Message to USJ’ Staff and Students
MESSAGE TO USJ’ STAFF AND STUDENTS
18 March 2020
Dear Staff and Students,
The virus crisis is placing a strain on everyone. Many of us have family, friends and colleagues in re- gions where the pandemic has been active or is now spreading. To add to our worries, there is now the knock-on effect on the economy and the sharp downturn in the financial markets. This is a state of affairs that breeds distress and anxiety, always difficult to manage on our own. Caring for one an- other is important. It nurtures hope at the heart of our human condition. In some cases, however, it may not be enough. For those who would like more professional help, we remind you that USJ’s counselling services are freely available1.
As we enter the 7th week of preventive measures against the COVID 19 virus, the DSES has set the earliest possible date for return to classroom work and has published a five-page document with detailed guidelines on how to proceed2. The date and guidelines were drawn up after a very frank discussion with the leaders of Macao ́s higher education institutions (HEIs), chaired by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms Ao Ieong U, and they allow each higher education institution a great deal of flexibility in managing the return to classroom mode.
- STUDENTS, please note – THIS DOES NOT MEAN CLASSROOM WORK WILL BE RESTARTING FOR EVERYONE AT USJ. The return to work on campus will be gradual, and only for some modules. You will be contacted directly by your teacher, coordinator or dean if returning to classroom work includes one or more of the modules you are taking.
- TEACHERS, please note – WE CONSIDER THE RETURN TO CLASSROOM MODE A FALL-BACK SOLUTION. Given the complex logistic implications of returning to classroom mode while general restrictions are still in force, it must be discussed with your Coordinator, endorsed by your Dean and approved by the Registrar.
- ALL OF US (STAFF AND STUDENTS), PLEASE NOTE – USJ TAKES EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY THE TRAVEL RE- STRICTIONS LAID DOWN AND PERIODICALLY UPDATED BY THE MACAO SAR GOVERNMENT. Any of us who travel outside Macao will not be allowed to enter the campus and take part in classroom work until we have fully complied with government requirements. If you have travelled recently or need to travel urgently, please inform your superior (teacher, coordinator, dean, head of office). The information will be forwarded to and collated by the Rector’s Office.
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Below are some of the points that Deans, Coordinators and teachers should consider, when ponder- ing whether, how and when to return to classroom teaching.
1. The 1st of April is the earliest date for returning to regular classroom mode.
2. In scheduling classroom work from that day onward, the following should take priority:
a. Classes with students who are ending their programmes should be scheduled so that they can complete their studies before the end of the current academic year;
b. Classes that involve mainly students who have been living in Macao, without in- terruption, since before the preventive measures were introduced;
c. Modules that call for hands-on activities, such as laboratory work, studio-based courses and courses requiring software or equipment available only on campus;
d. Internships and assessments that require face-to-face meetings.
3. The fact that classroom work may start does not mean that it should or must start.
a. Modules that are being successfully run online may and probably should continue online, to avoid the many logistical issues mentioned in (4). It may well be more convenient to limit classroom work to tests and final exams, if required.
b. In the case of visiting academics, it is preferable to organise their modules online until the end of the semester, and provide local classroom support where neces- sary, if tests, exams or other classroom activities are required.
c. Modules that are still to start and for which classroom presence does not meet the criteria set out in (2.c and 2.d), will be assumed to be in online mode, unless a request to do otherwise has been submitted and approved.
4. To restart classroom work, USJ must be in a position to certify that DSES guidelines have been followed for every module. Conditions on campus, therefore, need to be carefully assessed with the Coordinator and a written request, endorsed by the Dean, must be submitted to the Registrar for approval. Some of the required conditions are:
a. Each time, students and staff enter the campus they must present the official Personal Health Declaration, attesting that they have not been outside Macao or visited listed countries or territories for the last 14 days.
b. Until further notice, face masks shall be used in all teaching and learning activities on campus.
c. Classrooms or other working spaces should be accessed by a limited number of students at any one time. Participants must be at least 1m apart. This may re- quire splitting larger classes into two or more groups.
d. All must be aware, and written instructions easily available, of how to proceed if a participant feels unwell or shows worrying symptoms.
We are proud of the amazing team spirit with which you have all faced these challenging two months. Teaching and learning in online mode have been surprisingly successful. We have devel- oped skills, worked harder and got to know one another better, when the opposite could so easily have been the case.
Module by module, unit by unit, we have been collecting information about this powerful learning experience. It is already providing food for thought at all levels. The ideas, expertise and procedures we have been developing on and off-line over the past two months will serve USJ well in the years to come.
Take care. Keep safe!
Fr Peter Stilwell
On behalf of USJ’s Executive Council
致聖大教職員工和學生
2020年3月18日
親愛的教職員工和學生們：
病毒所帶來的危機正使每個人承受壓力。我們當中有許多人的家人、朋友和同事身在大流行已經蔓延或正在蔓延的地區。更令人擔憂的是疫情對經濟產生的連鎖反應和金融市場的急劇下滑。這種令人憂慮和焦躁的狀態總是很難獨自解決。因此彼此關懷很重要。這樣的關懷在我們人性的核心中孕育希望。但是，在某些情況下，這可能還不夠。對於那些需要更多專業幫助的人，我們想要提醒您，聖大的心理諮詢服務是免費提供的。
在防控新型冠狀病毒進入第7週時，澳門高等教育局擬訂了最早的復課時間，併且發佈了一份長達五頁的詳細復課指引。相關日期和指引經由澳門各高等院校的領導人討論後擬定，討論會由社會文化司司長歐陽瑜女士主持。相關指引給予本澳高等院校在復課管理上很大的靈活性。
- 同學們請注意 – 這並不表示聖大所有的課堂教學就此恢復。回歸校園的工作將逐步恢復，並且只涉及部分課程。如果您修讀的一個或多個課程將恢復課堂教學的模式，您的老師、課程主任或者院長將直接與您聯繫。
- 老師們請注意 – 我們認為課堂教學模式的恢復是一種倒回式的解決方案。考慮到復課將帶來複雜的後勤工作，並且由疫情引起的普遍限制措施仍在生效中，復課必須與您的課程主任商議，並經由您的院長和教務長的批准。
- 所有同事和同學們請注意 – 聖大嚴格遵循澳門特別行政區政府制定的旅行限制，並定期更新。在完全遵守政府相關隔離要求之前，任何在澳門以外地區旅行的教職員和學生都不得進入校園和參加課堂工作。 如果您最近離開過澳門或需要緊急旅行，請告知您的上級（老師，課程主任，院長和辦公室主管）。 相關信息將轉發至校長辦公室並進行整理。
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以下是院長、課程主任和老師們在考慮是否復課，如何以及何時返回課堂教學時應考慮的一些要點：
1. 最早返回常規課堂教學模式的日期為4月1日。
2. 由可以復課的日期起，以下情況的課程應優先安排復課：
a. 畢業班學生的課程應獲得安排，以便他們可以在本學年結束之前完成學科；
b. 自採取預防措施以來，以一直留在澳門生活的學生為主的班級；
c. 需要動手操作的課程，例如實驗室工作，工作室為基礎的課程和需要校園內部提供軟件或設備才可以完成的課程；
d. 需要面對面會面的實習和評估。
3. 面對面的課堂活動可以恢復並不表示應該或者必須恢復：
a. 成功的線上課程可能、或其實應該繼續進行，以避免在第（4）項中提及的諸多後勤事項。把必要的課堂活動限定在需要進行測驗和期末考試的科目更為便利。
b. 由訪問學者所教授的課程最好保持線上模式直至學期結束，並對需要進行測驗、考試或其他課堂活動的班級提供相關支持。
c. 除提交申請並獲得批准的復課課程外，還未開始上課的課程以及不符合（2.c和2.d）所列要求的課程將以線上模式進行。
4. 要重新開始課堂教學，聖大必須確保每門課程都遵循本澳高等院校復課適用指引。因此，任課老師需要與課程主任仔細評估校園的復課條件，準備一份由院長支持的書面請求，並須遞交給教務長以獲得批准。相關要求的條件是：
a. 每次學生和教職員進入校園時，必須出示個人健康申報，以證明他們在過去14天內未曾離開澳門或到訪過政府列明的疫情國家或地區。
b. 否則在校園內的所有教學活動均應使用口罩直至另行通知。
c. 應控制同一時段使用課室或其他工作區域的學生數量。參與者之間的距離必須至少為1米。這可能需要將較大的課堂分為兩個或多個組授課。
d. 所有人都知曉如何應對如果參與者感到不適或表現出令人擔憂的症狀，並容易獲得相關應對措施的書面說明。
面對了兩個月的挑戰，我們以驚人的團隊合作精神為榮。線上教學模式取得了驚人的成功。面對困難，我們得以發展技能，更加努力地工作，並增進了彼此間的了解。
面對了兩個月的挑戰，我們以驚人的團隊合作精神為榮。線上教學模式取得了驚人的成功。面對困難，我們得以發展技能，更加努力地工作，並增進了彼此間的了解。
祝大家身體健康，學習愉快！
蒒沛德神父 校長
代表聖大理事會
