SEGOVIA, September 8th. Santa Cruz la Real campus opened its doors again in June to host seminars and to show how ready a university could be.
When IE University closed its campus after the first case in the institution, the entire staff faced an unprecedented challenge: moving from face-to-face classes to online classes within 24 hours. The 5th of March the first Adobe Connect online class took place for all bachelors. It was the first of many online sessions.
Six months later, IE launched its liquid learning campaign. A hybrid format that enables students to follow their classes whether on campus or Zoom. Students stuck in their home countries can then carry on their education without having to leave or to put themselves in danger.
This new format was followed by many health measures. Serological tests, daily self-check up, wearing of masks, social distancing, limited groups in classrooms, and so on. In order to be allowed on campus, the daily check up has to be filled, requiring no COVID19 compatible-symptoms. Classrooms allow a maximum of 25 students, each of these latter sitting with one empty seat between them. Blood tests have to be taken 4 to 7 days prior arrival on campus, to detect antibodies, and then access on campus can be allowed. IE also launched its COVID tracer app, which allows the university’s medical staff to have a medical folder for each of the students in order to prevent any potential closure of the campus.
While most universities all over the world announced that their campus will remain closed, IE university invested in an UV robot that will disinfect the campus every night in order to maintain health safety for the student and the university’s staff. Even the most prestigious university in the world, Cambridge, announced that all of the classes will be dispensed online.
For now, the pandemic is still going, with cases still increasing, universities will still have to face this challenge until a vaccine is found. Students will have to continue adapting to online classes, and full to face to face classes will have to wait.
