Use of teaching facilities during the coronavirus situation

This page provides instructions pertaining to the teaching facilities of the University during the exceptional circumstances. Descriptions of the facilities are available on the facility booking website. These instructions are valid from 31 August 2020 and will be updated, when necessary, on the basis of any new guidelines announced by the authorities or the University.

Instructions pertaining to other University facilities are available on the University's coronavirus information page.

Faculty and unit-specific instructions during the exceptional circumstances.

Themes

Exceptional arrangements in teaching facilities
Teaching facility users’ responsibilities
Further information

Exceptional arrangements in teaching facilities

Compliance with the relevant safety guidelines is required in all University facilities: safe social distancing and hand hygiene must be observed, in addition to which entering the campuses when ill is prohibited.

Opening hours

Seating capacity

  • Following decisions are valid to 28 March 2021: (updated 3.3.2021)

    • No events or gatherings will be held on University premises. This does not apply to necessary teaching and examination sessions permitted by response centres, or other absolutely necessary meetings of no more than 10 individuals (e.g., statutory company meetings). Small-group instruction and any necessary examinations will be made possible by opening facilities as requested by the relevant response centre. (updated 7.1.2021)
    • As a rule, no more than 10 people are allowed to be present in contact teaching and on-site examination sessions. For compelling reasons, the above number may be raised to no more than 20 at the discretion of the relevant response centre. (Added 15.1.2021)
  • Following decisions are valid from 29 March til 31 July 2021: (updated 3.3.2021)
    • Teaching facilities can be booked primarily for groups of no more than 50 individuals. (added 2.9.2020)
    • Contact teaching can be organised primarily for groups of no more than 50 individuals, taking safety regulations into consideration. When necessary, the relevant response centre will assess the necessity of contact teaching and prioritise facility use. The response center makes all decisions on contact teaching and on-site examinations for groups of more than 50 individuals (updated 22.12.2020).
  • A seating capacity in accordance with social distancing rules has been determined for all teaching facilities. Capacities are displayed in the following contexts:
  • In addition to a teacher or event organiser, the number of attendees in facilities must not exceed their maximum capacity.
  • Timetables and teaching facility use for the academic year 2020–2021 are planned on the basis of facility occupancy that allows safe social distancing. (updated 26.10.2020)
  • In facilities with fixed furniture, unavailable seats have been indicated.
  • In facilities with mobile furniture, the ground rule is to use every other seat, always taking into consideration the maximum seating capacity determined for the facility. In certain facilities, extra chairs have been moved aside.

Signage, hand sanitiser and cleansing wipes

  • Hand sanitiser is available at building entrances, in addition to which signage is employed to remind people of social distancing and good hygiene.
  • The maximum seating capacity, based on social distancing rules, is indicated at all teaching facilities.
  • Teaching facilities are equipped with hand sanitiser and, for cleaning keyboards, cleansing wipes.
  • If a faculty has teaching facilities of its own for which a monthly fee is charged, they are responsible for seating capacity print-outs as well as any signage, hand sanitiser and cleansing wipes needed.
  • Facility cleaning has been intensified.

Booking facilities

  • In the booking of facilities, teaching organised by the University will be given priority.
  • Teaching facilities can be reserved for University use only until 30 April 2021, during which time they are not available for booking by external parties without a special permit from the response center. (updated 16.12.2020)
  • Bookings are made according to normal procedure.
    • The planning officers responsible for timetabling will make facility bookings related to teaching in conjunction with planning timetables. If the timetable or facility needs for a course you are teaching change, please contact the relevant timetable team.
    • Instructions for bookings by doctoral candidates defending their doctoral thesis can be found in the Instructions for students. (updated 4.1.2021)
    • If teaching facilities are needed for activities other than teaching or public examinations of doctoral theses, please book the facility using Optime. If you need to change your booking, please contact the facility booking services (tilavaraus@helsinki.fi).

Teaching facility users’ responsibilities

Kuva turvallisuusohjeista

Teachers/event organisers must

  • Comply with the relevant safety and security guidelines
  • Remind participants about the guidelines pertaining to using the facilities, for example, by displaying relevant instructions as a background image on the wall
  • Monitor that the seating capacity of the facility is not exceeded and/or valid regulations/recommendations are followed (updated 22.12.2020)
  • the seating capacity of the facility and/or the is not exceeded
  • See to it that the positioning of the furniture is not changed
  • Clean any equipment in shared use after using them (e.g., keyboards)
  • Wear protective masks according to the recommendation in situations where social distancing is impossible. Please put used disposable masks in the classroom bin or in the bins reserved for masks, located near building entrances. Further information on the protective mask recommendation.
  • Collect and store a list of participants for contact tracing, if necessary, according to the following principles:
    • In the case of teaching, a list of students registered for the course from WebOodi suffices.
    • In the case of public examinations, separate instructions will be provided to doctoral candidates and event organisers.
    • In the case of other activities (e.g. meetings and other gatherings), information on the recipients of the related calendar invitation suffices.

Students/participants must

  • Comply with the relevant safety and security guidelines
  • Observe social distancing rules in teaching facilities as well as in lobbies and when entering teaching facilities
  • Find a seat so that each seat can be accessed without passing other participants (e.g., in facilities with fixed furniture, rows are filled starting from one end, or, if the rows can be accessed from both ends, from the middle)
  • Clean any equipment in shared use after using them (e.g., keyboards)
  • Wear protective masks according to the recommendation. Please put used disposable masks in the classroom bin or in the bins reserved for masks, located near building entrances. Further information on the protective mask recommendation.
  • Teaching-related instructions for students are available on the Instructions for Students website.

Facility bookers must

  • Take into account the seating capacity based on social distancing rules in relation to the number of participants of the teaching session/event
  • Keep the booking up to date and, if the event is cancelled, cancel the booking as soon as possible
  • Notify the involved parties of any changes made to the booking
  • Keep themselves up to date and comply with valid regulations and guidelines

Further information