Be there - if necessary,
with our dual-mode approach

Test, try and plan

Before the academic year begins, all students will be offered the chance to take part in a “general special lecture” session using the HyFlex technology. You’ll be able to connect from home to the lecture and so actually experience what this approach to learning is like. Those students who are undergoing the admission and enrolment process will also be able to take part in these sessions.

During the first two weeks* of the academic year, according to the official academic calendar, the students will be placed into groups, so that each group can have the experience of physically attending classes on campus and attending them in an online, interactive format.

After these two weeks, students will be asked to indicate whether they are going to attend lectures in person or request online attendance, using a smartphone app or the intranet to do this. You must bear in mind that each degree will specify which type of activities must be attended in person. The University will notify the student whether their request has been accepted or whether it needs to be modified. For more information on this, see the document entitled "CEU UCH 2020-21 Action Plan".

*On one or other of the University campuses, this period may be extended.

Adapted practical training periods

Each study programme will specify which practical training sessions require the students’ physical presence on campus, due to the nature of the target competences concerned. Which sessions are of this nature will be clearly defined for each course: if physical attendance is necessary, the reason will be the need to use the facilities in order for learning to take place in optimal conditions.

In such cases, all students will be able to request to undertake these sessions over the course of the semester on a weekly basis or, if their personal circumstances make this difficult, they will be able to request an “adapted practical training period” (known as PAP, using the Spanish acronym). If the student’s personal circumstances do not allow them to come to campus every week (for example, because they are resident in another province of Spain or in another country), then he or she can request to undertake these activities during a PAP (an adapted practical training period). Before the student makes the request, he or she will be made aware of the exact dates of the PAP for their study programme in the University’s official academic calendar.

Before the academic year begins, the University will notify each student regarding whether their request has been accepted. In general, all requests for the default position of undertaking the practical activities on a weekly basis on campus will be accepted. In the case of PAP requests, these will, in general, be granted, if the student has duly justified their request and if their normal residence is in a province different from that of their campus.

Students can also change from one mode of practical training to the other (weekly practical sessions or PAP) during the semester, if there exists a good reason for doing so. The University will ensure that this combined approach works appropriately so that the student is able to finish the complete cycle of practical training for each course.

Far away, so close

Remember that our dual-mode, HyFlex approach to lectures means that you can always follow your lectures and interact with your lecturer in real time, and also connect with your classmates. You can request to do your practical training during the special period (PAP), and so if you can’t do your practical training on a weekly basis, it’s not a problem so long as there’s a good reason why not. Obviously, this means some adjustment will need to be made to your assessment calendar and the times your practical training will take place may be different, but that isn’t a problem either.

The dual-mode, HyFlex approach also means that all your lectures will be recorded and will be available to you to watch back on our digital platform. You can access these 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The tutorial and assessment systems will also be adapted for those students who live in very different time zones and who are unable to follow their lectures in real time.

Everything will be recorded* and available to students to watch back, or even to watch it for the first time if you weren’t able to be there, physically or virtually, at the time.

*Prior consent for this will be obtained from the lecturers and the students. The videos stored on the digital platform will be protected to prevent downloads and distribution. All these videos will be deleted once the corresponding academic period has been completed.

Let’s take care of each other

The idea of taking care of each other has been at the forefront of everything the Office of the Vice-Rector for Students and University Life has been doing for many years and it is now a key priority for the University. That is why the San Pablo CEU Foundation has committed major investment to protect the health and safety of the whole university community.

The University’s different services will set up online helpdesks to ensure that a personalized, real-time service can be provided to every student, via Teams, Zoom or similar programs.

Every effort will be made to ensure that student administration processes can take place online, reducing the need for face-to-face contact without compromising on service quality. In the same way, digital versions of academic records and official documents will be created.