Dear colleagues and students,

 

Taiwan has taken pride in its success defending itself against the first wave of COVID-19’s attack, an achievement making it a role model of epidemic control in the global community. The epidemic-turned-pandemic, however, has now launched its second wave of attack in the form of an imported disease that is all the more aggressive with its confirmed cases rapidly increasing. In the face of this grave challenge, we need more than ever to hold on to solidarity, safeguarding this precious oasis on the pandemic battlefield and keeping its earlier efforts from going down the drain.

 

We fully understand the concerns of our faculty and students as well the public for the recently confirmed cases. We are thankful that NCKU has been well equipped with professional support systems that have integrated epidemic control measures already in place at all levels—including preventive class cancellation notice and full-scale disinfection—to achieve the ultimate goal of protecting everyone at NCKU step by step.

 

With reference to that, I am here making an official announcement that the two students who have been house quarantined for close contact with a confirmed case have returned home safe from coronavirus infection. They have received official notice from the epidemic control authorities confirming that they are completely healthy after thorough examinations. The 110 students who have taken self-health management have thus also been immediately released from the surveillance. At present, this information is the best we can provide in compliance with epidemic prevention regulations, and your understanding is appreciated.

 

Despite the successful attempts thus far, it is advisable that everyone remains constantly mindful of the threat. Specifically, we are calling all NCKU members to avoid international travels, and if you have just come back from overseas, please abide by the following regulations:

• Observing regulations concerning “home isolation,” “home quarantine,” or “self-health management” (see for detailed definitions https://www.facebook.com/TWCDC/videos/2721501801267557/).
• No entrance to the campus, including the libraries, gyms, stadiums, or other school facilities; and no participation in extracurricular activities.
• Avoiding leaving the house for non-essential purposes (no gathering, no travelling, and no going to shows or movies).
• Always wearing your face mask and washing your hands.
   

For the others, we ask that you minimize your leisure activities or social events until the pandemic is contained or at least mitigated. If you have taken part in gatherings involving a large number of people, please implement self-health monitoring and make self-protective habits of washing hands and wearing face masks. The following precautious measures are also recommended.

 

• Avoid physical contact with your family or friends having just returned from countries set at level three travel advisory.
• Keep your face mask on whenever taking public transportation or going in and out of crowds.
• Whenever possible, order your food for takeout instead of dine in and enjoy your food alone.
• When shopping, make sure you are certain that you want an item before you fetch it.
• Refrain from touching your face with your hands (especially your eyes, nose and mouth).
• Once home, wash your hands first, then change your clothes and dispose of your face mask.
• Sanitize on a regular basis objects constantly touched such as cell phones, keys, keyboards, mice, and doorknobs with 75% alcohol.
• Most importantly, in case of suspicious respiratory symptoms, call 1922 to notify or to consult. You can also call for on-campus help from Campus Security Center at extension 55555 or from Health Center at 50430.  
   

Faculty or students subject to home isolation, home quarantine, or self-health management are requested to stick to the regulations. Students prevented from going to school because of the pandemic can request a leave of absence online at http://leavesys.ncku.edu.tw. By choosing the leave category “Absence due to COVID-19 Prevention” and uploading supportive documents, such absence will not be kept for grading. To ensure non-interrupted learning, we have also asked the professors to cooperate in video recording classes either synchronously or non-synchronously and place them on the Moodle for the students to watch from home. Grading criteria are also subject to change based on the instructor’s teaching plans.

 

As a professional, comprehensive university, NCKU has taken a deep root in culture and taken pride in the value of “keeping a cool head yet a grateful mind” that all its students have internalized. In the face of the intimidating pandemic, let wisdom be our guide and move us forward together, on the basis of our mutual faith and our acquired power of knowledge.

 

Wishing you all safe and healthy!

Yours truly,

President

2020.03.23

 

 

A Letter to faculty members, staff, and students

 

Dear colleagues, students and staff

 

Since the Lunar New Year vacation, we have all experienced the impact of COVID-19 in our different capacities as well as roles. I would like to express again my gratitude for your selfless sacrifice and dedication to the common good, which have enabled us to carry out our contingency plan in a proper order and a precise manner even during the New Year holidays. As of February 23, it had been a full month since the NCKU hospital initiated the morning meetings which have been held nonstop every day ever since. It is with the invaluable help from all of you that we are to start the new semester.

 

Nevertheless, the development of the epidemic remains treacherous, especially when over two hundred thousand students, thousands of staff and faculty members and numerous visitors are to appear on the campus all at the same time, making it all the more critical for us all to work together to build the most solid line of defense ever. In addition to the epidemic control measures directly carried out by school-level units, your participation in safeguarding the big family we all are part of is even more valuable. In particular, your support for and cooperation in the following disease prevention measures are especially appreciated.

 

1. Building access control:
   1. For colleges and departments, please initiate 24-hour building access control (using ID cards for the access control system currently in use) and ask the building users to swipe their ID cards for entry and exit during the whole epidemic control period. With fire safety ensured, moreover, leave only 1 to 2 entrances for building access.
   2. Take and record building users' body temperature at the access control point on a daily basis. "Body temperature normal" stickers issued by the Office of Academic Affairs may be used for easier identification.
   3. For visitors, do require the visitee(s) to escort the visitors in their entry and exit and to fill out their visiting record and the online health questionnaire.
   4. In case of open- or semi-open buildings, the administrative units in charge are required to come up with specific management regulations for the epidemic prevention period.
2. Teaching Log
1. For access to non-classroom spaces such as teachers' offices, labs, conference rooms, or community offices, please keep a detailed record of the time and date of the people in and out of the space.
2. For each hour of a class, keep a record of the attendance. This can be done by the instructor him-/herself, the TA, or a student assigned and thru the use of classroom access control system, the sign-in system of digital learning platforms, roll calling, or pictures taken and uploaded to the Moodle. Keep the record for at least a month.
1. Please ensure the enforcement of epidemic prevention measures for exchange students, international students, and visitors from countries or areas classified as either one of the three levels of travel notice after border entry.
2. The same applies to the teachers, staff, and students of R.O.C. nationality who have just returned from countries considered as risky at the various levels of epidemic spread by the Central Epidemic Command Center.
3. (Border) Entry control
1. Department supervisors, administrators, and teachers are requested to fortify the care networks for their advisees, keeping an eye on their attendance and providing timely assistance and responses to minimize possible impact.
2. Students are also requested to demonstrate their friendship for one another by reaching out to those in need, acts that would both protect one's own health and exemplify a citizen's social value.
3. Health education: Teachers, staff, and students are encouraged to visit the NCKU COVID-19 Platform at https://app.pers.ncku.edu.tw/ncov_web/ where, in addition to constantly updated epidemic info, columns of health education and epidemic prevention related info for international students are also provided.
4. Care network
5. Contingency plans for teaching: Contingent on the epidemic development, the Office of the Academic Affairs have come up with the principles and scope for class cancellation or various ways of alternative teaching to accommodate students’ learning needs. (http://acad.ncku.edu.tw/app/index.php?Lang=en)

It is conceivable that, with the new semester just around the corner, the execution of and compliance with the epidemic control measures certainly will add to the already heavy burden on our hard-working colleagues and students. Our shared hope for a safe campus free of worries or concerns, however, will make the efforts all worthwhile. And I believe, we have the ability to make the best preparation and the faith to take up the greatest challenge! This is a promise made by a professional and responsible university!

Stay safe and healthy!

 

Yours truly,

President

2020.02.27