IE University, ready to begin the academic year 2020-2021

Mandatory serological test

All students, professors, and staff are obligated to take an ELISA type antibody detection test before accessing the IE University campus at the start of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Self-assessment of compatible symptoms and daily record

In order to access campus, students, professors, and staff must update IE University’s COVID-19 Tracer Web App every day. The COVID-19 Tracer Web App has been designed to help the IE community monitor their health and report COVID-19 compatible symptoms.

When a “suspected case” of a student, professor, or staff member is detected on the COVID-19 Tracer Web App, the medical team will activate the protocol for monitoring the individual and follow up with his or her contacts, paying special attention to the individual’s classmates or coworkers.

Mandatory use of masks

All individuals who access IE University buildings must wear a protective mask at all times. Whiling wearing a masks does not completely prevent the possibility of contagion, it does significantly reduce it, especially when everyone wears them. Faculty can deliver classes without a mask if they are separated from students by protective screens.

Handwashing

Hand hygiene is among the most recommended and effective measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic and to minimize transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and other infections. Hygiene recommendations must be followed inside and outside of IE University facilities. In this link you will find WHO recommendations: Hand Hygiene WHO.

Physical distancing

It is recommended that individuals maintain a safe distance from one another, between greater than 1.5 meters, in order to reduce the risk of contagion. Classrooms and workspace areas have been adjusted accordingly. From the epidemiological point of view, a concentration of people in a confined space is a risk factor for infectious disease, especially when the disease is transmitted by respiratory drops, as is the case with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This is compounded by the fact that the disease can be transmitted by individuals who are asymptomatic or with very mild symptoms.

Classroom entry and exit

Students must enter the classroom in an orderly manner and respect the minimum safety distance of 1.5 meters between themselves and their classmates, professors, and staff members. Crowds should be avoided and blocking entry and exits of the classroom is prohibited. Once in the classroom each student will remain in his or her seat and wait for the professor.

Professors will be the last to enter and the first to exist the classroom. Once the professor enters the classroom, no more students will be able to enter.  If students have questions at the end of the class, these must be resolved online, via email or videoconferencing.  At the end of the class, all tables -- those of the professor and the students -- must be cleared in order to facilitate room cleaning between classes.

All these rules of behavior are mandatory in order to guarantee the ethical commitment made by the entire IE community towards the health of others.

IE University has developed a liquid learning model to transform the educational experience in all undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education programs. With the new model, programs will have an innovative design that integrates classes on campus for all of IE University’s students, who currently hail from 140 countries.  Hybrid sessions will simultaneously connect face-to-face students with online students for the same immersive experience and academic quality. In addition, asynchronous sessions will allow the development of individual work with the support of faculty.  This new format will provide flexibility to students and reinforce active and personalized learning, and focuses on solving real world problems.  IE University has redesigned all courses with new methodologies, contents, and academic materials to adapt the programs to this mew model of liquid learning.  The institution is also redesigning its facilities and equipping classrooms with technological solutions that enhance interaction.

IE University has 20 years of experience in online training and was a pioneer in Europe with the launch of its first online masters. The quality of the institution’s online programs is recognized by international media such as QS and the Financial Times, which consider IE University the 1st and 2nd best in the world in their annual online MBA program rankings.