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Although universities have more students, the crowd is likely to shrink due to crown restrictions. Photo: trapezoidal
Hurry to universities and CHF 2.5 million in crown aid – this is how the fall semester begins
The fall semester at colleges begins with more medical students, lessons in “bubbles” and a chubby for those in need.
The fall semester begins Monday at the colleges. It is a start in special conditions. The corona pandemic presents the nation’s highest educational institutions with unprecedented challenges. A survey among universities shows: the virus not only generates difficulties, but also innovations and changes in the interests of students. Six news at the beginning of the semester:
1. Rushing to Universities: Study Instead of Travel
Most universities have seen an increase in the number of students. A good example: the University of Zurich. About 13 percent more people are enrolling for a degree (bachelor’s) for the first time here than in the previous year. The increase in new students is likely to be related to the lack of alternatives. Traveling between years is more difficult than usual thanks to Corona.
At the same time, the number of master’s students is increasing by 8 percent. This may indicate that many prefer to continue studying and aspire to enter the labor market after completing their master’s degree, ”explains the University of Zurich on the change. The bleak job prospects in the job market are likely to play a role here. At the University of Lausanne there was an overall 5 percent increase in students. In Basel, the number of new master’s students increased by 16 percent, those of bachelor’s by four percent.
The increase is particularly large at Fernuni Schweiz. The number of new students increased from 471 the year before to 611 this fall, corresponding to an increase of about 20 percent. This dovetails with the development that distance teaching and learning is also becoming more important in classical universities thanks to Corona.
2. New conference concept: “Hybrid teaching”
Despite the risk of contagion, universities attach great importance to continuing to offer classroom teaching. Usually a limited number of students follow the lessons in the conference room, while other colleagues watch the conference at home in front of the computer. At the University of Lucerne, this procedure is called “hybrid teaching”. The University of Bern pursues a similar concept and speaks of “blended learning” (integrated learning).
The largest conference room at the University of Lucerne normally seats 363 people. In the current semester, only 99 are allowed. Depending on how it spreads, this number could even drop to 70. As a protective measure, face masks should be worn in hallways, hallways, and in some libraries. At conferences, the mask can normally be dispensed with, but attendance must be recorded. Some colleges also recommend using the federal government’s Corona app.
ETH Zurich is taking a special path. To allow first-year students to brainstorm, a kind of school class called “bubbles” is formed. These are fixed groups of 25 people in which first-year students exercise together and attend practices. The objective of this structure is to reduce the risk of infection and to ensure contact tracing. In addition, events are also offered online, especially for members of risk groups.
3. Topics like medicine and biology are booming
The coronavirus affects the choice of subjects by students. There is an increased interest in studying medicine in Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich. In Basel and Zurich, first-year students often opt for psychology. In Geneva, teaching is popular alongside medicine, and law is gaining ground in some universities. Biology and economics are also growing in Lausanne. However, the social sciences and politics have also become more popular. Mechanical engineering remains a classic at ETH. Computing is experiencing a boom in Freiburg.
Fernuni is feeling a trend towards the subjects of psychology and law. During this semester, students paid more attention to choosing a course with job prospects, says a Fernuni spokeswoman.
4. High disinfection and plexiglass costs
Estimates of the costs of measures to deal with the coronavirus differ. Examples are the University of Geneva and ETH Zurich.
The University of Geneva expects an additional expenditure of 4.2 million francs due to the crown crisis. Most of the money (1.6 million Swiss francs) was spent protecting and cleaning the buildings while they were being closed during closure. Another 1.4 million corresponded to Plexiglas, masks and disinfectants. The University of Geneva spent another million on computer programs and licenses.
According to a spokesperson, ETH Zurich, on the other hand, assumes that the corona measures will not necessarily lead to a significant increase in costs. Additional costs for protective measures would be offset by savings. For example, because there was less effort during the time that face-to-face classes were canceled. Many colleges cannot calculate costs.
6. Emergency aid in the millions: a university is particularly generous
In view of the crown crisis, the student association demands financial support for students. Many suffered the economic consequences of the crown measures. Some have lost their part-time job or were unable to get a student job during the summer months. Wages lost in this way are now missing from the budget, it is said.
Some of the universities really give a helping hand to the students. The University of Geneva is by far the most generous. With the support of a private foundation, she distributed two million francs to more than a thousand students. The money was used for food, rent, and computers for distance learning. A special fund was also created in Zurich for those affected by the crown crisis.
There, a total of 238 applications were received and 135 (57 percent) were approved. 272,000 francs were paid in scholarships and 48,000 francs in loans. At the Università della Svizzera italiano in Ticino, 170,000 francs have been paid so far, in Lucerne it was 42,900 francs. There is also support from relief funds that already existed before Corona. About 50,000 francs were distributed in Basel. In contrast, ETH Zurich relies on interest-free loans. About 50 people borrowed a total of 200,000 francs.
