Dear All!
Guidelines for the University on the organisation of education in the academic year 2021/2022
On 15 August 2021, Regulation of the Ministry of National Education repealing the Regulation on temporary limitation of the functioning of the entities of the educational system in connection with preventing, counteracting and combating COVID-19 has entered into force.
https://www.gov.pl/attachment/db4aab64-cd09-4ba9-b577-d46b910b53a
On 13 August 2021, an announcement was published on the Ministry of National Education website:
with guidelines on the organisation of education in the academic year 2021/2022.
In principle, the Ministry provides for the return to conducting education at the universities edifices from 1 October 2021. The Ministry assesses that the current pandemic situation allows for removing restrictions and limitations of the functioning of universities and returning to standard rules of education. Simultaneously, in case of an increase in the number of infected, it is possible to reintroduce some limitations in the functioning of the University, e.g. blended learning or, in extreme cases, solely distance learning. However, final decisions within that scope will be determined by the dynamics of the COVID-19 infection rate and the Government decisions.
On 20 June, we received a letter from the Minister that confirms the prior arrangements and includes significant information on the organisation of education. Allow me to quote that passage: “I would like to emphasise that in the opinion of the Ministry of National Education, and among others the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, to carry out university educational activity, the limits stipulated in the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 6 May 2021 on the establishment of certain restrictions, orders, and prohibitions in connection with the occurrence of an epidemic do not apply.” That clarifies our concerns regarding limitations on the number of people participating in classes.
The organisation of classes in the winter semester 2021/2022 at the University of Silesia
Aware of the high number of unknowns of both epidemic and legal character, the rector authorities have decided to return to on-site education at the University.
In June and July 2021, the team consisting of, among others, planners, deputy deans, degree programme directors was working at the University. The team have developed detailed guidelines for the organisation of education at the University in the winter semester 2021/2022. It is planned to carry out on-site classes with elements of distance learning, where classes remote classes are to be only a part of the University’s offer. Its final scope shall be discussed, determined, and accepted by the Faculty Committees, Education and Student Affairs Committees, and Educational Councils. The organisation of education within particular faculties and degree programmes depends on various factors: available teaching facilities, a total students count of particular programmes, the necessity of carrying out laboratories, etc. Thus, we leave detailed arrangements in this scope to your Deans. However, the adopted solutions shall take account of, e.g. care for class participants safety, the possibility of switching form of teaching into remote if needed, care for the quality of education, regulations in force. Please, take actions that will allow planners for the possibility quickest development of schedules.
I assume that:
- some degree programmes will have selected lectures carried out remotely (due to a large number of students or to limit the number of sessions in case of part-time studies);
- classes will be carried out in blended learning form where possible – apart from proper technology equipment, academics should have appropriate technical skills and IT support;
- selected degree programme modules can be realised in blended learning form;
- a form of carrying out classes and verifying the learning outcomes shall be clearly stipulated in a given module syllabus;
- a module coordinator shall see to a consistent form of classes for all student groups.
I recommend you to read the Guide to Distance Learning at www.zdalny.us.edu.pl. The Guide contains, among other things, information on the tools used in distance learning at the University, and proven ways to organize and conduct distance learning classes, as well as how to diversify them through the use of new tools and working methods. https://www.zdalny.us.edu.pl/index.php/en/guide-distance-learning
We are aware that the situation is dynamic and the change in these recommendations is possible before and during the semester, all for the sake of students and teachers health safety.
At the same time, I remind you of the regulations significant for the organisation of education at the University in force, especially the Regulation of the Rector of the University of Silesia No. 85 of 27 June 2019 on determining the hours for conducting classes at the University of Silesia and No. 169 of 5 December 2019 on planning, documenting, and settling the annual number of classes, extracurriculum hours, PhD students internships, and educational capacity at the University of Silesia in Katowice.
- Number of students in groups
The decision on the minimal number of students in a group is the responsibility of dean authorities. According to the competence determined by the Rector in the mentioned Regulation:
“After consultation with a degree programme director, a dean determines the number of students in a group of not less than 8 people. In case of doctoral studies, this issue is consulted with a head of doctoral studies. A dean follows the necessity of providing a proper level of education quality and takes under consideration financial constraints of a faculty.”
- Following the established deadlines of planning the educational capacity
We are aware of how labour- and time-consuming is the process of assembling schedules, but it should be finished in time, so it is possible to inform students and academics about the form of teaching as well as when and where classes are to take place.
It is worth noticing that according to the Rules and Regulations of Studies at the University of Silesia, a student has the right of access to information, especially via the University websites (e.g. USOSweb, Programme Catalogue), regarding:
a) curricula shared at least three months before the start of an academic year;
b) valid syllabi stipulating methods of and criteria for marking and indicating a form of an exam or a credit shared within the first two weeks of a given semester or within the first two weeks from beginning the classes but no later than two weeks before the deadline of learning outcomes verification in case classes do not start with the start of a semester due to different organisation at that unit;
c) schedules shared at least a week before the start of a semester;
d) hours and places of office hours of academics shared at the start of a semester.
A significant element in schedule planning is enabling our students to participate in University offer addressed for them.
Organisation of foreign language courses
Schedules at particular degree programmes shall be adjusted to priorly settled foreign language courses so students can participate in a mandatory foreign language course. To that end, it is necessary that faculties planners and the Director of the Foreign Language Teaching Centre meet in order to develop a suitable time for the realisation of these courses. As soon as we set its date, we will send you this information.
New regulations on the organisation of education at the University
Among new projects of regulations by law on the organisation educational process developed by specially appointed expert teams there are:
- the project for regulation on the way of organisation classes realised on the university level,
- the project for regulation on rules and regulations of conducting classes with the use of distance learning methods and techniques at the University of Silesia in Katowice,
- the project for regulation on introducing procedures of submitting and archiving written theses.
In the coming days, the mentioned projects are to be consulted with the members of the Education and Student Affairs Committee members so they can enter into force by the new academic year.
College of Individual Interdisciplinary Studies curricula minimum
I would like to remind you of the necessity of entering the settled curricula minimum for Individual Interdisciplinary Studies into the Catalogue of Programmes system, which is essential for proper organisation of this form of teaching in the College. For the first time this year, it is possible to do it in a programme catalogue through indicating in curriculum modules of curriculum minimum, which can certainly facilitate your work.
Visiting Professors
I would very much like to ask faculties Directors to make efforts to employ at least one Visiting Professor to conduct classes in each degree programme. You can find formal rules at https://us.edu.pl/pracownik/en/sprawy-miedzynarodowe/profesorowie-wizytujacy/ (in an intranet), and here is a handful of practical advice:
- an invited person shall not have Polish citizenship;
- it is worth thinking about engaging a Visiting Professor for several successive years;
- a person with the title of Professor can be hired neither at any university nor research institution;
- you can invite a person hired at a Polish research institute or university as a Visiting Professor;
- a Visiting Professor can conduct classes remotely;
- it is worth doing some initial research among our Transfer4Europe partners and our east and south border;
- if it results from the invitation of a Visiting Professor, conducting classes in English is enough to be noted in a syllabus of a module for a given semester (it does not require any change to a curriculum).
This exceptional situation, in which we have been functioning for the last one and a half years during the organisation of distance learning, has proved that you can successfully and in a short time reorganise the educational process at the University.
Thank you ever so much.
I am convinced that we will do our utmost to face other challenges related to the organisation of education in the coming academic year.
Yours faithfully
Katarzyna Trynda, PhD, Associate Professor
Vice-Rector for Education and Students
Attachment:
Announcement on the organisation of education in the academic year 2021/2022
