Campus life [2021-01-21]

Organisation of education - Order No. 3

— Redakcja

Order No. 3 of the Rector of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń of 19 January 2021 on the organisation of education at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń in the summer semester of the academic year 2020/2021.

Pursuant to Art. 67.4 of the Act of 20 July 2018 - Law on Higher Education and Science (Dz. U. of 2020, item 85 as amended) and art. 52.3 of the resolution No. 37 of the Senate of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń of 16 April 2019 - Statutes of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (Biuletyn Prawny UMK of 2019, item 120 as amended) in connection with art. 12 of the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 27 September 2018 on studies (Dz. U. of 2018, item 1861 as amended)it is ordered as follows:

Article 1

1. Subject to art.1.2, teaching classes in higher education studies, postgraduate studies, doctoral studies, doctoral schools, and other forms of education at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń in the summer semester of the academic year 2020/2021 shall be conducted with the use of distance learning methods and techniques, hereinafter referred to as the "remote mode''.
2. In the fields of study assigned to disciplines other than those in the humanities, social sciences and theology, classes of a practical nature requiring the use of the University facilities may be held on-site or on a hybrid basis according to a schedule drawn up by the relevant dean and approved by the rector while complying with the principles of the sanitary regime.
3. Clinical classes and other classes that are provided on the premises of hospitals shall be conducted in compliance with safety and sanitary rules established by the director of the hospital in agreement with the dean of the relevant faculty.
4. Foreign language and physical education classes shall be conducted in the remote mode.

Article 2

1. Classes in a remote mode may be conducted online (synchronously) or offline (asynchronously).
2. Schedules of classes must ensure that students are able to participate in the classes covered by the study plan.

Article 3

1. The instructor conducting teaching classes in a remote mode shall be responsible for:                                          

1)      the content of the electronic materials made available and their compliance with the law, including in particular copyright law;

2)      securing and archiving of electronic materials evidencing the course of classes to enable verification of students' learning outcomes, including for the purposes of assessment conducted by accreditation committees.

2. The instructor shall inform the students without delay about the chosen form of remote teaching by e-mail sent via the USOS system to the student's account created on the university server.
3. The instructor shall keep the students informed about organisational issues and provide feedback on their learning progress on an ongoing basis. Art. 3.2 shall apply accordingly.
4. The instructor shall provide appropriate methods for the verification of learning outcomes and shall be obliged to monitor regularly the progress of student learning.

Article 4

1. In the event of technical limitations which prevent participation in distance learning classes, the student shall be obliged to report this fact to the dean for students' affairs without delay in order to establish the conditions for the use of the faculty IT facilities or alternative conditions for crediting the course.
2. The student may request the support from the instructor and the University (via the University Centre for IT Support) in the operation of the system supporting remote learning.

Article 5

1. In the event that the epidemic situation improves so that the restrictions referred to in art.1 may be partially lifted, the rector shall make a decision on the basis of which practical classes in all fields of study, as indicated by the relevant dean, shall be conducted on- site or on a hybrid basis. The dean shall publish on the faculty website a list of practical classes to be taught on-site or in a hybrid mode no later than two weeks before the change of the mode.
2. In the event that the epidemic situation improves so that the restrictions referred to in art.1 may be partially lifted, the rector shall make a decision on the basis of which the relevant dean shall specify the mode of delivering classes as on-site, remote or hybrid in all fields of study. Information about the change of the teaching mode from remote to on-site or hybrid shall be published by the dean on the faculty website no later than two weeks before the planned change.

Article 6

The rector shall specify the mode of conducting examinations and credit assessments in the summer session by 15 May 2021.

Article 7

1. Education in the remote mode shall take place by using the following tools for remote teaching and conducting credit assessments and examinations:

1)      Moodle e-learning platform;

2)      BigBlueButton video conferencing system;

3)      Microsoft Teams;

4)      other platforms and tools in so far as they are used on the basis of contracts concluded by the University or its units with providers of these services.

2. Technical support for instructors delivering classes with the use of the tools referred to in art.7.1.1, 7.1.2, 7.1.3 shall be provided by the University Centre for IT Support.

Article 8

1. All classes shall be provided in accordance with the schedule set by the dean for a given semester, on the dates specified for each teaching group.
2. Office hours and staff consultations shall be held in a remote mode.
3. In exceptional cases, the dean shall agree on a change in the schedule of classes, office hours, and staff consultations at the request of the instructor.
4. In exceptional cases, the Dean, at the request of the instructor, shall decide on a modified schedule of classes, office hours and staff consultations.
5. The academic teacher conducting classes shall inform students of the changes referred to in art. 8.3 via the USOS system.

Article 9

1. Supervision over the proper provision of the teaching process with the use of distance forms of teaching shall be exercised by the dean of the faculty in agreement with the head of doctoral studies - in the scope of education in doctoral studies; the head of post-graduate studies - in the scope of education in post-graduate studies. In doctoral schools this supervision is exercised by the director of the school.
2. An employee of a dean’s office designated by the dean or an office employee of a university teaching unit or the doctoral school designated by the director of that unit or the director of the doctoral school (distance learning coordinator) shall keep records of the classes and persons who provide classes in a distance learning form in relevant studies.

Article 10

1. Teaching classes delivered in a remote mode shall be settled in accordance with the allotment of teaching classes as set out in the individual workload sheet of an academic teacher on condition that students have been provided with the opportunity to achieve learning outcomes and that their delivery has been approved pursuant to the principles laid down in art. 10.2 and art. 10.3.
2. An academic teacher who has delivered classes in a remote mode shall, immediately after the completion of all the classes scheduled for completion in the summer semester in the academic year 2020/2021, submit a written report on their completion to the dean or the director of the university teaching unit, as appropriate, drawn up according to a template specified by the dean or director of the university teaching unit. The report shall remain in the records of the faculty or university teaching unit.
3. On the basis of the report referred to in art. 10.2, the dean or director of the university teaching unit respectively, shall confirm the delivery of classes pursuant to separate regulations in force at the University.
4. In the case of classes conducted in a remote mode by persons employed at the University under civil law contracts, the provisions of art. 10.2 and art. 10.3 shall apply accordingly.

Article 11

The order becomes effective as of 19 January 2021.   

R E C T O R 

Prof. Dr hab. Andrzej Sokala

Order No. 3