A work meeting of rectors of public universities in Košice took place at the Technical University of Košice on Wednesday 25 March 2020 in the morning hours. The initiative for this meeting was to seek coordinated action by universities to address the difficult situation following the introduction of measures to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic. As is well known, the Technical University, the University of P. J. Šafárik and the University of Veterinary Medicine in Košice have completed full-time education since 9 March 2020 and have moved to distance form of education. The subject of the meeting was mainly the exchange of experience from the previous way of teaching, the coordinated approach in teaching for the rest of the summer semester (LS), as well as the coordinated approach in the area of labor relations and their impacts. The Rectors also adopted a common position on the upcoming entrance exams for the academic year 2020/21.
The most important conclusions are:
- All three universities will create conditions for adhering to the basic frameworks of the already approved timetables of SS AY 2019/20, with measures being taken at the universities in terms of content and organizational mastery of teaching in the required quality, completion and defense of final thesis, state exams, etc. using distance learning tools to the extent needed. The rectors informed each other about the positive experiences of some distance learning tools.
- All three universities are ready to forgive students fees for accommodation in their student homes in April. Subsequently, it will take a further decision as the situation evolves.
- All three universities adopt a similar model of funding the creative, administrative and manual professions during a limited stay in the workplace. Creative employees are fully busy working from home. Similarly, work from home is dominated by administrative employees who, like creative employees, receive functional salaries. In April, employees registered with an obstacle to work will receive an average wage, resp. will take holidays. In May, universities are likely to have reduce their wages to employees in accordance with the law. Rectors will take a joint decision.
- Universities in Košice assure all graduates and their parents that they will adapt the timetable of the admission procedure according to the timetable of the graduation exams. They will adapt the timetable and the form of the admission procedure so that they start undisturbed teaching at all three universities according to their valid academic year schedule 2020/2021. Universities are and will be accommodating also in the fact that they will be able to deliver the documents for the application which the applicant for objective reasons was not able to deliver by the deadline for submitting the application, electronically and additionally.
- Finally, rectors declare that universities in Košice are willing to offer assistance to the public through interesting educational activities. Thanks to his scientific activities he likes to get involved in the fight against the consequences of COVID-19. They also highly appreciate the existing initiative of students and employees who have been involved in volunteering activities for the benefit of the community.
