Newsletter from the President of Aix-Marseille University
to the entire university community
Dear all,
With the deconfinement and the latest government measures announced yesterday by the Prime Minister now allowing us to move around freely in France, the return to a more ordinary pace of life is taking shape.
As announced in our last communications, on Tuesday 2 June we will be entering phase 3 of our Disaster Recovery Plan. This evolving DRP was adopted by our Board of Directors this week and has been widely distributed to you. As you know, our instructions remain cautious: teleworking remains the recommended organisation; your health and that of your loved ones remains the priority.
To keep the links and positive thoughts between us, we're continuing to exchange information using all the methods of communication that have been important to us over the last three months, and adopting a brand new channel: a mobile application dedicated to you whenever you need it.
Stay safe, take care and let's carry on together.
1. Phase 3 of the Business Resumption Plan: voluntary and progressive
From 2 June until further notice, a small increase in the number of face-to-face staff is authorised, again on a voluntary basis and organised by each department and component. The aim is to be able to carry out non-teleworking activities in the office, as set out in the PRA, or to be able to welcome colleagues who would like to return temporarily, within reasonable limits in order to comply with health and safety regulations.
During this phase, you must inform your line manager of your wish to return, so that the flow of people on site can be managed and health instructions respected.
As a reminder, the additional criteria of our PRA specify :
- The principle of voluntariness, which each employee will have expressed to his or her superior, subject to the requirements of the service, which may require a return.
- The resumption of school rhythms and childcare for colleagues.
- Means of getting to work. People who travel on foot, by bicycle or by private vehicle will be given priority for the face-to-face sessions.
- The confinement of vulnerable people or people whose state of health is incompatible with the health situation - according to the advice of the health authorities or, failing that, the prevention doctor or the doctor treating them.
- The confinement of anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or in direct contact with people showing these symptoms.
- Compliance with barrier measures and actions, in particular the rule of social distancing between two agents and regular hand washing, requiring sufficient stocks of soap and hydro-alcoholic gel, cleaning of premises between shifts at the same office, etc.
- Student arrangements for placements :
From 2 June, students who so wish will be able to return to their work placements (a volunteer form has been sent to you by your faculty or school/institute). Beforehand, we will have checked with your host company to ensure that it is complying with the health regulations in force.
As travelling abroad is always prohibited, this authorisation only applies to placements in France, not abroad. It does not include health students, whose placements are governed by special terms and conditions.
- Research activity in the field :
Missions can be resumed as normal if they correspond to an activity in the unit's PRA.
From 2 June, the procedure for validation of field missions by the Vice-President in charge of research will no longer apply, and staff with a permanent mission order will be able to use it again.
Health measures remain in force, however, and those responsible for the staff members leaving on mission must ensure that all measures are taken to guarantee their health and safety.
Please note that although traffic is no longer restricted in mainland France, outside the Ile-de-France region, it is still not possible to leave the country.
Download the full updated PRA document here
2. Inst'AMU: AMU as a mobile app in your pocket
I am particularly pleased to announce the launch in the middle of next week of a free mobile application for all members of our community: Inst'AMU.
In its first version, its content is dedicated to the organisational arrangements linked to COVID-19 and is intended to help you.
Its aim: to maintain our immediate links despite the measures that are still being imposed on us - teleworking, e-learning students, the approaching summer period... In this context, we need to be there for anyone, whenever they need us.
Since the beginning of the crisis, keeping in touch with colleagues and students has been at the heart of our problem.
And if your many testimonials are anything to go by, we've managed to keep our links intact. We have even strengthened our solidarity thanks to the regular messages sent by email, thanks to social networks, thanks to the web, via SMS inviting you to contact the teams, via telephone conversations...
Today, while the crisis is still disrupting our rhythms and students won't be back in the classroom until September, while for some difficulties may persist or become apparent, we are going one step further by offering this application. It will be available to download in a few days from Google Play Store (for Android) and Apple Store (for IOS).
Our aim is to provide you with targeted information on all the new university procedures linked to the crisis, depending on whether you are a student or a member of staff.
Above all, it allows you to easily request help via the "request help" command. The AMU teams will be there.
No geolocation, no health data linked to COVID-19, Inst'AMU has been designed and thought out for your needs, if you wish. This application was developed in-house during the containment period by the DOSI in conjunction with a number of internal players involved in the dissemination of information.
New features will be rolled out in the near future to bring the application to life and meet changing needs.
In a few weeks' time, a new version will offer a host of other services to help you live well together at university.
Download now and stay tuned!
3. Returning and borrowing documents in the BU on campus: by appointment
From 4 June 2020, a document "loans and returns" service will be organised for Aix-Marseille Université users in certain AMU libraries.
In order to organise the flow of people on campus and comply with health regulations, this service is available by appointment only. We would like to thank all our colleagues who work so hard to make this service possible. All the simple and precise details you need to organise your visit are available here.
4. New solidarity fund for students
We have put online, and will soon be communicating to our partners and the general public, the possibility for anyone to make a financial donation to help our students in difficulty as a result of the crisis.
These donations will be used to top up existing FSDIE grants or to fund work placements.
- For more information, click here
Always take care of yourself and everyone else.
Éric Berton
Chairman of Aix-Marseille University