Dear members of the UPF community: 

As you are well aware, the gravity of the situation in our country due to the coronavirus outbreak is compelling politicians and health authorities to take drastic measures with regards to the day-to-day life in cities and institutions including universities. 

The situation required immediate action by the UPF. To that end, last Wednesday, the governing body of the university made the decision to cancel all face-to-face academic activity. While this decision was not made together with the health authorities, with which we still maintain a close working relationship, we feel this pre-emptive measure will minimise the impact on the assessment period of all our undergraduate programmes and on the rest of academic activities. We thought it was important to express where the university stood on the subject of this epidemic.

Today, Saturday, we are in a very serious situation where confinement is expected from all. What this means for the UPF is the closure of our campus buildings and the Rectorate building.. Everyone is encouraged to work from home, whenever possible. Only essential personnel will have access to the premises. This will be the case for at least a fortnight. More details will be shared via the usual channels as and when the special committee created for this purpose releases more information. Moving forward, we will let you know how we expect you to fulfil your roles in the university in the coming weeks.

Finally, I wish to thank you all for your continuing cooperation in this difficult time. I encourage all of you to offer as much support as possible to the UPF and its affiliated organisations, always prioritising the recommended guidelines for personal safety.

Tempus fugit, my friends!

With my warmest regards,

Jaume Casals

Rector

Barcelona, 14th March 2020