Jump to the main content block

NCKU Decides to Postpone the Start Date of Spring Semester to March 2nd Due to Wuhan Coronavirus

In line with the government’s epidemic prevention policies and its responsibility to protect its students and faculty, NCKU has postponed the start date of spring semester from the original February 17th to March 2nd.

 

On February 9th, the government will begin to allow re-entry to students from infected regions, and thus students from Mainland China will gradually return to Taiwan. NCKU estimates that all 199 students from Mainland China will return by February 15th at the latest. Following the 14-day quarantine period, their start date of spring semester would be postponed to March 2nd.

 

NCKU reminds everyone that classes are group gatherings and will increase the chance of spreading disease. Students coming back to school from infected areas will be immediately monitored to reduce the risk of this contagion. Since the Wuhan virus has already reached every province in Mainland China, even students from provinces other than Hubei in Mainland China may have come into contact with infected individuals and become infected themselves. Postponing the start date of the semester and keeping these students in quarantine will reduce the chance of spreading this virus to other students and faculty members during the start of semester.

 

NCKU emphasizes that when the government begins to allow the re-entry to students from infected areas on February 9th, NCKU will pick up these students of NCKU from the airport and arrange a dormitory for their quarantine. Each student from Hubei Province will have an individual room. In addition, an exclusive dormitory will also be set aside for students from provinces other than Hubei. During this period, the nearby NCKU Medical Center will be on hand for their healthcare and medical needs.

 

NCKU president Dr. Huey-Jen Jenny Su stresses that many people are concerned about the health of students from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. However, winter vacation is a popular travel period for people in Mainland China and many students from Taiwan also went abroad during this winter vacation. Even if students did not go to Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau, they may have come into contact with people from these regions in other countries. Furthermore, people from Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau may have also visited friends and family in Taiwan. With so many possible scenarios, NCKU has decided that postponing the start date of the spring semester is the best resolution for epidemic prevention.

 

NCKU has created an online healthcare questionnaire for all students and faculty members to fill out online as well as a Wuhan coronavirus cloud reporting system. NCKU reminds all students and faculty members that any concealing of health conditions or travel histories may lead to a potential domestic outbreak. Those found in violation of the Communicable Disease Control Act may be heavily fined by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. NCKU students and faculty members who have been to Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau during winter vacation are required to report travel history and accordingly administer self-quarantine or self-health management for 14 days, beginning from their date of re-entry into Taiwan.

 

Since the normal semester is 18 weeks. Due to the two-week postponement of the reopening of school, the end of the spring semester will be postponed by one week to June 24th, making this semester 17 weeks long. Teachers may make up for the last week at a time of their choosing or through online classes.

 

Provider: News Center
Date: 2020-02-04
Click Num: