Work trips within Iceland and weekend closure

Message for the rector to all students and staff 19 March 2020

"Dear students and staff,

The University of Iceland Emergency Response Board met this morning (19 March 2020) to discuss matters relating to COVID-19.

Work trips / field trips within Iceland and outdoor fieldwork

• Guidelines for work trips / field trips and outdoor fieldwork have been issued, see below.

Weekend closure and cleaning

• After midday tomorrow, Friday, up to midday on Monday, all University of Iceland buildings will be thoroughly cleaned in order to reduce the risk of infection. Staff working on site are therefore asked to leave University premises no later than 12 pm on Friday and those coming into work on Monday must arrive after 12 pm. Staff are kindly asked to leave everything tidy to facilitate the cleaning.

Organisation of teaching, learning, assessment and exams

• Students are urged to keep going despite these enormously challenging circumstances. Work is now underway to provide even better support for online learning and to reorganise course assessment and examinations. Students will be kept up to date with the progression of this work.

Flexible working arrangements

• The Emergency Response Board reminds staff that they are permitted to work flexibly, provided they have discussed this with their manager. Work flexibly.

General information can be found on the University of Iceland's COVID-19 web page. We also remind students of the available web chat services.

Staff are asked to report quarantine or infection to their manager. Students are kindly asked to report these things to their faculty. Schools will then pass the information on to the Emergency Response Board at neydarstjorn@hi.is.

Civil defence is in our hands.

Best regards,
Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector/President"