Dear students,
Dear technical and administrative staff,
Dear colleagues, teachers and researchers,

As you know, the new government document DPCM 08.03.2020 has been issued. Such decree determines the new measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus on the entire national territory, with specific indications in particular for the Lombardy Region and other areas currently involved in this phenomenon.

For these specific areas, the new DPCM reaffirms the suspension of all didactic and curricular activities in person up to April 3rd 2020, keeping in any case valid the possibility of carrying out remote learning activities.

However, research activities not involving gatherings of people, and technical or administrative activities are not suspended.

In particular, we wish to point out that the DPCM does not include suspension of work activities, and that work related transfers are allowed. Thus, it is allowed to reach one’s working premises. To be able to prove that your transfer is work-related, we suggest you always carry with you your University ID card. The Academic body or HR staff can issue, on demand, a statement indicating work location.

In this difficult situation, the University, in agreement with all Chancellors of the areas involved in the new DPCM, intends to:

• further increase remote work activities, complying with service needs;
• promote the use of holiday time, as suggested by DPCM 8 March 2020;
• further increase the use of telematic tools for all compatible activities;
• limit to the essential public access to our services.

Nevertheless, we must guarantee those services, which allow remote learning activities (i.e. lessons and dissertations) to work, following the already communicated procedures. Considering the increased extension of these restrictions, all University teaching staff should try and carry out as much didactic activity as possible online, to avoid a negative impact on the students’ didactic process.

I thus strongly invite all colleagues to use more and more this new possibility to “connect” with our students and offer them, in your own personal way, with renewed enthusiasm, a message not only for their education, but also and above all, of hope and trust.

Remote training is, at the moment, the only possible way to keep close to all our students, as testified by many these days.

We particularly wish to mention the technical and administrative staff, which in these past two weeks has guaranteed, with a strong presence and amid many difficulties, the correct functioning of all main university services, showing a great sense of responsibility.

Following are the instructions for the main university activities – endorsed by all Chancellors of the involved areas –, which will be in all cases carried out in compliance with the sanitary indications held in DPCM:

• all didactic activities (lessons, dissertations, student interviews) are held exclusively online;
• only teachers partaking in Graduation exam commissions can meet in person in the University premises, according to planned calendars and procedures;
• all regular exams are currently suspended 
• library access will be limited to loaning and returning activities, whereas reading and studying areas will be closed;
• all classrooms will be closed;
• the canteen located in Via dei Caniana will be working, with the following opening times: Monday to Friday, from 11.50am to 1.30pm;
• printing services will be accessible only in Via dei Caniana (access from the internal garden) with the following timetable: Monday to Friday, from 9am to 6pm;
• curricular, extracurricular and professional trainings are allowed, as permitted by the receiving body;
• technical, administrative and research activities are carried on in person, within the University premises;
• all public services are suspended in all the University premises, including the University Sports Centre;
• all collegial body meetings are held exclusively online;
• all public events are suspended;
• from Monday to Friday, all university premises will close at 7 pm. On Saturday 14, 21, 28 March and 4 April all university premises will be closed;
• all services necessary to fulfil the main University functions are guaranteed, as previously defined.

The situation is quickly changing, and requires constant monitoring; thus, we will follow up with further communications, with extra and more detailed information.
We are grateful to all for the huge effort, which we are together sustaining, to keep our University “standing” and working.

I feel certain that, thanks to the support of this great Academic Community, of which I am hugely proud, we will overcome this moment with renewed passion.

I embrace you all, at a metre’s distance of course! 

The Rector
Prof. Remo Morzenti Pellegrini