Terms of reference for the preparation of the 2nd semester of the 2020/2021 academic year

I. Presentation and conditions of application of the terms of reference

1. The terms of reference herein identified aim to guide the organization and functioning processes of the 2nd semester of the 2020/21 academic year and apply to all the IE-ULisboa programmes that operate in an on-campus regime. The exceptions to this way of operating are the Master’s programme in Education, in the specialization Education and Digital Technologies, and the specialization programme in Technologies and Robotics in Basic Education.

2. These terms of reference are based on: the circumstances of a serious epidemiological situation currently experienced in Portugal, the content of Decree no. 3-C/2021 (22 January 2021); the Recommendation to scientific and higher education institutions in the context of the extraordinary measures of the state of emergency of the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education (21 January 2021); Order No. 15/2021 of the Rector of the Universidade de Lisboa; and the content of Order no. 1/IE/2021.

3. These terms of reference may be revised, according to rules issued by public or academic authorities that impose it.

II. Organization and operation of the second semester

1. Until March 30, 2021 (Easter break), all teaching activities will adopt a distance regime.

2. Teaching activities take place through synchronous sessions, aimed at all students enrolled in each class, using digital platforms (e.g. ZOOM) and always at the times officially determined for each curricular unit.

3. The responsible teachers for each curricular unit manage the scheduling of synchronous sessions and disclose the respective access links to students.

4. Until February 10, the coordinators of the programmes/specializations will identify and report to the Directorate cases of students who, demonstrably, do not have the technological resources to follow the teaching activities online.

5. At the end of the first three weeks of classes in the present regime, the coordinators of the programmes/specializations will present the elements for monitoring the activities developed, paying special attention to the difficulties experienced by the students.

6. On March 31, IE-ULisboa will reconsider, according to the circumstances, the way of organizing and operating the teaching activities of the second semester. If there are favourable sanitary conditions and standards issued by public and academic authorities that allow, once again, the realization of on-campus activities, IE-ULisboa will resume the operating model adopted in the first semester.

III. Academic calendar

1. In the academic calendar, in order to adjust holding 1st Semester Special Exams, meanwhile postponed, classes of the Bachelor programme will start on February 15 (one week in advance). In the remaining programmes, the schedule defined at the beginning of the academic year will be maintained.

2. Bringing forward the beginning of the classes of the Bachelor programme is accompanied by the anticipation, also for a week, of the evaluation period of the second semester of the Bachelor programme. In this way, conditions are created so that students who were unable to take the first semester Special Exams, due to the pandemic situation, can take them in the period between 20 and 27 July 2021, with due preparation time.

The implementation of these terms of reference implies the need for an articulated intervention of the governing and managing bodies of the IE, of the coordinators of the programmes/specializations, of the IE Advisory Department and of several IE/FP services (academic services, library, technical services), from the moment they enter into force.

Document approved by the Scientific Council of the IE-ULisboa on January 28, 2021.

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