INFORMATION NOTE ON CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19): 1
As per the decision taken at the meeting headed by President Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan for the measures to be taken against Coronavirus (Covid-19), all
Turkish higher education institutions will be closed for three weeks
starting from March 16, 2020.
This decision is for "precautionary" purposes, and in order for the
decision to be carried out successfully, the Turkish academia should
realize this process meticulously. In this scope, individual statements and
practices should not be permitted. It is important to comply with the
circular letters regarding the measures that our state takes and will take.
During this period, all Turkish higher education institutions shall act “under the coordination of CoHE” and within the framework
of the decisions that our State has taken and will take regarding the
issue.
For this purpose, CoHE asked Turkish higher education institutions to
determine a vice rector to carry out the procedures related to coronavirus.
The name lists were conveyed to the Council of Higher Education immediately
and a continuous and direct relationship was established between the
universities and CoHE.
CoHE President Saraç headed the meeting of the Executive Board of the
Council of Higher Education today. The Executive Board discussed the
process of Covid-19 pandemic in Turkish higher education institutions and
communicated the decisions taken at the end of the meeting to the
universities. The decisions are as follows:
1.
Those who are 60 years of age and older (excluding the President, Deputy
President, members of the Executive Board, President and members of the
Audit Board, Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, Department Heads,
Press and Public Relations Counselor and Legal Advisor), pregnant women,
women who are on breastfeeding leave, employees with disabilities, and
disadvantaged groups determined by the Ministry of Health (those with
immune disorders, cancer patients, chronic respiratory patients, obesity
and diabetes, cardiovascular patients, organ transplant patients, chronic
patients) working in supreme higher education institutions will be on
administrative leave for 12 days starting from March 16, 2020.
2.
Those who are 60 years of age and older (excluding the Rector, Vice Rector,
Dean, and the directors of institutes, schools, conservatories, vocational
schools and independent foundation vocational schools), pregnant women,
women who are on breastfeeding leave, employees with disabilities, and
disadvantaged groups determined by the Ministry of Health (those with
immune disorders, cancer patients, chronic respiratory patients, obesity
and diabetes, cardiovascular patients, organ transplant patients, chronic
patients) working as academic and administrative employees in higher
education institutions will be on administrative leave for 12 days starting
from March 16, 2020. Women who are with preschool and elementary school age
children and are working as academic and administrative staff will be
allowed to take annual leave on request and those who do not have any
annual leave will be allowed to take casual leave. The
leave requests of other academic and administrative staff will be processed
within the framework of the current legislation.
3.
All overseas travels of academic and administrative staff working in higher
education institutions, including those previously planned, are canceled
until further notice. In case of compulsory and urgent cases, the request
will be sent to the Council of Higher Education with the annex of the
decision of the University Administrative Board for evaluation according to
the Presidential Circular dated 12 March 2020 and numbered 2020/2.
4.
All overseas activities held with the participation of academic or
administrative staff or students in several areas such as education and
training, academic exchange programs, social and cultural activities and
sports competitions in higher education institutions (including those
already planned) are canceled until further notice.
5.
As with all associate degree and undergraduate students who continue their
formal education, the education of associate degree and undergraduate
students who do internship and applied education in health, teaching,
science and engineering programs will also be suspended.
6.
All graduate students will be evaluated within this scope, with the
exception of students in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.
7.
Distance education programs that were opened in accordance with the
principles and procedures related to distance education will continue to
offer education, except for hands-on and face-to-face training.
8.
The issue of whether the distance education courses offered in foreign
language preparatory classes will continue to be offered the same way will
be evaluated by higher education institutions. The exams will be planned
after the abolishment of the decision to suspend education.
9.
Higher education institutions will inform Turkish and international
students, who will go abroad, of problems they could face according to the
situation of the pandemic such as cancelled flights and suspension of
education for at least 14 days after they return.
10.
Higher education institutions will take the necessary measures to prevent
students, who were studying abroad within the scope of exchange programs
such as Mevlana or Erasmus and returned home, from getting affected
negatively regarding course adaptation/recognition.
11.
The Council of Higher Education cancelled the calls for Foreign Language
Education, Mevlana, and Project Based Mevlana programs.
12.
When necessary, the interns at the Faculties of Medicine can take part in
health services if they voluntarily request and are deemed appropriate by
their university.
13.
In order to carry out the procedures effectively and dynamically in higher
education institutions, a commission will be established under the
presidency of the designated vice-rectors. Communication and follow-up
systems for students will be reviewed and updated. Academic and
administrative staff, and students will be regularly informed by their
institutions about developments.
14.
Considering our experiences under the “Digital Transformation Project in
Higher Education,” which we have initiated in parallel with the
developments in higher education systems in the world in recent years,
distance education research and application centers in 120 universities,
and the competencies and infrastructures of universities that offer
distance education to more than 2 million students, the Council of Higher
Education will take the requests and proposals of universities.
The “New CoHE” will continue to inform the public during this delicate
period as we attach importance to transparency.