirement currently in place. Under the given circumstances, until further notice, it is strongly recommended to book flights exclusively through RWTH Aachen University’s travel agencies.
FAQ About the Coronavirus Situation
Regulations and Effective Dates
Third Episode of the “Corona und das Studi-Life” Podcast
In the third episode of the “Corona und das Studi-Life” podcast, Cornelia, a student, talks to Johann Vohn from AStA about financial problems when studying and what options there are for those affected by this situation. The podcast series was developed by the Student Health Management of RWTH.
https://anchor.fm/corneliah/episodes/Folge-3-Nicht-verzagen–Johann-fragen-eegn00
Rules for Visitors to Uniklinik RWTH Aachen
The coronavirus-related regulations of the State of NRW as laid out in the Coronaschutzverordnung (CoronaSchVO) define the conditions under which hospitals, including Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, can be visited. This regulation requires that the name and contact details of all visitors as well as the name of the patient to be visited must be documented. For this reason, Uniklinik provides a questionnaire and further information on the Uniklinik website. On site at Uniklinik, there is a tent on the forecourt, where visitors of in-patients have to register in order to receive a pass with which they are allowed to enter the hospital.
RWTH Podcast: Our Answers to the Coronavirus Crisis – Episode 2 With Professor Frank Piller
What impact does the coronavirus pandemic have on innovation? This is the question addressed in the second episode of the RWTH podcast “Coronavirus – Our Answers to the Pandemic”.
Today’s speaker is Frank Piller, professor of technology and innovation management at RWTH Aachen University.
Professor Roger Häußling and his team from the RWTH Chair of Technology and Organization are currently conducting interviews with a broad range of university representatives, including innovators in teaching & learning, virologists and physicians from the Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, the RWTH Rectorate, the ASta Students’ Committee, political scientists, as well as experts in ethics, business & economics (including innovation research), computer science, and mechanical engineering. In the second episode of the podcast, he talks to Frank Piller about current opportunities for digital innovation.
RWTH Podcast: Coronavirus – Our Answers to the Pandemic
University Library Reopens With Limited Service – Borrowing and Returning Books Now Possible
The University Library and the Medical Library have reopened on Monday, May 25, for the loan and return of books and other items. Access is limited to two individuals at any one time – please note that this may lead to longer waiting times. The libraries are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.
Starting today, RWTH members can again order books and other items from the Central University Library, University Library 2, the Central Textbook Collection, the Center of Patents and Standards PNZ, and the Medical Library using the KatalogPlus online catalogue. The ordered media can then be collected from the desk on the ground floor of the Central Library and from the Medical Library.
Visitors to the University Hospital are Obligated to Wear a Face Covering
Now that it has been permitted once again to visit patients in hospitals, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen has declared that in order to protect against infection, mouth and nose coverings must be worn in the University Hospital Main Building, any outbuildings used for patient care, and Franziskus Hospital. Both patients and visitors are asked to bring their own mouth and nose coverings. Patients are only obligated to wear mouth and nose coverings outside their patient room.
All staff in patient care must wear a medical face mask when on duty. It is not permitted to wear a self-sewn or simple fabric face covering in patient care. The filter performance of these coverings is lower than that of certified industrially manufactured face coverings. High filter performance is primarily important for self-protection. Protection of others is also achieved by wearing a non-medical face mask, so that wearing such a covering in public settings makes sense.
In accordance with the decrees of the federal state of NRW, children from the age of six should also wear a face covering when leaving the patient room. Younger children typically do not tolerate wearing a face mask, and there is a lack of face coverings suitable for children. In this context, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen emphasizes that medical face masks provide sufficient self-protection and therefore, younger children can also be treated safely if the examiner/carer protects himself or herself with a medical face mask.
New RWTH Podcast: Coronavirus – Our Answers to the Pandemic
The coronavirus crisis is an extremely challenging situation – not just for every one of us, but also from the perspective of society as a whole. At RWTH it also affects various scientific disciplines and operational areas. The new RWTH podcast “Coronavirus – Our Answers to the Pandemic” will feature a multitude of experts’ opinions on these matters. Together with his team from the RWTH Chair of Sociology of Technology and Organization (STO), Professor Roger Häußling will use video conferencing to conduct interviews with the RWTH staff responsible for the digitalization of teaching, virologists and physicians at the University Hospital, the Rectorate of RWTH, the AStA Students’ Committee, political scientists as well as experts in the fields of ethics, economics (including innovation research), computer science, and mechanical engineering. Professor Mathias Walter Hornef, Chair of Medical Microbiology, will kick off the German language podcast by talking with Roger Häußling about the pandemic.