In an interview with Unicauca Estéreo, the rector of the University of Cauca, José Luis Diago Franco presented the details of the work being carried out by the university directives aimed at returning to the headquarters, its possible scenarios taking into account the progress of the Covid pandemic -19, as well as the rigorous care that will be taken in each of the decisions made.

                                          

"The Rectory has defined some general guidelines on the possibility of the Ministry of National Education, with the support of the Ministry of Health and the National Government headed by President Iván Duque Márquez to generate the authorization to enter to study”, said the rector of the Alma Mater in Cauca, José Luis Diago Franco.

 

In this sense, the Executive presents three possible scenarios: If the pandemic continues its upward course, as is currently being seen, the proposal to restart activities from July 22, would be through a percentage of classes by “Tics” and a number of face-to-face classes, which cannot be dictated through virtuality such as laboratories, rotations in Medicine and field work.

 

In the event that the pandemic is at its maximum peak with a tendency to decline, a proposal of 50% of face-to-face classes and 50% of classes with remote support of Tics is proposed. And if the pandemic shows a frank decrease in the month of July, we would enter to offer 80% of face-to-face classes and 20% of remote support classes.

 

"If the community responds appropriately, with body distancing and with personal hygiene measures, I consider that we would be talking in July of 80% and 20%. If we manage to keep the quarantine for a few more days it is possible, but if the quarantine is lifted quickly and the community does not respond, we would be between 20% and 80%”, explains the University Director.

 

Regarding the university dynamics in the country, the Rector states that each University has defined its own proposals, for example, there are many universities that have advanced in the area of ​​support with data plans and some tablets for low-income students. "We are going to advance on that point, but there are situations regarding the poor quality of remote education, there are many manifestations of students at the national level in this regard, and we as University of Cauca make an adjustment with the so-called special courses for our reopening in July, we have a month and a half to make the case modifications and determine the connectivity gaps of our students, mainly in remote municipalities to be able to subsidize and overcome those gaps, ”he adds.

 

Likewise, the Doctor and University Manager analyzes the current situation in the country "It is a very reserved opinion, of great concern because first of all the country is barely reaching an adequate number of samples per million inhabitants and the more samples we make, the more positive patients we will find, allowing effective control of infections and therefore making the pandemic manageable. Look at the case of Amazonas, which has the highest rate in Colombia of patients contaminated by 1.00 inhabitants and causes concern because it is a border area and we are looking forward to knowing the information from Norte de Santander. ”

 

When asked about the protocols and security measures that will be implemented in a possible reactivation of activities at the Universidad del Cauca, the Rector José Luis Diago Franco is emphatic in clarifying that the first thing required is the authorization of the Ministry of National Education for the reopening of our programs, and secondly, to have the biosafety protocol.

 

"At this moment we are reviewing those at the country level and we are adapting it for the needs of the University and its territorial control, which will be mandatory for the entire university community and visitors. We are designing the plan to detect visitors and members of the university community who have symptoms of fever with temperature sensors, we are going to reactivate the production of antibacterial gel with the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, we are refining a protocol for vehicle disinfection, we are going to improve the entire offer of antibacterial soaps in strategic places, we are studying the possibility of guaranteeing at least 3 to 4 square meters per student. The WHO standard says that they are at least 4 square meters, but we seek to manage variables such as masks in classrooms, disinfection per classroom. "

 

“The most important thing about these measures is not what the University or the administrative part defines, it is the responsibility of the members of the community in the sense that if they are symptomatic or suspect they have had contact with positive Covid patients 19 the best decision is that they do not attend the university campus to take the necessary measures ”, he adds.

 

Finally, on his experience as rector of the Universidad del Cauca from the virtual point of view: “It has been a very complex, very intense experience, life changed me and I do not think I will be an equal person after this trial by fire because I brought the office to my house and I lost many spaces, and as I commented recently, I felt that two pandemics had joined: the virtuality that has been with us for many years and that through social networks has distanced us socially from human beings and now the Covid 19 that forces us to distance ourselves, the strategy to get closer virtually but we continue distancing ourselves ”

 

The rector José Luis Diago Franco concludes that “I do not miss anything from the office; I miss the people, the contact, seeing life, seeing the students entering classes, seeing the colleagues from the administration, the teachers. That is life because now it is up to one to imagine and that vision of reality is needed, that observation of the corporality that one does not have here around the outside walls”.

More Info:

 

University of Cauca Rectory

Email: rectoria@unicauca.edu.co