Recommendations to students, faculty and staff on Novel Coronavirus

Message from the Dean and the Managing Director
16 March 2021, 3.53pm

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

As you will have learned from the media, due to the recent evolution of the Covid-19 emergency,  Lombardy has once again been designated a red zone as of yesterday, Monday 15 March, and will remain so for at least the next two weeks. Shortly after, restrictive measures linked to the Easter holidays will come into force, lasting until 6 April.

Face-to-face lessons - for all degree programs - will therefore remain suspended until that date.

For obvious reasons of both prudence and planning, the upcoming graduation sessions scheduled from 7 to 9 April will also be held remotely.

However, the Bocconi Campus will continue to remain open, in compliance with the provisions issued at national and regional level. Teachers who deem it necessary will be able to use the classrooms and facilities of the University to deliver teaching activities at the times set by the academic calendar. Study places in the library and in other campus study areas remain available for students, upon reservation and always in strict compliance with the safety protocols adopted by the University.

We also remind you that until 31 March it will be possible for those who still regularly attend the campus to get a free rapid swab through the Swab Screening campaign, as per our previous communication of 23 February.

As usual, we will promptly inform you about any changes in the situation.

We are very hopeful that this new tightening of restrictions, together with the launch of the vaccination campaign at the national level, is the precursor of a quick return to normal life.

Warm greetings to you and your families,

Gianmario Verona            Riccardo Taranto
Rector                                  Managing Director

*****************************************************

 

Message from the Dean and the Managing Director
15 January 2021, 7.53pm

Dear colleagues, 

as you probably already know, Lombardy will become "red zone" starting from Monday. 

New local restrictions require that we move all classes online for the next two weeks, while hoping that the situation will improve soon.

We immediately started informing all our executive and master participants. 

However, the School remains open and the classrooms will be available to the faculty for remote teaching. The restaurant will remain open and students will have the study areas and the library at their disposal. 

Once again, we are forced to adapt to the dynamics of the pandemic. Once again, we are confident that our entire community will give their best for our participants and as well as for all of us. 

This very difficult year has brought out an energy and resources that we didn't even imagine we had. Unfortunately, it is not over yet, but we are trained and well aware of our resilience. 

So, let's take courage and let's look ahead. 

Thank you for your constant collaboration.

All the best,

Giuseppe Soda - Dean, Lucia Benedetti - Direttore Operativo

*****************************************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director
5 November 2020, 6 :16pm

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

As we previously announced, we are sending you an update to the communication sent on Friday 23 October and in the light of the recent Prime Minister's Decree. The rules contained therein, and the resulting regional decisions, require us to continue providing all our educational activities remotely at least until 3 December.

Regarding Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Integrated Master of Arts and PhD programs, due to the class timetables ending not far from 3 December, at this stage all activities will be held remotely until the end of the semester.

Regarding Specialized Master and SDA programs that, as you know, follow different timetables, possibly returning to hybrid teaching in the weeks following 3 December may be assessed, if the regulatory and safety conditions exist. In any case, detailed information will follow from the Program Directors to all enrollees and participants.

The Bocconi Campus will continue to remain open, in compliance with the provisions issued at national and regional levels. The Library remains open, always in strict compliance with the safety protocols adopted by the University and study areas can be used upon reservation. Faculty who deem it necessary will therefore be able to continue using the University classrooms and facilities to deliver teaching activities at the times set by the academic calendar and the respective syllabi. Staff will be able to continue to use smart working, within the framework of the current directives and where compatible with the organizational needs of their office. A regular dining service will also be maintained at the residence hall at via Bocconi 12 (“Mensa Pellegrini”), at least in an initial phase and depending on use.

In this very complex and difficult moment for our country, we believe the primary responsibility is to make every effort to guarantee all the members of our community a full commitment to and actions for the protection of their health. Containing the spread of Covid-19, in this second wave, is the primary battle for each of us, to be pursued with great individual responsibility and compliance with the rules. We are also confident that, also thanks to the commitment of all of us, this moment can be overcome and we can return to experience our Campus at least by restoring the "blended" model as soon as possible (with frontal and remote lessons). In the meantime, we guarantee the regular continuation of all remote activities, following the timetable in the syllabus for each course.

We will be sure to keep you updated on any possible evolution of the situation. We are also committed to safeguarding the richness and variety of relations that underly all our educational and professional growth on Campus and propagating them as much as possible in all remote activities.

Warm regards to you and your families,

Gianmario Verona Rector, Riccardo Taranto Managing Director

*************************************************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director
24 October 2020, 2:23pm

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff,

as you know, Bocconi University has decided that, at the end of the break for midterm exams, the Undergraduate and Master of Science programs will continue their teaching activities online. However, the University remains open and for all teaching activities and programs of SDA Bocconi School of Management (as well as those of the PhD School and Master Universitari), teaching will continue as planned in hybrid mode (face-to-face and online).

The average size of our classrooms, the spaces of the new campus, the procedures and resources put in place in the past few months allow us to continue hybrid teaching safely. 

Nevertheless, the trend of the Covid-19 epidemic requires even greater attention and caution in behaviors not only during teaching, but also outside the classrooms and on campus. Sharing the experience of face-to-face teaching with other people requires a more responsible behavior, and a strong respect of the measures and protocols to protect health and contain the infection.

In order to continue carrying out all our courses in hybrid mode, we are all called to behave virtuously in absolute compliance with the safety and health protection procedures systematically reported in all communications and clearly visible in our spaces.

Naturally, the School will fully comply with all the provisions that the national, regional and city health authorities will issue in the coming weeks.

We, as well as the managers and directors of the programs and the staff are at your complete disposal for any further clarification.

Best Regards,

Gianmario Verona Rector, Riccardo Taranto Managing Director

*************************************************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director
23 October, 2020 6:30pm

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

As you know, the increase in cases in recent weeks both nationally and at regional and city levels has been substantial. The latest Prime Ministerial Decree issued on 18 October in fact asks universities to "encourage distance learning as much as possible." With the current trend of the spread and the continuous updating of national and regional rules, resuming in-person activities for the second part of the semester after the break for partial exams could prove disruptive for the entire Bocconi community and especially anyone who has returned home during recent weeks.

Bocconi will continue to remain open. However, during the weeks of 26 October and 2 November, only remote teaching will be held for courses in Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Integrated Master of Arts in Law programs, pending possible measures that may be enacted over the next few days. This possibility has always been kept in consideration, as you may recall from a communication at the beginning of the semester. It will not have implications for the academic calendar and is valid regardless of the teaching model used for each course.

Therefore, starting on Monday 26 October and until Friday 6 November, courses in "basic" and "blended" formats will be held remotely, while courses in the entirely "online" format will not undergo any changes. Remote lessons will take place in accordance with the schedule provided in the syllabus for each course. 

In any case, faculty will be able to use the assigned classrooms to deliver teaching activities at the scheduled times, while the study spaces reserved for students in the library and the study rooms remain available upon reservation, always in strict compliance with the safety protocols adopted by the University.

We are aware of how fundamental the in-person university experience is for a complete education and for fruitful interaction within our community. Therefore, as soon as provisions definitively clarify what must be done for the rest of the semester, we will assess the possibility of restoring the original format including activities in person, always safely and in compliance with regulations.

We are certain we have your understanding in this difficult time, which continues to affect all citizens in every country around the world – humanity united in facing the pandemic induced by Covid-19.

Warm regards,

Gianmario Verona Rector, Riccardo Taranto Managing Director

*************************************************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director
19 October, 2020 6:01pm

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

At the halfway point of the current semester, nine weeks after the reopening of Bocconi and eight weeks after the start of classes, we would like first of all to thank you for all the commitment and efforts made in carrying out study, teaching, research and support for the smooth running of University life.

Bocconi, as you know, has made every effort and a significant financial commitment to ensure the resumption of activities in presence and in complete safety by the end of last August. We have installed signage to indicate safe paths and facilitate distancing both inside and outside the buildings, with constant vigilance. We have deployed medical and nursing services to protect our community, with control campaigns through serological tests and swabs (when necessary), constant assistance and first response in case of emergency, in collaboration with ATS Milan and a number of high-level healthcare partners.

Thanks also to your collaboration, the first part of the semester was completed using a blended teaching model, with a good degree of general satisfaction but with the desire to do yet more to offer our students the best possible experience at our University.

We also managed, in compliance with the rules imposed by the current contingency, to hold the most recent graduation session, last October 16 and 17, in presence (with 311 Master of Science and Law graduating students present on campus out of 448 total, along with 176 teachers and 856 accompanying persons) and remotely, for a total of 101 sessions for MSc and Law and 53 sessions (online only) for Bachelor of Science programs (1302 undergraduates).

Given the growing emergency situation at national and international level, we have also had to deal with some critical situations in the last few weeks. Fortunately they were limited and circumscribed, and we have tried to manage them in the best possible way, in collaboration with the authorities and in full compliance with health protocols.

The collaboration of all of you in these difficult circumstances was extremely valuable. So thank you - everyone - for successfully concluding the first part of the semester.

In recent months, we have unfortunately also come to understand that the overall timing and the arisal of critical situations related to Covid 19 are not easily predictable and manageable. The latest data on the growth of infections, at a national and international level, are worrying. We are therefore aware of the gravity of the situation and we are ready to implement all the further strategies and actions needed to safeguard the quality of our students’ education and protect the health of every member of our community.

As regards future decisions by the national and local authorities, we will face the coming months by taking all the consequent and appropriate actions. We are fully aware that the values of cohesion, solidity and strength of our community will not only hold firm, but will be the lever you can count on to return as soon as possible to a situation of full normality within our Campus.

We will always keep every communication channel active with you, to constantly and promptly update you on how to continue our activities in person and remotely.

Best of  luck to our students for the upcoming exams, and a warm greeting to all of you and your loved ones.

Gianmario Verona Rector, Riccardo Taranto Managing Director

*************************************************************

Update

7 October 2020

Regarding the cases of Covid-19 that have been detected in the Castiglioni Residence since Sunday 4 October, Bocconi University is operating according to the health protocol and in collaboration and close coordination with the ATS. In the interest of public health and to protect the health of the entire Bocconi community, the measures adopted provide that:

• Those who tested positive are placed in quarantine in single rooms until virological recovery is attested by 2 negative swabs
• All Castiglioni residents must remain in quarantine for 14 days, starting from 4 October

Residents will be guaranteed all hospitality services (meal service, ordinary and special cleaning, medical assistance).

At the same time, the University is organizing a screening campaign via rapid antigen swab to be carried out on all students in Bocconi residences to reassure them and their families.

Teaching activity will proceed as before and the students in quarantine will continue to follow their lessons online.

*************************************************************

BACK TO CAMPUS: INSTRUCTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Dear Students,

We are happy to see you on campus, and these first few days of the new Academic Year fill us with pride in the attention and sense of responsibility with which most of you are behaving on our Campus. All face-to-face teaching activities are taking place regularly as required by the new "blended" model. Naturally, there are ongoing areas for improvement that we are determined to manage every day to guarantee you a quality academic experience and a constant sense of security. Congratulations, therefore, to all of you who are actively collaborating to ensure that studying and working life at our Bocconi can move forward smoothly and normally. That said, unfortunately we have still observed some behavior that risks frustrating the commitment and efforts of the majority of the Bocconi Community in dealing with the health emergency. This is why we must draw your attention once again to a few obligatory rules of conduct to protect everyone's health. In particular:

· Stay at home if you have any respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, cold);

· Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth in all common areas of the Campus, both inside and outside buildings;

· Comply with the safety distance of at least one meter and absolutely avoid gatherings;

· Comply with the health and hygiene prevention rules (wash and disinfect hands frequently, monitor body temperature and any symptoms);

· Obey the pedestrian traffic flows within the Campus (both inside and outside buildings), following the signs that have been prepared and the instructions of the security personnel.

At the end of each lesson do not linger in the classroom and exit in an orderly manner. Do not leave material or equipment inside the classrooms or approach the instructor with questions or requests – you must make an appointment. Move briskly out of the access corridors, in order to facilitate sanitizing operations and allow students to enter for the next lesson.

Precisely in the moments of maximum influx and circulation – at the beginning and at the end of the day, during breaks from educational activities, at the entrances and exits of classrooms, in the shared and recreational spaces (bars, restaurants, etc. ) – it is very important not to ignore these few fundamental rules. They are the only credible antidote to the spread of the virus, and we will not fail to firmly sanction those who do not actively collaborate.

We also remind you that the number +39.02.5836.2121 is always active for emergencies and medical assistance during your stay on the Campus. In addition, an ambulance is permanently stationed on campus and the infirmary at via Bocconi 12 is open from 9:30am to 5:30pm. For any doubts on health and safety issues, you can send an email to hse@unibocconi.it.

Lastly, in line with the most recent recommendations from health and government authorities, we strongly recommend downloading and using the Immuni contact tracing app, which is immediately useful for controlling infection from Covid-19.

We are counting on your important collaboration that, along with our daily commitment (control, cleaning, sanitizing, air ventilation, provision of hand sanitizing gel dispensers), can guarantee everyone a normal and peaceful life – in person, on Campus.

Warm regards, 

Gianmario Verona Rector, Riccardo Taranto Managing Director

*************************************************************

18 June 2020, 6:30pm

Phase 3 Begins in September 2020

Dear Students,

Starting in September, Bocconi will enter Phase 3. We are already preparing to welcome you back with maximum safety while guaranteeing equal opportunity for everyone as we start afresh with life and teaching on campus. We bear in mind the complexities we have all overcome in recent months, and we feel stronger for the experience, ready to reaffirm the importance of meeting in person to work and study together.

As you already know, we were able to reopen the offices immediately on 4 May thanks to the positive course of Phase 2 and the consequent government and regional decrees. Then from 18 May our Library also reopened for individual study activities, with the necessary limitations related to distancing. In light of the recent ministerial decree, from 26 June we will also undertake the first professional training courses at SDA Bocconi, and in doing so we will officially resume in-person teaching activities.

We are therefore pleased to announce that with the start of the 2020-2021 academic year, University teaching will also be able to resume in person, enhanced by digital experiences.

Traditional teaching, carried out in smaller groups that respect social distancing needs but also offer a higher quality of interactions, will be combined with redesigned distance lessons. In this way we will not only experience the next academic year together in an innovative way, but we will contribute to defining the Bocconi of the future. That is, a University able to take advantage of the potential of digital teaching and give greater value to classroom interactions between professors and students and among students, so as to further improve the entire learning cycle.

The goal, as we said, is to guarantee safety without limiting opportunity. For this reason,  we assure those of you who are unable to reach us in Milan in September – whether due to temporary visa restrictions, limited international mobility, health conditions or legal impediments – that you will be able to continue your studies remotely for as long as necessary. This will also ensure full continuity of lessons for all students in the event of new health restrictions imposed by the authorities.
In the coming weeks you will receive specific practical indications about the resumption of campus activities (prep courses, welcomes days, etc.). 

In concrete terms, we are preparing for Phase 3 by redesigning the syllabi of our courses and preparing all the protection and safety measures necessary to guarantee our health in compliance with regulations. All sanitization operations for both external and internal environments are already being performed every day, and will be done more often when necessary (in the case of classrooms, at every lesson change). Furthermore, all communication, signage, prevention and scheduling tools have been set up to comply with the ban on crowding and to guarantee distancing, safe access and temperature measurement.

Bocconi is ready and above all eager to welcome you in September, confident that together we will settle into a new normal on campus, in residences, in classrooms and remotely: because Bocconi is all of us, together.

See you soon!

Gianmario Verona Rector, Riccardo Taranto Managing Director

***************************************************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director
24 March 2020 7:15pm

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

We are writing to give you another update in light of the recent evolution of the Covid-19 emergency.

As you have been able to see in the media, the governmental restrictions on the movement of people are now more important than ever. This is why we are called upon by the Region and the national Government to make a further sacrifice in order to get maximum effectiveness from the measures put in place so far.

We must therefore ask you not only to continue the suspension of physical lessons, but faculty members are asked to not to go to work until further notice. If it is strictly necessary to collect material from any of our buildings in order to record lessons from home or for research, we ask you to do so after requesting a permit by tomorrow, Wednesday 25 March. After this date, campus buildings will be closed, as the current ordinance does not allow for broader interpretation.

Student residence halls, however, will continue to receive services for the students who have remained as guests and to whom we extend all our sympathy and moral support.

In light of the extraordinary effort that we have implemented thus far to ensure course sessions for the degree programs, and considering that the completion of sessions is expected for most courses in the first week of May, we can confirm that all teaching activities will continue remotely until the end of the semester.

The next exam sessions scheduled for April-July will also be held remotely. Their operating procedures are being defined for both written and oral remote exams. You will receive more details as soon as possible.

Remote teaching and exams will still be guaranteed, even if the hoped-for positive change in the emergency occurs and the provisions of the proper authorities allow activities on campus to be resumed.

Again, we would like to thank students for the commitment and responsibility with which they are facing this difficult moment, as well as all the staff and faculty for their great organizational effort regarding the development of tools and methods for remote teaching and exams.

As disclosed by the Deans yesterday, the graduation session on 15, 16 and 17 April will also be held remotely. However, we assure you that a collective event will be planned for the graduates of this session as soon as possible, allowing us to properly celebrate this milestone and, we hope, the conclusion of the emergency.

A final note concerns a request made by the student representatives that we have followed up on and would like to communicate to you. In accordance with the decision of the Conference of Rectors upon invitation from the Minister of University and Research, we have decided to postpone the deadline of the third installment for degree program tuition and fees only. We are unable to reissue bank documents for payment with a new formal deadline, but the third installment can be paid, without incurring suspensions, payment reminders or administrative measures, until 30 June 2020.

With this extension, similarly to what the Government has done for tax deadlines, we ask anyone who has not suffered financial impact from this emergency to meet the deadlines and pay the installment regularly by 29 April. This will allow Bocconi to continue to maintain all its obligations and deadlines in turn.

Our community has once again shown that a spirit of collaboration and cohesion resides deep in our DNA. This is a source of great pride for us and allows us to look to the future, beyond this moment of emergency, with positivity and optimism.

We wish you all success in your work and studies!

Gianmario Verona Rettore, Riccardo Taranto Consigliere Delegato

*****************************************************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director - 12 March 2020
6:00pm

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

Today we are experiencing the fourteenth day of suspension of lessons, seminars and events on our Campus, which – as you know – will certainly continue until 3 April.

The new situation we are facing has undoubtedly deeply affected all our lives, but it has also demonstrated our community’s capacity for resilience and innovation. Right from the first week of suspension we managed to guarantee distance learning for most of the courses of the five Schools. Then, starting from the second week, we proceeded to activate the service at full capacity for all degree programs and courses, except for a few rare exceptions (some Specialized Masters had just started, so we preferred to opt for the temporary suspension of the program; SDABocconi custom courses for corporations have been postponed until the end of the emergency).

More precisely, a total close to 2 million teaching minutes have been produced and delivered. Almost 9,000 students have watched videos on demand, with an average of 12 videos viewed per student, in addition to live streamed videos. The total number of students who have participated in at least one live streaming session (over 800 sessions in all), exceeds 6,000.

As you can imagine – during the current serious emergency – these are extraordinary results, due to the efforts of students, faculty and staff who are committed to the #bocconineverstops cause. Thank you all!

However, the global health emergency still spreads, and to our dismay we have learned that the leading US universities (from Harvard on the East Coast to Stanford on the West Coast) are also asking students not to return to campus after their Spring Break on 23 March, guaranteeing distance lessons until the end of the semester. To attempt an objective analysis, this is truly an extraordinary crisis at an international level, during which we were among the first forced to experience the unexpected emergency and to react subsequently with these new ways of working.

At this time, however, when the situation requires further responsible actions from everyone at an individual and collective level, we ask you for an additional effort to limit mobility. This comes in light of the new restrictive measures issued by the Italian Government last night through the DPCM of 11 March 2020 "Further provisions of the DL of 23 February 2020, n. 6 containing urgent measures regarding containment and management of the epidemiological emergency from COVID-19, applicable to the entire national territory", which provides for even stricter measures to contain the contagion of Covid-19. We therefore ask that you come to Campus only in the following cases:

• To record lectures, upon request of authorization, to allow the regular provision of distance teaching activities (in compliance with health and safety regulations);
• To utilize research equipment available only on campus, with authorization;
• If you need to carry out administrative support services to the above and / or necessary to guarantee essential services.

The procedures for requesting and authorizing access to Campus will be communicated separately.

All administrative services will also be provided remotely, to ensure the regular continuation of the semester’s activities.

The recommendation for everyone is to strictly comply with the rules and indications to counter the spread of Covid-19, leaving your home and traveling as little as possible. The collaboration and responsibility of each of us will be decisive for a faster return to normal University life.

As we have said, Bocconi never stops. We wish you well as you continue to work and learn from a safe distance!

Gianmario Verona Rector, Riccardo Taranto Managing Director

*****************************************************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director - 8 March 2020
8:40pm

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

During this challenging situation, we will always stay by your side. We now wish to provide you with some further indications, in light of the DPCM of 8 March 2020 "Further provisions of the DL of 23 February 2020, n. 6 containing urgent measures regarding containment and management of the epidemiological emergency from COVID-19”, signed last night by the Prime Minister. These indications provide for the expansion of the so-called "red zone" to the whole of Lombardy and to 14 other provinces, with rigorous measures to contain the spread and contagion of Covid-19.

All the decisions that we have previously communicated are confirmed until 3 April. In addition to those indications, in-person meetings are prohibited: for meetings and gatherings we urge you to use the available technological tools.

During this emergency period, the continuation of all study programs as per the academic calendar will be guaranteed through the provision of distance teaching activities. In this regard, we thank the faculty and staff for the flexibility they have shown, and commend the students for having welcomed with enthusiasm this important innovation that allows you to continue learning despite the restrictions. Faculty who need to come to the University to video record further lessons may do so. Technical assistance will be provided, and we remind everyone to be careful to maintain a safe distance between people when working together.

In the coming days, we will also update faculty, students and staff regarding the graduation process. We will try to enhance, in all possible ways, this very important moment of your university career, for you and your loved ones.

All of us are called upon to face this moment of extreme delicacy with a sense of responsibility, and we are certain that even at such a time we can count on the values and cohesion of our community.

Gianmario Verona Rector, Riccardo Taranto Managing Director

*****************************************************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director
4 March 2020 8:40pm

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
We would like to bring you up to date in light of the news arriving from the Council of Ministers today.

The ongoing health emergency makes it impossible to resume classroom teaching and requires us to continue promoting reduced mobility of faculty and staff to reduce the risk of contagion.

Based on indications from the proper Authorities, classroom teaching activities are therefore suspended also for the week of 9 to 15 March.

Furthermore, it cannot be excluded that this suspension will be further extended for a subsequent period, as the situation remains fluid. Because the academic calendar during the week of 16 to 22 March includes partial exams, we have decided together with the Deans and the student representatives to cancel all partial exams for this semester. We will take advantage of that week to allow all courses to realign themselves with the academic calendar.

As you can imagine, the decision to cancel these exams is also linked to a question of fairness, given that many of our students have left Milan and may be unable to return in the week of March 16 unless the situation improves. We are therefore also considering the possibility of allowing distance learning to continue after the Authorities lift the suspension of live teaching. The school Deans will update students and faculty on how the continuation of courses will proceed in terms of teaching and exams for the semester.

For the Master Division of SDA Bocconi, which has no partial exams scheduled in the week of March 16, teaching activities will continue to be delivered remotely.

In light of the provision of the Council of Ministers, we take this opportunity to reiterate to faculty and staff to limit travel and reduce the organization of physical meetings, making the most of possible use multimedia technology; a more detailed communication for faculty and staff is forthcoming. Considering the emergency and the decisions of the Authorities, all scheduled events will be canceled until 5 April, to be rescheduled in the coming months as possible.

In addition, all travel for work by faculty and staff members is suspended until further notice.

In conclusion, Bocconi is neither stopping nor closing, but we must adapt to the circumstances imposed by the national situation.

We thank you for your understanding and for the professionalism and commitment that you have shown in these difficult days.

Gianmario Verona Rettore, Riccardo Taranto Consigliere Delegato

*****************************************************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director
3 March 2020 07:40pm

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

During the suspension - in these two weeks - of on-campus teaching activities, we can proudly say that Bocconi has continued to work at full capacity using smart working and virtual remote meetings, and has accomplished the delivery of scheduled courses.
In particular, thanks to the enthusiasm, the creative initiative and the constant contribution of our faculty, supported by BUILT and by the staff, distance teaching is now active at full strength, with lessons in streaming, videotaped courses, augmented syllabi and a general redefinition of study methods for each class.
Evident once again, and we want to thank each member of the Bocconi community, are the synergy of intent and team spirit of the three pillars that make our Campus alive and unique: students, faculty and staff.

In line with the containment measures applied by national and local Authorities due to the ongoing health emergency, we remind you to continue to follow a few procedures aimed at protecting the health of our community.
In particular, we urge you to reduce travel as much as possible, avoiding long trips by public transport to reach the University. Avoid holding meetings with large numbers of people by using online collaborative tools and maintain, as much as possible, the recommended anti-infection safety distance from other people (at least one meter).
These measures come in addition to voluntary quarantine recommendations already communicated in case of recent contact with people tested positive for Covid-19 or residing in the zones at risk (check risk areas in the provisions communicated by health Authorities). Previous indications to maintain proper personal hygiene and avoid contact with people presenting flu or cold symptoms also remain in place.
If you develop cold or flu symptoms yourself, promptly call the toll-free number 800 89 4545 (Lombardy Region) or 1500 (Health Ministry).
We also take this opportunity to inform you that business trips for faculty and staff remain suspended as a precautionary measure until further notice.

We are certain that we will soon be able to return and experience our wonderful and growing Campus in a normal situation, and we know you will continue to study hard and fruitfully in the meantime.

Gianmario Verona Rettore, Riccardo Taranto Consigliere Delegato

***********************************

Update
28 February 2020, 7:11pm

As announced on Thursday 27 February, we are providing an additional update on the current health emergency.

In line with the attached indications from the Conference of Rectors of Universities in Lombardy, we will continue with distance learning activities until Saturday 7 March, thus maintaining the suspension of the main on-campus activities, including events and seminars.

As you can imagine, this requires significant organizational effort involving all University faculty and staff and which will guarantee the quality and timing of the courses planned during the academic calendar. It will also allow many students from various locations to organize their return to campus.

We are certain that this decision will allow everyone to smoothly resume activities when the state of emergency is over. We guarantee that the situation will be continuously monitored and that its evolution will be updated in a timely manner through our institutional channels.

We would also like to reiterate to anyone who has been in risk areas, in Italy or abroad, or has had contact with people residing in those areas, to remain in quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with people from those places, as requested by public health authorities.

***********************************

Statement from the Conference of Rectors of Universities in Lombardy
28 February 2020

The Universities in Lombardy have deemed that the precautionary reasons leading to the suspension of teaching activities in the week of Monday 24 February 2020 are still ongoing.

Therefore, for the smooth functioning of the institutional activities of all Lombardy universities, in-person educational activities are suspended until Saturday 7 March.

In order to limit the negative effects of this emergency, in the meantime all Universities in Lombardy have taken steps to offer students forms of distance learning, according to methods specific to each University. Detailed information is available on the individual University websites and will be communicated and updated in detail to all academic communities.

Each University in Lombardy is working on an analysis of the various possible scenarios and the identification of appropriate solutions to be adopted both in the short- and medium/long-term, in particular on the organization of teaching activities.

The outlook is that all activities will be able to resume on Monday 9 March.

Our monitoring is constantly evolving and will continue in close contact with national and local civil and public health authorities.

We will continue to keep students, staff and citizens informed in a timely manner regarding any important updates.

***********************************

Message from the Rector and the Managing Director

Update

Dear Colleagues and Students,
 

As part of the constant updates we have been providing, we send this message with our thanks, first of all, and with a consideration that makes us particularly proud. In this moment of health emergency, when all of us have been called to pull out our best efforts to ensure that our University offers academic and operational continuity on all levels, the response of the Bocconi community has been immediate, efficient and effective beyond all expectations.
 

We are grateful to you colleagues, faculty and students for the commitment, creativity and dedication you are showing, in addition to the usual sense of belonging that makes us a truly cohesive and strong community in all ways.
 

As you know, we have set out a protocol on Tuesday to start distance teaching, methods that will serve us well in the future to improve the overall learning experience. We will preserve this new teaching model until the resumption of classroom lessons.

SDA Bocconi and the PhD School, thanks to the nature of their programs, have already become active in all courses since Wednesday. The Undergraduate, Graduate and Law Schools, with the crucial support of BUILT, are also fully engaged in developing the suggested methods of enhanced syllabus, lessons via video and live streaming, and will be active starting from tomorrow in most courses.

 Although teaching activities have been suspended, the University has always remained open thanks to the many Staff members who came to Campus and to the many others who worked from home,  broadening their experience with smart working.

Furthermore, we have had the pleasure of seeing many expert faculty members express their opinions on the current situation through videos that are disseminated online and are highly appreciated.

We are certain that we will soon return to enjoy our beautiful Campus in a normal situation, and we promise to promptly update you on any decision made regarding the suspension or resumption of on-campus teaching activities. In the meantime, we know you will study hard and keep learning!

Gianmario Verona Rettore, Riccardo Taranto Consigliere Delegato

***********************************