To prevent COVID-19 spread, only half of TUIASI students will be learning on-site this semester

In the first semester of the coming academic year, all first and second year TUIASI undergraduate students will be studying on-site (in the university’s lecture halls and laboratories), as well as sixth year Architecture students, first year Master’s students and all PhD students. All other students will be attending online classes.

During the second semester of 2020 – 2021 academic year, second year undergraduate students will be studying online, while all other students will be studying onsite, including master’s and PhD students (see graph below).

Studies / year Semester 1 Semester 2
Bachelor I on-site on-site
Bachelor II on-site online
Bachelor III online on-site
Bachelor IV online on-site
Bachelor V (Architecture) online on-site
Bachelor VI (Architecture) on-site on-site
Master I on-site on-site
Master II online on-site
PhD on-site on-site
Students on campus 3,850 5,320

Even though some of the students will be studying on-site, they will still be attending all lectures and seminars online, only lab activities will be held on-site. I would have loved to have education and only education at the forefront of this decision, but we’re talking about human lives here and I don’t think it’s for us to decide that the risk is worth it, said TUIASI Rector Dan Cașcaval.

According to the Rector, there was a total of eight scenarios on how the academic year should start taken into consideration, including full online and full on-site activity, but this was the one agreed upon, one that will allow going back to school as close as possible to normal, but still keeping risks to a minimum. He also stated that a lot of students have asked university representatives for classes to be held on-site.

We are perfectly aware of the risks and are trying to keep them as far away as possible from our university. Sadly, the dome that can isolate a community from the outside world, as described in Stephen King’s books, isn’t real. Still, we can’t give up on the university’s role in our students’ professional development, so it is essential that they get to really know the university, not just virtually, in their first years of study, so they can begin to trust us in the later years. It’s also essential that our students feel that we’re capable of making the right decision and of all the scenarios we didn’t just choose the one that’s most comfortable for us, but the one that puts both safety and education at the forefront, added Rector Dan Cașcaval.

The University leadership has also come to an agreement on how many students will stay in Tudor Vladimirescu Campus dorms. According to new restrictions, the campus can now accomodate a maximum of 5.400 students (out of its 8.000 capacity). Statistically, there has been an annual request of 6.500 – 6.500 places in dorms only from TUIASI students. This is why in the coming academic year TUIASI will only host its own students in Tudor Vladimirescu Campus dorms and no students from other universities, as was the custom in previous years.

This is also due to the fact that two dorms will be on hold for an eventual isolation or quarantine case if the need arises at some point, T16 for students and T20 for university employees.

The University Senate has unanimously voted in favour of the Administration Council’s proposal regarding this academic year’s structure in regards to students who will be learning on-site and online.

(source: www.tuiasi.ro)