ETH returns to “normal" operations in three stages

After introducing initial contingency measures to combat the coronavirus crisis back in February and then declaring emergency operations on 16 March, the Executive Board has now agreed a master plan, “Return to new normal operations”, outlining how research, teaching and work will progressively resume at the university for the rest of the year. This master plan is organised into three distinct stages, with different rules applying to each one.

Overall parameters

The master plan is based on the information currently available on the spread of coronavirus and is aligned with the exit measures communicated last week by the federal government. ETH Vice President Ulrich Weidmann, who drafted the plan in collaboration with the academic departments and central bodies, stresses: “We are still in an exceptional situation according to the Epidemics Act, in which the priority is to suppress the pandemic.” The steps announced by the government to ease the crisis should be understood as a fine-tuning of the measures decided on 13 March 2020 (COVID-19 Ordinance 2). They are intended to mitigate the economic damage of the crisis. However, the top priority is still to prevent any rise in the number of new infections.

Basic rules

As always, the health of ETH members – and indeed of the entire population – is the Executive Board’s absolute priority. As far as the exit from emergency operations goes, this means that for the time being the rules currently in force at the university still need to be strictly observed: wherever possible, employees should in the meantime work remotely from home, partly so as to minimise the use of public transport. They must always take care to respect social distancing and hygiene rules. Special care needs to be taken in protecting employees who belong to a high-risk group and ETH members living in shared accommodation with vulnerable people, who must be excluded from any activity where close physical contact is unavoidable.

The general rule is: anyone who experiences fever, coughing or breathing difficulties, or feels unwell in any other way must self-isolate and stay at home. In addition, anyone who has had close contact (less than 2m distance for more than 15 minutes) with someone infected with COVID-19 in the past 14 days must not come to the university.

Last but not least, contact tracing must be assured at all times. If someone falls ill with COVID-19, it must be easy to identify and isolate everyone they have been in contact with. This means, for example, that scientists should only circulate within their own research group.

Aims and stages of the exit plan

The Executive Board wants to allow experimental research as soon as possible, but in a responsible and sustainable manner. When it comes to teaching, the priority is still that no student should lose a semester or even an entire year. Lastly, the intention is to offer ETH spin-offs the best possible prospects and maintain the contracts with industry partners.

In concrete terms, the master plan envisages separate scenarios for teaching, research, and technology transfer as individual steps in the exit strategy. The master plan is divided chronologically into three stages oriented towards the academic year and aligned with the National Council’s decisions:

Stage 1: from now until 7 June
Stage 2: from 8 June to 31 August
Stage 3: from 1 September to 31 December 2020

Stage 1 starting 26 April: resumption of experimental research

Nothing changes for the experimental research projects that have already received an exemption permit. But now the academic departments can allow further experimental research with immediate effect. The priority in the first stage is to gradually revert to integral research while maintaining rules on social distancing and hygiene. The departments will explain the necessary procedures via their own communication channels. The principle still applies that research projects which do not absolutely require a presence on campus should take place at home.

The existing rules continue to apply to ETH spin-offs and Pioneer Fellows who have been granted exemption permits. Other requests will be assessed by the Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations.

As far as teaching is concerned, the existing rules will still apply up to the end of the semester. Online teaching will continue, and students will not be admitted to ETH buildings. This rule will now apply until 7 June 2020, in line with the federal government’s guidance. However, students can continue to request media to be posted to them from the ETH Library free of charge. Print orders to Print+Publish will also be delivered to homes free of charge. During this stage, all ETH buildings will stay closed.

Stage 2 starting 8 June: gradual return to “new normal” operations

Even in the second stage, as many research activities as possible should be carried out at home. In ETH laboratories, however, experimental research will be stepped up and more people will be allowed into university buildings, although they must continue to respect rules on social distancing and hygiene as well as any other instructions issued by the government. The decision to proceed with additional experimental research rests with the academic departments.

Spin-offs based in ETH premises should be able to resume normal operations from the start of June, in consultation with the academic departments. Here too, rules of social distancing and hygiene must always be strictly adhered to.

As far as teaching is concerned, the top priority in this stage is to ensure performance reviews. Written end-of-semester examinations should be converted into oral exams, carried out remotely, or postponed until September. All session exams will be held in ETH buildings while respecting all rules of social distancing and hygiene. At the same time, those bachelors’ and masters’ projects (along with any practicals) that could not take place in any other format in the Spring Semester should be held during this period. Details on the examinations in the current situation can be found in the Rector’s directive (see Internal News). Exam preparation courses provided by the student associations should be organised online and remotely wherever possible.

From 8 June 2020 onwards, a number of workplaces at ETH will once again be available for students, although only in limited numbers and in selected buildings due to rules on social distancing and hygiene. These will be announced over the next few weeks on the Student Portal. All other buildings will remain closed during this stage.

Stage 3 starting 1 September: “New normal” operations

The Executive Board hopes that it will be possible for the university to resume normal operations on 1 September 2020, as long as this is feasible under the rules on social distancing and hygiene applicable at that time. It goes without saying that the Executive Board’s projections inevitably become less precise the further they look into the future. They are always subject to the proviso that the government does not introduce new regulations to the contrary and there is no increase in coronavirus infections at ETH. The Executive Board may well have to adjust the rules at short notice depending on how the crisis develops. And it is best to promise as little as possible at the moment in case decisions need to be reversed.

In this stage, researchers who have worked at home up to then should return to their workplaces and the labs should be able to be fully staffed again. The Autumn Semester 2020 should also see the start of classroom teaching and campus workplaces for students, with the rules on social distancing and hygiene continuing to apply. It is expected that some online lectures will continue to be part of the curriculum.

Technical and administrative staff: remote working still the daily norm

What does the overall master plan imply for technical and administrative staff up to the end of Stage 2? Most of them will probably continue to work remotely from home up to the end of August.

In situations where stepping up experimental research, teaching activities or other technical tasks at ETH requires the presence of certain staff, they will at least partly revert to working at the university following consultation with their supervisor. Anyone unable to perform their work remotely from home should also be given the opportunity to work at ETH again from 8 June 2020 onwards.

Staff employed in the academic departments must follow the plans drafted by their department heads. For employees in the staff units and administrative departments, the detailed plans derived from the master plan by the heads of the central bodies are relevant. Within the units, those employees will be identified who specifically need to be present on site so that operations can be stepped up in accordance with the master plan.

Anyone working at the university has the option to eat on site. The catering facilities provided on the campuses in the city centre (Zentrum) and at Hönggerberg are geared towards the number of persons working in the buildings in the individual stages. A link on the start page of “Services & resources” provides the latest information.

No events at ETH till the end of August

The moratorium on events and gatherings of more than five persons will continue in Switzerland up to 8 June 2020 at least. The government will announce by the end of May whether – and how – this measure will eventually be eased. It has said it hopes to provide information on the staging of large-scale events over the coming weeks.

Given this backdrop and in order to ensure reliable planning, the Executive Board has decided to continue the ban on all events on ETH premises up to the end of August. In the case of conferences, the possibility of organising these in an alternative format online should be explored. Otherwise they need to be cancelled or postponed. The situation from September onwards remains very uncertain. In many countries, high-profile events are already being cancelled well into the autumn. Anyone keen to avoid potential disruptions and costs is advised not to try to organise any events at ETH before the end of the year.

This decision also affects the annual togETHer staff party, which will take place at a later date. “Given the current situation, we don’t think it’s viable to hold the staff party: we want to be able to celebrate without being burdened by rules on social distancing and hygiene,” comments Vice President Ulrich Weidmann.

It is still uncertain when business trips can resume. Here too, the university will follow government guidance. As things stand, it should be assumed that only limited business travel will be possible up to the end of this year.

More information:

Download ETH master plan Return to “new” normal operations