The effect of coronavirus on your studies - Q&A

What should I do if I feel ill?

Stay home until you get better. Notify your teacher of any absences as usual. If you suspect you have been infected by or exposed to the coronavirus, check your symptoms using the Omaolo app or contact your local health care provider. If necessary, get tested according to the instructions given by the healthcare service provider or do a home test . Do not come to the University premises if you are sick.

One can not participate in contact instruction when sick. In these situations the student should contact their teacher, who will estimate if self-study options can be given while the student is absent.   

At the moment, the university does not require medical evidence of illness from students, and the student health service (FSHS) does not issue sick leave certificates for the time being. In other words, a student may be absent from teaching by his or her own declaration.

Check also FSHS's instructions on how to use their services during COIVD-19 pandemic.

What if I am notified about a possible exposure to the virus? 

Asymptomatic exposed individuals can visit the University if distance learning is not possible. The possibility of studying remotely should be discussed with the teacher. Exposure does not constitute grounds for absence due to illness.

The University complies with the guidelines provided on 13 January 2022 by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare:

If you live in the same household with a person who has received a positive result on a home test or if you live or have otherwise been in close contact with a person who has received a positive result on a test carried out by healthcare services:

• Whenever possible, you should avoid contact with people outside your home until five days have passed since the infected person started having symptoms. If several family members become ill, this five-day period should be calculated from the most recent time a family member started showing symptoms.
• Wear a face mask outside your home.
• Work or study from home whenever possible. If you have no symptoms whatsoever, you can visit the University as long as you wear a face mask and avoid contact with others.

A person may not have been exposed if the person infected with coronavirus or both the infected person and their close contact wore a face mask, disposable surgical mask or face shield. If you get a positive result from a home test or have symptoms, you cannot visit the University.

What should I do if I have coronavirus and I have been on university premises during the infectivity period?

If you get a positive result from a home test or have symptoms, you cannot visit the University. Immediately notify your supervisor or teacher of your coronavirus infection. Be prepared to say whether you have visited your place of study when infectious and, if so, where and when. The exposed students will be contacted without addressing the identity of the infected student. Teacher will estimate if self-study options can be given while the student is absent.

If you have the Koronavilkku application and have been exposed to the virus, please follow the instructions on the app.

Where can I find information on how to deal with the worry caused by the coronavirus situation?

We have gathered information about supporting services that can you help you deal with the worry and anxiety caused by the coronavirus on the instruction page Mental well-being. Read also more from the subsection remote studies.

Teaching and exams until 6 March, 2022 (third period) 

Teaching will primarily be organised over remote connections until 31 January. Decisions on necessary contact instruction, such as laboratory and skills courses, are made by faculty-specific response centres. Contact instruction can be organised for groups of no more than 25 people.

The recommendation by the Ministry of Education and Culture on remote instruction ends on 31 January. As a result, contact instruction, guidance and supervision will be increased at the University in February. Degree programmes decide on contact instruction at their discretion. Contact instruction can be organised for groups of no more than 50 people, taking into consideration the spaciousness of teaching facilities.

Sufficient and spacious self-access facilities will be ensured for students on all campuses.

Examinations can be held on site or online as planned. In on-site examinations, sufficient spaciousness of examination facilities must be ensured and the number of participants restricted, when necessary, to 50 people in the same facility.

The guidelines for teaching may have to be amended according to future decisions by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish government or the Regional State Administrative Agency.

Teaching and exams from 7 March, 2022 (fourth period)

The goal is to make it possible to transition to teaching arrangements without any restrictions in March (fourth teaching period).

Where can I see my teaching information?

You can check the teaching information:

• from the course page through Sisu and My Studies (if course registration is done)
• Courses search (if no course registration is made).
• Additional instructions: Where can I find studies?

Am I able to see from Sisu how my course is organised (on-site or remotely)?

On Sisu you can see if a location has been booked for the teaching. If no location is listed, this generally means that teaching will be conducted remotely. In the case of some courses, there is also a mention about the teaching method (on-site or remote) either on Sisu or Courses. If you are unsure how the teaching will be conducted, please check the information available on Courses or the Moodle page (if one is used for the course). If necessary, contact the teacher responsible for the course. 

Can attendance in teaching be mandatory?

Students must actively attend teaching. The degree programme curriculum may determine that attending teaching is compulsory if it is pedagogically justified or necessitated by the teaching arrangements. Compulsory attendance can apply to an individual course or its component. When deciding on compulsory attendance, the amount of teaching students are required to attend must also be defined in the curriculum.

Compulsory class attendance does not apply to contact teaching, unless the completion method in question requires physical presence (such as laboratory courses, patient encounters, skills courses). In addition, attendance in contact instruction may be required in accordance with the curriculum, if attaining the approved learning outcomes of the degree programme requires attendance. If the course completion method requires attendance, degree programmes decide on alternative procedures for teaching. Students who are absent due to coronavirus (illness, exposure, quarantine) should be offered substituting assignments, where possible. Whenever possible, students in at-risk groups must be offered independent study alternatives. No verification is required from students for at-risk notifications. Attendance in remote teaching sessions may be required as specified in the curriculum.

If, after checking the course information on Sisu and Courses, it is unclear if a certain course requires attendance, please contact the teacher. If a student in a at-risk group estimates that they cannot participate in contact instruction, they have to contact the teacher as soon as possible. No verification is required from students for at-risk notifications.

One can not participate in contact instruction when sick or in quarantine.

How will it be ensured that students can participate in back-to-back classes when one of the them is organised as contact instruction and the other one remotely?

Students can participate in remote classes in the self-study facilities.Teaching spaces are also opened at campuses for self-study. Read more from the subsection University facilities and services.

Does a student belonging to an at-risk group have the opportunity to agree with the teacher on remote arrangements for the course?   

If a student in a at-risk group estimates that they cannot participate in contact instruction, they have to contact the teacher as soon as possible. Students in at-risk groups can be offered independent study alternatives if the teacher estimates that e.g. the content of the course and its learning objectives make this possible. No verification is required from students for at-risk notifications.

Attendance in remote teaching sessions may be required as specified in the curriculum. 

Is it possible to participate in all courses remotely if one is e.g. sick?

If a course or its part is organised as contact instruction and requires attendance, contact your teacher if you get sick. Options for participating in alternative way vary according to the content and learning objectives of the course. 

Does the university require a COVID-19 passport?

The Covid-19 passport cannot be required of participants at regular University activities, like teaching. As an alternative to restrictions, COVID-19 passports can be required at University events that do not constitute teaching, research or other regular internal activities, such as meetings of University bodies or official events, including opening ceremonies and conferments.

How are course arrangements defined?

The faculties and degree programs decide how the courses will be organized, following the general guidelines of the university. Due to the changing corona situation, course arrangements may can be changed even on a short schedule.

Can changes to the arrangements still be made at short notice, for example, if the epidemic situation worsens?

Should the epidemic situation worsen in such a way that the guidelines set by the authorities require the closure of facilities and a transition to remote instruction, the necessary changes to teaching will be made.

If significant changes need to be made to the course information, the teacher will notify the registered students.

Where can I get information on cancelled teaching or changes to methods of completion (e.g., from contact teaching to distance teaching)?

Information on any changes is mainly available on course pages and in the study programme of the Open University. Your course teacher will communicate of any changes.

How can I act responsibly at the University facilities during contact teaching?

You can find the safety instructions for University premises from the section University facilities and services under the question "How can I study safely at the University?".

If close contact cannot be avoided in a teaching situation, how to work with the use of a face mask? 

Protective face masks are to be worn on all premises when not alone. Face masks must be worn in teaching and learning situations.The University is obtaining protective face masks for students and teachers involved in contact teaching.

Can the teacher ask students about their vaccine information?

Vaccine information is privacy-related health information that teachers cannot demand from students and cannot be collected anywhere. Vaccine information can be discussed voluntarily between staff and students.

The university encourages the to take the COCID-19 vaccination, as extensive universal vaccination coverage allows for encounters and normal university operations.

Are University facilities open?

• Kaisa House is closed on weekends for now.
• Learning Centres Aleksandria and Minerva at the City centre campus are open for day use. Night access to Aleksandria is not available until further notice.
• Teaching facilities for independent study can be found under the title "Other on-campus facilities for independent study "
• Please always check the current opening hours of the premises.
• The hygiene-related requirements based on the Communicable Diseases Act will remain in force in facilities open to the public. For example facilities must ensure that close contacts can be avoided in customer spaces. 
• The student restaurants, museums, libraries and UniSport will comply in their operations with these latest regulations.

Protective face masks are to be worn on all premises when not alone. Face masks must be worn in teaching and learning situations.

Are independent study facilities open?

Independent study facilities are available. You will find independent study facilities on all campuses.

Self-access facilities and space for independent study at the libraries 

The self-access facilities and spaces for independent study at the libraries on all of the campuses can be used to attend online lectures, even though quiet work is the usual standard in libraries. The reading and working areas are primarily shared, orange zones, where talking quietly is allowed. In addition, there are red zones dedicated to quiet work in all of the libraries. Further information on library facilities and permitted levels of sound is available in the library rules and the floor maps of library locations. In Meilahti, the library facilities in the second floor are dedicated primarily to quiet work. Discussion and attendance in online lectures is permitted in the first-floor facilities. 

The libraries in the City Centre, Meilahti, Kumpula and Viikki are open and library group workspaces are normally bookable for group work. Self-access facilities in Learning Centres Aleksandria and Minerva are open. Read more about the opening hours of self-access facilities and spaces for independent study on the library website.

Other on-campus facilities for independent study 

Facilities intended for students’ independent work have been added to all University of Helsinki campuses. Please note that the facilities designed for independent study opened in opened in September 2021 also serve as teaching facilities, making them available for independent study only when they are not booked for other activities. Students need not book the facilities, nor do they have the opportunity to do so. 

Viikki campus

• EE House, Hall A2096 (R)

Kumpula campus 

• Physicum Sali D101 (R)
• Chemicum A127 (H) 
• Exactum A111 (H)           

Meilahti campus

• Haartman-institute, Second floor lobby (R)
• Biomedicum, Sali 1 (H)           
• Terkko, Mocoma

Additional facilities for independent study or group work can be inquired from the property porters. The need for independent study facilities is constantly assessed on the basis of the number of visitors, and additional teaching facilities can be opened if necessary. 

The new facilities for independent study are divided into spaces with two different purposes: 

Space for quiet work (H)

• Quiet independent study and, for example, following lectures on your computer using headphones 
• Quiet work space is indicated in the charts next to the facility in red. In campus lists Quiet work space is indicated with letter H.

Space for participatory studying (R)

• Active and participatory studying. Attendance in, for example, online instruction where discussion is essential 
• Group work 
• Space for participatory studying is indicated in the charts next to the facility in green. In campus lists Participatory work space in indicated with letter R.

Rules for teaching facilities opened for independent study 

• General safety guidelines pertaining to the coronavirus situation must be observed in the facilities  
• Please make phone calls in the other areas or somewhere to the side, so you do not disturb others.
• Keep the rooms tidy and clean up after yourself.
• You may leave for a short period, but no longer than 30 minutes. Leave a note indicating the time of departure, but please remember that a note alone is not sufficient to reserve the space. If you are away for more than half an hour, another customer is authorised to take your place and put your belongings aside – they do not need to ask the staff to do so. The staff is not responsible for things you leave behind at the space.
• No food or drink is allowed in the facilities.

How can I study safely at the University?

Each student is responsible for following these safety instructions in all University premises, also including student restaurants, hallways and entrance halls:

• Do not come to the University premises when ill or in quarantine.
• Avoid close contact with others and take good care of your hand and coughing hygiene.
• Keep a safety distance also when queuing or moving around the campus e.g. between classrooms.
• Protective face masks are to be worn on all premises when not alone. Face masks must be worn in teaching and learning situations.
  • Please put used disposable masks in the classroom bin or in the bins reserved for masks, located near building entrances. 
• Wash or disinfect your hands regularly. Hand disinfectant is available in classrooms and building entrances.
• Use disinfectant towels to clean the keyboard and mouse of shared computers. You can get disinfectant towels from classrooms, library’s customer service or from the building’s porter.
• Facilities with fixed furniture may have marked places that should not be used. If the furniture is not fixed, keep a safety distance from others. In some spaces, extra chairs have been moved to the side. Please do not rearrange the furniture so that distancing is not possible.
• Sit in the classroom so that each place can be reached without passing close to the others (e.g. if the furniture is fixed, fill the rows starting from one side, and if the rows are open from both sides, start from the middle).
• Always follow additional instructions given in the facilities.

What is the University's stance on face masks when the University premises are open?

Protective face masks are to be worn on all premises when not alone. Face masks must be worn in teaching and learning situations.

• In the case of traineeships, the safety and security guidelines of the traineeship organisation (e.g., hospitals) are observed.   
• The University is obtaining protective face masks for students and teachers involved in contact teaching.
• The masks provided by the University are intended primarily for working and learning situations.

Read the latest information on masks on the University's website.

Are student service points open?

You can find all the updated information about the current opening hours/services on the Student Services page. The student service provides, if necessary, services also face-to-face in addition to remote appointments.

Can I come for my guidance appointment at the University (e.g., counselling psychologist, master's thesis supervision, academic guidance)?

Majority of guidance appointments will be conducted remotely. See further information on the individual guidance services on the page Where can I get counselling?.

How can I get my degree certificate during the exceptional situation?

Check your faculty's delivery policies and current opening hours from your faculty's Student Services. 

How are examinations organised during the exceptional situation period?

Examinations will be implemented as a combination of on-site and remote arrangements.

Some of the examinations' titles include the information on if the exam is organised on-site or remotely. If Sisu or Courses does not have a location listed alongside the exam schedule, this generally means that the exam will be conducted remotely. If you are unsure how the teaching will be conducted, please check the information available on Courses or the Moodle page (if one is used for the course). If necessary, contact the teacher responsible for the course.

In on-site examinations, sufficient spaciousness of examination facilities must be ensured and the number of participants restricted, when necessary, to 50 people in the same facility.

Can I participate in an Examinarium examination?

Examinarium exam spaces are in normal use.

• Attend an exam only when you are healthy and free of symptoms. If you have any symptoms of an illness, reschedule or cancel your exam. If necessary, contact your examiner.
• Protective face masks are to be worn on all premises when not alone. Face masks must be worn in teaching and learning situations.
• Hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes are available in the exam rooms. Wipe the keyboard and mouse before and after the exam.

How is data protection taken into account in the supervision of remote exams?

1. The University may supervise the conduct of remote examinations in exceptional cases. Remote monitoring primarily uses live imagery or login, activity, and log information collected by information systems. In some justified case or cases of suspected fraud, video and audio recordings may also be used as an alternative.
2. The university may verify the identity of the student for the exam. This is done, for example, by requiring you to log in with your personal university ID or by showing your ID card.
3. Participation in remote monitoring at a place chosen by the student is voluntary. By participating in remote monitoring, the student also agrees to keep the camera on. The student has the right to interrupt the supervision during the exam, for example due to an unexpected situation, but the interruption of the supervision may lead to the rejection of the Exam.
4. If a student refuses voluntary remote supervision, for example due to privacy concerns or hardware deficiencies, the teacher will arrange the assessment in some alternative way.
5. The processing of personal data follows the data protection and data security guidelines of the university.
6. Your teacher will provide more details on the other details of the exam.

How the students' mental health and wellbeing will be taken care of?

Help is at hand if you need it – there are many different support services here for you. You can find the different services on the page Mental wellbeing.

Guidance Corner provides programme that aims to support the students' study skills and mental wellbeing. 

The study psychologists have compiled tips on making remote studying easier and creating routines on the page Support for studies. You can also book a consultation with them, more information available on the study psychologists' page.

Where can I find instructions on online teaching tools?

• Moodle manual for students
• Helpdesk's instructions on how to use Teams and Planner
• Helpdesk's instructions on how to use video communication service Zoom

Can I borrow a laptop somewhere? What if I don’t have access to internet at home? 

Unfortunately the University cannot offer IT equipment nor internet connections for students studying remotely. Please ask your fellow students, student organizations, friends or relatives for such equipment. Remember that you can use your mobile phone as a hotspot for your computer. First check the mobile data deal and cost with your operator.

The IT Center’s new Laptop Lender will serve university degree students and staff 24/7 on the first floor of Aleksandria. Get a Lenovo laptop to use on university premises for four hours at a time from the Laptop Lender machine.

Are steering groups (e.g. faculty councils) meeting normally to assess theses?

The steering groups make decisions in the usual manner. 

Can I use the Get Your Master’s Thesis Written! Grant (Gradut valmiiksi) during the exceptional situation?

Due to the coronavirus situation, grant recipients should inquire about the possibility of grant visits by directly contacting the station they have received the grant for. The research stations make decisions about receiving grant recipient according to their own consideration. 

The students who have already received the Grant (November 2019 application round) will also be able to postpone their visit to spring 2021 depending on the availabilities of the research stations. 

Next application round will take place in May 2022.

What will happen to my student allowance (opintotuki) if my studies are delayed?

Follow Kela's coronavirus information page and, if necessary, contact Kela's customer service.

Due to the coronavirus precautions, my graduation will be postponed. Should I apply for an extension normally and will the delays caused by the exceptional situation be taken into account?

Applying for an extension to your study right is sought from Sisu. See the student's instruction. The exceptional situation will be taken into account when deciding on extensions.

How will the public examinations of doctoral theses be organised? 

The Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland has forbidden all indoor audience events up until January 31, 2022. While this restriction continues, all doctoral defences must be held as remote access events. Only the doctoral candidate, opponent, custos and possible other members of the grading committee, university IT-support, and 1–2 personal support guests invited by the doctoral candidate can be present at the lecture hall. A covid passport is not needed. As audience presence at the lecture hall is not allowed, also defence coffee services cannot be held at university premises during this time.

Even after January, public examinations of doctoral theses should be planned in such a way that they can be turned into remote events or postponed to a later date, if necessary.

You can read more about organizing the Doctoral defences in the updated bulletin.

My traineeship in Finland is about to start, is it okay to begin my traineeship as planned?

Traineeships can be completed in accordance with the instructions of the host organization in Finland.

Traineeships can be completed partly or fully remotely. In the university-funded traineeship, the trainee must have an assigned supervisor whose duty it is to provide guidance to the trainee. In remote work, special attention should be paid to guidance.

I’m abroad on my traineeship, what should I do?

See the detailed instructions for traineeships abroad on the Career services instructions.

How can I complete my teacher traineeship during the coronavirus situation?

Follow the bulletin Instructions and Q&A by the Faculty of Educational Sciences.

I am planning to go on a student exchange. What should I do?

Follow the page by the International Exchange Services of the University of Helsinki on the effect of the coronavirus on student exchanges. The page will be updated according to developments.

As the International Exchange Services announcement advises, you should already obtain comprehensive travel insurance before paying any expenses related to the exchange.

Information for incoming exchange student.

Do I need to pay tuition fees if my graduation is delayed due to coronavirus?

If necessary, the students liable to pay tuition fees who are about to graduate can finish their studies spring term 2022 without paying the tuition fee. Second year master's students can apply for a special corona grant that covers the tuition fee for the spring term 2022. The application period is at the turn of March-April 2022 and possible applicants are contacted directly. Please check with your programme for distance studying possibilities. Tuition fees for the spring term cannot be reimbursed and scholarships cannot be postponed. If you have further questions, please contact tuitionfees@helsinki.fi

I’m doing my first year in a Bachelor’s/Master’s Programme. Do I need to pay the tuition fee normally for the next academic year?

The University of Helsinki plans started the academic year 2021/2022 as announced and is proceeding with the preparations accordingly, which means that the invoices for tuition fees will be sent out as usual in early May. However, if you’re facing unexpected difficulties regarding the payment due to the coronavirus situation, please send a message to tuitionfees@helsinki.fi  to explain your situation before the end of April. We will look into each case separately in order to find the best solution possible.

I’m a first year student and worried that my graduation will be delayed next year due to coronavirus. What can I do in this situation and do I need to pay tuition fees if I have to continue my studies during the third study year?

Teaching and supervision are organized as much as possible in alternative ways to ensure the possibility to continue your studies in this exceptional situation. If your studies are nonetheless delayed due to coronavirus, for example because of course cancellations, this will be taken into account next spring when considering the possible extension of your studies and whether tuition fee will be charged during the third study year.

I was granted a scholarship for my studies and the extension requires that I complete 55 credits during the first academic year. What if I am unable to complete the required number of credits?

The credits will be checked in early June. If you don’t have the required 55 credits registered on Sisu, the Student Services will send you a message to check the situation with you. If you know already at this point that you might not get the 55 credits due to cancelled courses, please contact the Student Services at tuitionfees@helsinki.fi. If you have been unable to complete your courses due to the exceptional situation caused by the coronavirus, this will be taken into account when considering the extension of the scholarship. Each case will be assessed individually.

I need to apply for an extension of my residence permit. What if the current situation causes delays in the processing times? Can I extend my residence permit if my graduation is delayed?

The current situation might affect residence permit processes. We recommend you to follow the latest updates on the Immigration Service's website. The Universities are currently working together with Migri to ensure that you’re able to apply for the extension of your residence permit as smoothly as possible if your studies are delayed due to coronavirus.

Please read first the instructions on this and your faculty’s page and send email to only one of the service addresses at a time in order to avoid congestion.

• If you have any questions about the general measures caused by the coronavirus at the University, please contact coronavirus@helsinki.fi. The respondents at this address are experts of teaching and learning services, specialist staff, occupational health, university premises, cleaning services, conferences and events and IT.
• If you have questions about course arrangements, contact the teacher responsible for the course. For more information on the course, see the Sisu course brochure and the course page.
• If you need guidance for your studies or if you cannot find answers to your questions from your faculty’s corona instructions, please contact your faculty’s student services.

Decisions made by the Coronavirus Management Team can be found on Flamma (user is redirected to the Flamma service).
 

• Coronavirus situation at the University of Helsinki (helsinki.fi)
• National Institute for Health and Welfare: Coronavirus COVID-19 – Latest updates
• FSHS: Current information concerning the coronavirus 

The University’s website has a list of faculty- and unit-specific instructions on coronavirus. You can find up-to-date information about your faculties coronavirus measures from there.