The Technion canceled the summer semester * at the University of Haifa they study remotely
25/7/2006
The management of the Technion decided on a gradual return to routine activity at the Technion. As of Sunday, July 23, 2006, the members of the academic and administrative staff are returning to work. At the Technion there are protected spaces and shelters designed for use in an emergency.
The exams and studies will not take place before Tuesday, July 25, 2006. They will be rescheduled after at least 48 hours' advance notice. This decision can change depending on the circumstances and the instructions of the competent authorities. Updates will be in the media and on the Technion's website.
The decision to stop the Technion's activities was made last Sunday, July 16, 2006, after the exams of 1,800 students were stopped immediately after they began, following the fall of rockets fired by Hezbollah, throughout Haifa. One of the rockets killed eight employees of the Israel Railways, while they were doing their work in the railway garage in the underground city. The dispersal of students and workers was done in an exemplary order.
During the course of the week, the attacks on Haifa continued, claiming human lives and causing considerable damage to property. The president of the Technion, Professor Yitzhak Apluig, said in interviews with the media that the Technion's management decided to stop the institution's activities so as not to endanger the students, employees and academic staff. The decision to return to activity was made in consultation with security officials and the decision on a new date for the exams will also be reviewed according to developments. Professor Apluig expressed his great appreciation to the working public and students for their understanding and cooperation. He expressed his hope that the routine will return soon and that the Technion will be able to concentrate on research and teaching again, and continue the development momentum it is in.
In a letter to the entire Technion house, President Afluig wrote: "The Technion is returning to activity today after a forced one-week hiatus following the murderous attacks by Hezbollah on Haifa. and the northern settlements of the State of Israel. Our return to work is important for strengthening national morale and I believe it also contributes to a good personal feeling for each of us. My fellow board members and I are convinced that this is the right step at this time. This is part of the struggle the country is in and we will stand by it.
"During the week that the Technion was closed, our security personnel checked all shelters and protected spaces on campus and prepared them for our return to work. There are certainly employees who have problems and difficulties arising from the war situation and they will receive a listening and understanding ear and personal care.
"From my many years of acquaintance with the Technion faculty: academic, administrative and technical, I have no doubt that together with mutual help and encouragement, we will meet the difficult challenge that the current war presents us."
Haifa University: The faculty members are returning, the students will only be back next Sunday
The following announcement was published on the Haifa University website: "The first working day after the decision to return to work at the university has ended (23/7/06). Most of the employees reported to work today and the university administration thanks each and every one of you.
During the day, as we know, alarm sirens were heard that forced us to interrupt our work routine and stay for a short time in shelters and protected areas. Following the fact that today's falls happened in the area, we checked again with the Home Front Command and the authorized officials. We were informed that there is no change in policy and assessments and therefore the decision on the gradual return to activity stands. In order to make it easier for the students, the university administration decided today that exams and activities for students will not resume before July 30. The students are asked to follow the updates on the website."
Aharon Ben-Zev, president of the University of Haifa, also wrote to the employees and students of the institution: "The state of war in which the state is facing has forced the university to switch to an emergency work mode. In the first week of the fighting, the university was closed. During these days, the management dealt with many issues that were on the agenda, such as security and safety issues, providing regular updates to you and my friends at the university in Israel and around the world, the continued existence of the studio for students abroad, summer semester, treatment of personal problems, and many other current issues."
"The management met and meets every day to assess the situation, provide solutions to urgent problems, and make decisions regarding future actions. Last Wednesday, after quite a few strikes and after many consultations with the security officials authorized by the Home Front Command, the Ministry of Education and the municipality, and after coordination with the Technion's management, we decided on a gradual return to work of the faculty members. The decision was not easy, but it marked our determination to gradually return to operating the university. The managers of the units received clear instructions to give maximum consideration to any personal problem and to be careful to fulfill the instructions of the security officials. We did this yesterday, on the first day back to work, and we will continue to do so in the coming days. Returning to a normal life routine, however complex it may be, is part of our dealing with the combat situation. "
"We very much hope that when there will be relative calm, we will be able to find solutions to the many problems related to our student population. We will do this with maximum sensitivity and consideration. "
"The war is a painful experience and it has already exacted an unbearable price from us. The late Yaniv Hershkowitz, the son of our friend Corina Hershkowitz, was killed in an IDF operation. The late Shimon Glickblich, father of Yulia, our social work student, was killed by a Katyusha hit in Haifa while driving his car. I send them and their families our condolences. "
"We did not want this war, as we do not want any other war. But at the root of the war is the aspiration of all of us to reach a stable and sustainable peace. Such a peace, the realization of which is still far away, will be able to reunify Israeli society and bind the State of Israel with thick ties of friendship to its neighbors. "
"Although it is currently a distant dream, we must not stop dreaming for a moment. Dreaming and keeping hope are the hallmarks of human behavior. I am sure that even in these dark and difficult hours, you can already see the light of tomorrow. "
"I thank each of you for your exemplary behavior during these difficult hours; Together we will get through this situation and together we will continue the construction and strengthening of our university. I am all hopeful that these difficult days will pass and that we are headed for a much longer and better period. "
The Technion canceled the summer semester * at the University of Haifa they study remotely
4.8.2006
Due to the security situation, the Technion had to cancel the summer semester. The money of the students who registered for this semester - will not be collected. The Dean of Certification Studies, Professor Yoav Binyamini, said that the Technion regrets that, given the circumstances, further harm was caused to the student body. Registration for the upcoming academic year continues as a series.
The president of the Technion: more than 50% of the Technion's employees came to work with the resumption of activities this week * the rate increased to 75% after the Technion activated employment for the employees' children
More than 50% of Technion employees came to work with the resumption of activities this week. This is what the president of the Technion, Professor Yitzhak Apluig, reported in a letter to the employees. He expressed great appreciation to these employees for their important contribution to the institution, which is in the midst of preparations for the summer semester and the next school year.
The president of the Technion said that there is no unequivocal answer to the question of whether it is right to open the institution as long as the murderous attack on Haifa continues. The reasons for the continuation of the activity are weighty, such as the continuation of the preparations for the renewal of the exams, for the summer semester that will open in August and for the next school year, as well as the production of salaries and dealing with student affairs, especially those called to the reserves.
Today the Technion activated an activity center for the children of the employees, and as a result there was a 25% increase in reporting to work. On the first day of the activity, 60 children of workers arrived at the center, which is located in a spacious shelter and two computer rooms located in a protected area. The president of the Technion, Professor Yitzhak Apluig, expressed great appreciation for the employees who came to work, for their important contribution to the institution, which is in the midst of preparations for the summer semester and the next school year.
The director of the Human Resources Department at the Technion, Mrs. Sarah Canty, said that today the attendance of the employees is 75% of the attendance in the "normal" months of July. Yael Karmi, who is in charge of the activity center, said that ten instructors engage the children in the computer rooms, creating, solving crossword puzzles, playing table games and sports. Tomorrow you will arrive at the theater group center.
The president of the Technion said in a letter to the employees that there is no unequivocal answer to the question of whether it is right to open the institution as long as the murderous attack on Haifa continues. The reasons for the continuation of the activity are weighty, such as the continuation of preparations for the renewal of the exams, for the summer semester that will open in a reduced format in August and for the next school year, as well as the production of salaries and handling of student affairs, especially those called to the reserves. "As a public institution, we operate in accordance with the guidance of the Home Front Command, which specifically ordered a return to work," stressed the Technion's president
The attack on Haifa began at a time when 1,800 students were starting their exams and had to go down to shelters and protected areas. The new date of the exams will be published in the media and on the Technion's website.
Professor Yitzhak Apluig expressed his hope that the state of emergency will end soon and the Technion will be able to return to normal. As long as the state of emergency continues, the Technion will continue to operate in its current format.
Haifa University under fire: students study remotely
The cessation of academic activity at the University of Haifa in the summer semester led to the development of a new initiative that will allow students in the Department of Multidisciplinary Studies to study from home. The virtual classes allow university students to study, almost as usual, despite the tense security situation.
In a quick assessment, the teachers of the class began to film the lessons that were supposed to be given in the sects. The recordings of these lessons are uploaded to the Internet, but that is not enough: "The student can access the course in which he is enrolled through the remote learning system. If he has questions about the lectures, he can contact the lecturers through the forum available in each of the classes. The forum allows students to see which of their friends for the course is in the system at any given time and allows them to communicate with those students through the forum," said Dr. Ann Winkler, head of the department of multidisciplinary studies. "The goal was to prevent the students from losing an entire semester. For the situation we are in today, this is the optimal solution."
The classes in the interactive virtual format allow the students to continue their study routine without delays while maintaining continuous contact with the lecturers and electronic access to the study materials, including the books and articles.
These days the courses are being filmed. Five cameras simultaneously record five different lecturers. These are 68 courses that will be available in the coming days in the distance learning system operated by the University of Haifa.
The Technion postponed the start of the school year to November 5 to make it easier for the students
Raised a million dollars to support students and announced a series of concessions for those who were recruited for the war
23.8.2006
The Technion decided to postpone the opening of the school year from October 17 to November 5, to make it easier for the students by not having it coincide with the exams that were postponed due to the war. The management of the Technion also announced a series of concessions for those who were drafted into the reserves, including an emergency fund in the amount of one million dollars to help the students. The president of the Technion, Professor Yitzhak Apluig, said that he hopes that the government will follow the Technion's lead and join the effort to aid students who were harmed as a result of the war.
Among the benefits for recruited students that the Technion's management and St. Technion approved - the possibility to receive personal mentoring, a significant discount in the student dormitories and the possibility to convert numerical grades into a "passing" grade.
In addition, the management of the Technion initiated a series of concessions for all students, such as three exam dates instead of the usual two years and replacing exams in certain subjects with homework.
"The Technion believes that there is a difference between the help and relief that should be offered to students who served in the reserves, and that offered to those who remained on the home front," said the Technion's senior vice president, Professor Aviv Rosen. "At the same time, we have established a special committee whose job it is to discuss student applications and give them relief according to special circumstances."
As for the students' demand to receive an overwhelming "passing" grade, Professor Rosen said: "It should be emphasized that with a prolonged effort of decades, the Technion has earned him a place of honor, as one of the leading academic institutions in the world. This position is a result of his academic level and excellence which is a candle to his feet. Even in this difficult time, aside from the aid it intends to give to students affected by the war, the Technion is not ready to harm the academic level. An "easy" and populist solution will harm the status of the Technion and the prestige of the diploma it awards its graduates upon graduation. Such an injury is first and foremost an injury to Technion graduates and most students understand this."
