In Cuenca, universities return to face-to-face classes

In Cuenca, universities return to face-to-face classes

Five universities in Cuenca and Azogues, in the south of the country, will begin the school year with face-to-face classes and progressively. This Monday, September 20, 2021, the University of Azuay (UDA) did it.

The other four: Universidad de Cuenca, Politécnica Salesiana, Católica and the National de Educación (UNAE) will do so in the following weeks. Its authorities made this decision due to the decrease in infections and the advancement of vaccination against covid-19.

According to reports from universities, more than 95% of students are vaccinated with the first or second dose. For Enrique Pozo, rector of the Catholic University, this is important to achieve immunity, avoid contagion and guarantee the health of all. 

The UDA created a calendar for the reopening of classes by faculties and progressively. This Monday all the Administrative Sciences students returned, tomorrow Science and Technology will return, and on Wednesday the authorities will evaluate the processes.

On Thursday they will continue with Philosophy, on Friday with Design and the following week they will continue with the rest of the careers until the 8 students that this University has are incorporated. Each Faculty will have an occupational health team.

They will supervise that the biosafety protocols are followed, including the use of the double mask and the ventilation of the classrooms. There will be air quality controls through carbon dioxide sensors and review of the use of elevators. 

In these weeks, the cafeterias will provide the service only to teachers and administrators, who stay at the institution due to work hours. To enter the library, auditorium, multipurpose rooms, among other common spaces, young people must have the QR code that registers that they are vaccinated. 

The following Monday, that is, September 27, the University of Cuenca will begin the school year September 2021-February 2022, with students from the second cycle. The methodology will be the hybrid model (face-to-face-virtual).

Each Faculty, in accordance with the characteristics of the degree, will define the moment in which it will apply each methodology. For the first cycle students, they hope that the Senescyt will send the list of the high school graduates who got a place for this semester.

This University welcomes some 16 students and will make available the 'risk calculator', which is a simulator that determines the number of people per classroom and the time of classes to avoid possible contagion of the virus.

The Catholic University will open its doors on October 4 for all students and in person. According to Pozo, 97% of the 16 university students have the complete vaccination scheme and the rest either have the first vaccination or have not been vaccinated "but we will manage the immunization for them." 

The following week, on October 11, the Salesian Polytechnic University will be incorporated with three proposals: totally face-to-face or virtual and the hybrid. Students will choose the modality at the time of enrollment.

While UNAE students will return to classes on October 18 with virtual and face-to-face modalities. According to the program and capacity, they hope to incorporate 25% of their student population to the face-to-face methodology, and they will gradually increase.