It will be a different start to the semester due to the corona situation. The health and safety of all the students and employees at the Sámi University of Applied Sciences is given the highest priority. 

The official opening of the new academic year is to be held on August 24th at Diehtosiida (campus). During the same week an introduction and welcome week is arranged.  The campus has been closed to students since March 11th, but now reopens to them again.

- Our highest priority is the health and safety to our students and staff. We take the infection prevention and control seriously. At the same time, however, our students’ study environment is of high importance to us. During the introduction and welcome week, our students will have the opportunity to get to know fellow students in a safe and good manner, the director of Sámi University of Applied Sciences Johan Ailo Kalstad says.

The program for introduction and welcome week may be found here.

Good conditions to carry out this semester in a safe manner

The Sámi University of Applied Sciences has prepared carefully and thoroughly for the autumn semester. Among others, the assessment states that SUAS is in a good position to carry out the welcome week and classes in a safe manner. The university has relatively small student groups and large areas

- The vast majority of our student groups consist of under 15 students, and most lectures already take place digitally. However, the students will gather physically for the start of the semester and for study gatherings, and we will then focus on infection control, Kalstad explains.

Sami University of Applied Sciences has created a separate guidelines to infection control and measures that follows national regulations and guidelines. All students and employees must go through an e-course in infection control before they may participate in classes, assuring that everyone knows what to follow.

Welcome week carefully and deliberately considered

Every year a Welcome Week is arranged for students. It contains both social and academic events that are important for students to get a good start to their student life. Most of the events will be held as before, with adaption following thorough risk assessment.

- All of our events during the Welcome week have been separately and individually risk assessed followed by separate measures. Amongst others, students and staff must submit for events such as the Official opening of the academic year and the Graduation ceremony. This will assure that the distance between people will be held and that we know who is participating, says Kalstad.

Mandatory quarantine

It will be pointed out that those students who have stayed in countries that the Norwegian government has marked as red countries, are obliged to stay in a quarantine for 10 days upon arrival to Norway. The Student Welfare Organisation in Inner Finnmark (SSO) will assist with housing for those students who are obliged to be in quarantined.

- The students who must follow the quarantine rules have received information about this. Some have already opted for quarantine and some have chosen to follow the teaching online.

The most important infection control measures that everyone should follow are:

1.Illness and quarantine

If you are ill or have a feeling of illness, you should stay at home. If you are in quarantine, then do not visit or stay at Diehtosiida.

2. Hygiene

Wash your hands often and thoroughly in lukewarm soapy water. If you do not have access to water, use hand disinfection with alcohol based products. Use paper tissue in front of your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing. Throw the tissue after use. If you do not have paper tissue, use a flexed elbow. Wash your hands before touching your face and before eating.

3. Keep a distance from others

 Keep at least 1 meter away from other people.

The situation may change quickly, and then the measures also change. An update on current measures will then be available on this website.