Detailed information on coronavirus measures: Common Instruction No. 8/2020. (IX. 14.) of the Rector and Chancellor
This is to inform you that due to changes in the data provision reporting obligation imposed on the university, in future we will have to report on how many of our students are under epidemiological observation, furthermore, how many are in official home quarantine. If you are currently affected by either of these statuses, please complete the Reporting COVID-19 epidemiological observation/official home quarantine form in Neptune.
If you have already been tested and your PCR test gave a positive result or your GP unequivocally established that you have the disease, please complete the Reporting Covid-19 infection document.
If you have recovered from the disease or, lacking findings indicating infection, you have been exempted from being placed under epidemiological observation or in official home quarantine, please complete the Reporting closure of COVID-19 epidemiological observation/official home quarantine form. Once you have done this you may come back to the university.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Kind regards,
Leadership of BBS
Health
Is the university safe from an epidemiological point of view?
Given the nature of the COVID-19 disease, the risk of infection cannot be completely ruled out in the course of social interaction. As is already well documented and known, the virus is still capable of infecting people even when the carrier is symptom-free.
At the same time, BBS does everything it can to reduce the risk of infection. We have introduced the following important regulations:
- The wearing of masks is mandatory everywhere in all the buildings, including in the classrooms.
- We are reducing the number of people in the buildings by holding some classes online.
- We will be cleaning and disinfecting areas far more intensively than on average.
- We are minimizing the number of events and we are making the wearing of masks at these programmes compulsory.
At the same time, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the latest wave of the infection emerged at a time when the universities were still closed, in other words, leisure activities play a significant role in the spread of the infection among those belonging to university age groups. For this reason, in order to slow the rate of infection it is necessary not only to comply with all university regulations but also to exercise self-discipline in all social interactions.
Please ensure that in the course of your everyday lives, in the interest of your own health and the protection of the BBS community, you comply in full with the regulations on the wearing of masks and make sure you observe the correct social distancing.
Is there a compulsory Covid-19 (PCR) test at the university?
No there isn’t, for two reasons. On the one hand, there is a charge for carrying out tests on symptom-free students and our revenues cannot cover the considerable expense of these tests while we do not want to burden you with additional expenses running into several tens of thousands of forints. On the other hand, a test carried out at the beginning of the semester would only guarantee for a few days that infected students do not enter the university but it would offer no protection as regards the entire semester. This is why the best protection is when we all constantly observe and comply with the epidemiological regulations and recommendations.
Isn’t the test compulsory for all foreign students?
No mandatory testing is required at this time. According to current government regulations, foreign students have to spend two weeks in quarantine upon arrival. The quarantine period can be shortened if the student obtains two negative PCR tests. In practice, it can take 10-14 days to organize and conduct testing, so the quarantine period would not be reduced significantly. The International Mobility Department can provide more information.
What should I do if I suspect that I may be infected but I don’t have any symptoms?
First and foremost, think back to see whether you have been in close contact with any person infected with COVID-19 in the past two days.
The following qualify as close contact:
- A person living in the same household (or halls of residence room) with a person infected with COVID-19;
- A person who had direct physical contact (for instance, through a handshake) with a person infected with COVID-19;
- A person who was in contact with the infectious mucus of the COVID-19 patient without using protective equipment (for example, the person was coughed on or the person touched a used paper tissue with bare hands);
- A person who was in personal contact with a person infected with COVID-19 (at a distance of less than 2 metres and for a duration exceeding 15 minutes without a mask covering the nose and mouth);
- A person who was in an enclosed area together with a person infected with COVID-19 (at a distance of less than 2 metres and for a duration exceeding 15 minutes without a mask covering the nose and mouth);
- During a flight:
- a person who sat up to 2 seats away – in any direction – from a person infected with COVID-19,
- a travel companion or other person caring for a COVID-19 patient.
If any of the above apply to you, then you have to reckon on the possibility of being infected. In this case, stay at home for two weeks calculated from your last contact with the infected person and minimize contact with others. If you are a Hungarian citizen living in halls if residence, travel home. If you are a foreign citizen living in the halls of residence or the youth hostels rented by BBS, please contact immediately your international coordinator and they will help you to find a quarantine pension or flat. The expenses of the quarantine will be partially covered by BBS. Foreign students should report their place of quarantine to the International Mobility Department. At the same time, please notify your lecturers if you will be unable to attend classes for a certain time, but only if class activities in the given subject count towards your semester result.
What should I do if I display symptoms typical for the infectious disease?
According to WHO data, the symptoms of COVID-19 are the following:
Common symptoms:
- Fever (88%)
- Dry cough (68%)
- Fatigue (38%)
Furthermore, occasionally:
- Productive cough (33%)
- Shortness of breath (19%)
- Sore throat (14%)
- Headache (14%)
- Muscle or joint pain (15%)
- Shivering (11%)
Rare symptoms:
- Vomiting (5%)
- Diarrhoea (4%)
In the event that you display any of these symptoms, you must stay at home for two weeks. If you are a Hungarian citizen in halls of residence, please return home immediately and do not meet other students.
If you are a foreign citizen living in the halls of residence or the youth hostels rented by BBS, please contact immediately your international coordinator and they will help you to move into a quarantine pension or flat. The expenses of the quarantine will be partially covered by BBS.
Consult with your GP and follow the doctor’s instructions. Foreign students should report if they feel any symptoms of COVID-19 to the International Mobility Department as well as to the administration of halls of residence or youth hostels. At the same time, please notify your lecturers if you will be unable to attend classes for a certain time, but only if class activities in the given subject count towards your semester result.
What should I do if a positive PCR test proves I have the COVID-19 disease?
Follow the instructions of the healthcare institution treating you or the epidemiological authority. You may not go in to the university and you may not meet other students. If you are still staying in the halls of residence when you get the test result, immediately notify the head of the halls of residence about the fact of your infection. He/she will arrange for your isolation. At the same time, organize your earliest possible return home, if you are a Hungarian citizen.
If you are a foreign citizen living in the halls of residence or the youth hostels rented by BBS, please contact immediately your international coordinator and they will help you to move into a quarantine pension or flat. The expenses of the quarantine will be partially covered by BBS.
You must complete the Neptune questionnaire entitled ‘Reporting Covid-19 infection’. It is designed so that we have an up-to-date picture of the infection rate among our students. We do not forward personal information to anyone and we only publish total headcounts in reports on the infection.
If you have the opportunity, please inform your lecturers that you will not be taking part in classes for a time. It is recommended you do this only if class activities in the given subject count towards your semester result.
I have recovered from COVID-19 infection. Now what do I do?
Complete the Neptune questionnaire entitled ‘Closure of Covid-19 infection case’.
Having been cured, you can return to classes and the halls of residence.
I noticed that epidemiological regulations are being broken at the university. What can I do?
There may be cases when people do not wear masks, containers of soap/disinfectant are empty, social distancing rules are not being observed etc. Students can report these instances at koronavirus@uni-bge.hu.
I feel discriminated against in relation to the disease or suspicion of being infected.
Submit a report about this to the deputy dean of education of the relevant faculty.
Study questions
How is teaching being organized in the autumn semester?
The organization of this semester’s teaching has been built on the experiences of the previous semester and epidemiological recommendations, naturally in coordination with the Student Union. During this semester we will be running hybrid teaching (attendance + online), which as regards its details will always be adjusted to the prevailing situation.
Our basic principle is exactly the same as in spring: our students cannot suffer any disadvantage due to epidemiological measures. At the beginning of the semester, we will be teaching amidst the following frames:
- In full-time classes, lectures with more than 50 students are held online. We upload lecture notes onto the university servers thus allowing students to choose when to view them. You will receive information about the specifics of each subject and lectures from the subject guide and the lecturers.
- We are arranging lectures with fewer than 50 students and practice classes in attendance teaching form.
- Regulations on class attendance (as regards the number of missed classes permitted) are far more flexible in comparison with normal education (see below).
- For correspondence courses, the vast majority of classes are arranged online, with provisions for personal consultation also being made.
- Lecturers have worked out subject performance criteria in such a way that, if necessary, it is possible to switch to distance learning for the given subject.
Measures may be modified at any time during the semester to take account of changes in the epidemiological situation.
What are the regulations on being absent from classes?
The Student Requirement System states that “Compulsory class attendance may be required if the class work is included in the semester assessment of the student's performance based on the system of subject criteria. […] Even in the case of compulsory class attendance, the signature may not be refused if the student has duly confirmed his/her absence (doctor’s certificate, dean's authorization etc.) or if the extent of the non-verified absence does not exceed 20% of classes.” In the current semester, this regulation is being modified so that absence does not have to be verified. We are reckoning on a part of our student body staying away from classes due to suspected infection or out of a sense of caution, and generally in these cases it is not possible to ask for a doctor’s certificate.
Will it be possible to reduce the fees or foreign language supplement given that a part of classes will be held online?
Under current plans, a part of our teaching will be conducted in online form in this semester for safety reasons: in non-attendance courses, the transfer of knowledge and the development of skills does not – in part – take place within the framework of classes, but instead through communication in the form of distance learning, with teaching material published online and online tools. In whichever form we teach, we will not diverge from the originally determined number of classes and we ensure that every student can prepare for completion of the courses taken appropriately. Therefore, we do not consider it justified to implement a general reduction in the fee or the foreign language supplement.
Can the university ease the financial burden in any way?
Last semester, the sudden switchover to distance education resulted in additional costs for the university whereas overall we were only able to cut our expenditures to a minimal extent due to a slight reduction in maintenance and utility costs, as well as cancelled events and official trips.
However, from the savings that have thus arisen we immediately established a new scholarship (social-based scholarship for fee-paying students), which we will be disbursing to those in need this semester.
How will things work for students on correspondence courses this semester?
For correspondence courses, the vast majority of classes are arranged online, with provisions for personal consultation also being made.
How will exams be arranged?
For the time being it is impossible to say how the epidemic will develop at the end of the academic year. Currently we are planning to proceed in line with the general provisions of the Student Requirement System but if necessary and justified, we will organize all or a part of the exams online similarly to the previous semester. We will provide precise details of this later on.
Will online classes be held in the time interval registered in Neptune?
Lecturers were primarily asked to make the curriculum available regardless of the timetable, especially for the lectures. For smaller courses, there may be joint activities (for example, group work, interactive activities involving the lecturer) where the simultaneous online presence of the students may be necessary and justified, which can take place at the scheduled class time for practical reasons. Please make sure you review the subject performance conditions regarding this issue.
In what form and with what means will students with special situations have access to educational material required to complete the subjects during distance learning?
Inasmuch as any of the published material is unsuitable in any respect whatsoever for students with special needs, please contact the deputy dean of education of the relevant faculty.
How will the university guarantee teaching in the event that one or more lecturers are unable to hold attendance classes due to viral infection or the suspicion thereof?
Even during normal teaching times it can happen that a lecturer falls ill. In this case, the head of department responsible for the subject decides whether the class is given to another lecturer for the duration of the absence of the original lecturer, or the class is to be held at a later date with attendance teaching or online, depending on the prevailing situation.
Dissertations and state examinations
Will there be any changes to regulations on the preparation of dissertations?
For the time being it is impossible to say how the epidemic will develop at the end of the academic year. Currently we are planning to proceed in line with the general provisions of the Student Requirement System. We will provide precise details of this later on.
How does the current situation impact on state examinations?
For the time being it is impossible to say how the epidemic will develop at the end of the academic year. Currently we are planning to proceed in line with the general provisions of the Student Requirement System but if necessary and justified, we will organize the exams online similarly to the previous semester. We will provide precise details of this later on.
Scholarships and finance
Does the current situation influence in any way disbursement of scholarships?
Naturally it will not have any effect. Entitlement to scholarships will not change either. Disbursement of scholarships is guaranteed.
Can an extraordinary social scholarship be requested in the case where either parent is made redundant or is on unpaid leave?
Yes, pursuant to paragraphs (8) and (11) of Article 93. § of the Student Requirement System. In addition, during the epidemic we have a special scholarship fund offering social-type support to fee-paying students.
Can a discretionary ruling by the dean be requested to reduce the fee in the case where either parent is made redundant or is on unpaid leave?
A discretionary ruling can be requested irrespective of the crisis. Under the provisions of the Student Requirement System, a reduction in the fee is the responsibility of the faculties, which they may implement assuming the drop in revenues does not jeopardize their operation. Due to the emergency situation, it is certain that the expenditures financed directly or indirectly by the faculties will decrease (for example, the cost of Mobility Supplementary Scholarships, events), so some additional resources may be freed up. Unfortunately, however, the options are limited.
Professional practice
To what extent does the current situation influence professional practice?
At the moment, there are far fewer internship opportunities in certain sectors of the economy (particularly tourism) than in normal circumstances. This is why we take a more flexible approach to curriculum requirements with regard to the selection of places for professional practice, also permitting sites for internships of a slightly different profile to that of the given specialist field. BBS can also supply you with places for professional practice. Please watch for related information on this subject.
Service/administration
In what form is it possible to arrange Front Office matters?
Administrative matters in Front Office and the faculties can be arranged in person and by e-mail. In the case of Front Offices, check to see if it is necessary to make an appointment or whether there are other restrictions that need to be taken into account. It is possible, for instance, that in order to reduce overcrowding, only certain administrative matters can be arranged at certain times.
How can I collect my diploma?
The diploma can be collected from Front Office after making an appointment. We will be arranging the degree awards ceremony only if the prevailing epidemiological regulations permit such an event.
Can we use the library?
Libraries can currently be visited. Masks must be worn and social distancing of minimum 1.5 metres must be maintained in the area of the University Central Library and Member Libraries, and it is highly recommended to take advantage of the hand disinfectant dispensers positioned in these libraries. Reservations and booking of library services can be made by prior appointment.
At any times where personal use is suspended, we arrange for library services to be made available online. Librarians will similarly be available on online platforms during working hours. They will be able to help in searching for professional literature, database use and in answering any other library-related questions. When closed, member libraries do not impose a late return penalty charge.
ERASMUS
Will BBS restrict the outgoing travel of ERASMUS scholarship holders?
No. Outgoing travel can be arranged, assuming compliance with the epidemiological measures of the recipient country. If there is no way to fulfil their academic obligations, their early return will be considered an extraordinary event and all costs incurred under the rules and framework of the given programme may be settled. If their university offers the opportunity to conduct studies in the form of distance learning, it is recommended to take advantage of this in order to obtain the credits.