COVID-19: Update on the measures taken by the University of Montpellier

[Article] - Published on March 25, 2020 in Environmental Issues and Social Responsibility, Health, Social Issues & Disabilities

TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS

Wearing a mask is recommended in indoor spaces

As of March 14, 2022, wearing a mask is no longer mandatory. However, given the recent surge in COVID cases at the University, we feel it is important to strongly recommend wearing a mask indoors.

We would also like to remind you that safety precautions must be followed and that the premises should be ventilated as much as possible.

The pandemic is not over, and people infected with COVID-19, regardless of their age, may experience fatigue that can have a lasting impact on all aspects of their daily lives, as well as, in some cases, severe symptoms. It is therefore important that we remain vigilant.

Reminder of preventive measures:

Wash your hands frequently, greet people without shaking hands, avoid hugging, maintain a distance of at least 1 meter whenever possible, cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, use a disposable tissue and throw it away, and avoid touching your face.

Special rules apply in the BIUs, SUAPS courtyards, cafeterias, etc.: please check with the relevant staff.

SUSPECTED COVID OR TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID?

If you have COVID symptoms, call your primary care physician or a doctor.

If you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who needs to be tested: call your primary care physician or a doctor to find out what steps to take.

If you have any questions about your program (class attendance, etc.), please contact your faculty, school, or institute.

For any medical questions, particularly for students at risk of COVID-19, please contact the Preventive Medicine Department.

For any other questions: email.

41 ambassadors stationed across various campuses

Trained by the Joint Service for Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion (SCMPPS), these 41 students are stationed at various University of Montpellier campuses to provide information and remind you of the safety precautions.

Given the exceptional circumstances, let’s keep in mind that the government’s measures are intended to protect everyone’s health. We should limit close physical contact between people.

Getting back to normal: vaccination is the solution

COVID vaccination offers two levels of protection: individual and collective. It helps reduce the spread of the virus to those around you and is currently the only way to protect yourself against severe forms of the disease. University is a place where we constantly interact with others, so it is important to achieve the highest possible vaccination coverage among both students and staff.

There will be several opportunities to get vaccinated in the coming days at three university locations.

The approved schedule is provided below. You may come in without an appointment.

If you're unsure, you can also just get advice on vaccination without necessarily getting vaccinated. If you have a health insurance card, you'll need to bring it with you.

We hope you will take advantage of this program, which has been set up directly within our university, so that this academic year can take place in person.

First dose
: At MDE Triolet on October 7, from 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM, no appointment needed
: At MDE Richter on October 14, from 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM, no appointment needed

1st and 2nd doses
, Pharmacie le site, October 12, 11:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m., no appointment needed
MDE Triolet, October 18, 11:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m., no appointment needed

You can also download the addresses of the various vaccination centers located near the University of Montpellier’s campuses and throughout the Occitanie region.

Information for staff and students

Regulatory acts

• Decision No. 2020-882-UM Requiring the wearing of masks on the University of Montpellier’s Mende campus
• Decision No. 2020-883-UM Requiring the wearing of masks on the University of Montpellier’s Perpignan campus
• Prefectural Order of the Hérault
• Prefectural Order of the Gard Department

Information for students effective November 2, 2020

Visits to UM campuses

To attend hands-on training sessions, access the university libraries, health services, and more…

You must bring the following:

• a travel authorization form available on the Ministry of the Interior’s website or via the“Tous Anti-Covid”app. Select the reason: “Travel between home and the workplace or an educational or training institution; business travel that cannot be postponed; travel for a competitive exam or test.”
• a valid form of identification,
• bring a document issued by the institution proving that the trip in question falls within the scope of permitted cases.

Health

To help you cope better with this lockdown:

• Your Occupational Health Service remains open and is honoring all scheduled medical examinations and/or specialized consultations (psychology, nutrition). To schedule an appointment, contact your local office; contact information is available at www.umontpellier.fr/campus/sante-social-handicap. Consultations are preferably conducted in person, but telephone consultations are also available. Our team is implementing all necessary health and safety measures to ensure your safety.
• The University Health Center (CSU) is open, by appointment only, during its regular hours (10 a.m.–2 p.m. and 3 p.m.–6:30 p.m.), and is providing all in-person consultations: medical, psychological, and gynecological. For students who are already registered patients, teleconsultations are available. Contact: 04.11.28.19.79 or by email.
• A toll-free hotline is available 24/7 to answer your questions about COVID-19: 0.800.130.000
  For emergencies, call 15.

Disability

The Handiversité office and the Occupational Health office are available to answer your questions regarding accommodations for exams and/or coursework, access to digital course materials, and more…

• Contact the Disability Services Office
• Contact the Occupational Health Department

Financial difficulties

Whether or not you are a student receiving a scholarship, the University of Marseille (UM) and the CROUS are continuing to offer their financial aid programs, including emergency assistance.

The Student Life Office of the Campus Life Department works in collaboration with the CROUS social services department to provide you with support.
To request one-time emergency assistance, click here.

• Contact CROUS
• Contact the Student Life Office

Digital Access

The UM provides its students with free licenses for Zoom Education and Microsoft Office 365 Education.

Zoom Education allows you to hold online meetings for educational purposes or personal collaborative projects.

Microsoft Office 365 Education provides access to Teams, the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), and the OneDrive file storage service. These tools can be used directly online (select the A1 license) or downloaded (select the A3 license).

To access these tools, log in to your UM digital workspace (ent.umontpellier.fr), go to the "Teaching" tab, and click on the ZOOM and TEAMS/OFFICE 365 icons.

Digital equipment:

If you don’t have a computer, you can contact your faculty, school, or institute, which may have come up with some solutions. Computers are also available at the university libraries (by appointment). The Student Life Office is available to help you find a solution.

UM University Libraries: Open by appointment

The university libraries are open by appointment only, so you can return or borrow materials and work on site.

To ensure the safety of both users and staff, health and safety measures and rules for using the collections and spaces in the university libraries have been updated. It is everyone’s responsibility to follow these measures, including wearing a mask, practicing preventive hygiene measures, and maintaining physical distancing.

How do I make an appointment?

Information / Guidance / Career Placement

SCUIO-IP is still here to answer all your questions.

Find all their services, phone numbers, and social media accounts at scuioip.umontpellier.fr

Email contact

Student organizations

The Student Life Office remains committed to supporting your initiatives, particularly those aimed at combating social isolation during the lockdown.
Email contact

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines, students from the Office of Student Life are here to help.
Email contact

Message from the President dated September 16, 2020, to students

Dear students,

We are delighted to have you back on campus for the start of the new academic year. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet shown any signs of abating, stricter precautionary measures are necessary.

Wearing a mask is now mandatory on all University campuses, for everyone, everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. Failure to comply with the mask requirement constitutes a violation of the University’s internal regulations and may result in disciplinary action. As a one-time exception, the University will provide you with two reusable masks. Distribution is currently being handled by each Faculty, School, or Institute.

If you are at potential risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19, you must consistently wear medical-grade masks, which may require a doctor’s prescription.
Students who have a documented medical condition that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19 may request academic accommodations—similar to those granted for disabilities—by contacting the Preventive Medicine Service via email.

In addition to wearing a mask, preventive measures must always be followed carefully; it remains very important to wash your hands frequently, and to that end, numerous hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed at various locations.

If you test positive for COVID, have had close contact* with someone who tested positive for COVID, or are experiencing COVID symptoms, we urge you to contact your primary care physician first to find out what steps to take. If you do not have a doctor, you can call 0 800 130 000 (toll-free service) to be referred to a general practitioner. You can inform the COVID liaisons at your faculty, school, or institute, or the registrar’s office, of your situation by providing your phone number, date of birth, and the date you took a test (or plan to take one) or the date you first experienced symptoms. This information, shared with the Regional Health Agency, will help in the fight against the virus by breaking chains of transmission. You can also consult the fact sheets from Santé Publique France (available for download at the end of this message).

University departments (libraries, the Joint Office for Information, Counseling, and Career Services (SCUIO-IP), the Joint Department of Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion (SCMPPS), Handiversité, Art & Culture, the Joint Department of Physical Activities and Sports (SUAPS), and the Student Life Office) have come together to support you on a daily basis by operating as closely as possible to the “normal” functioning of a university.

Finally, while the start of the academic year is typically associatedwith festive and orientation events, we remind you that organizing such events on the University of Montpellier campus is not permitted. Given the recent resurgence of the pandemic, we also strongly advise against organizing or participating in such events off-campus. Such gatherings are particularly conducive to the spread of the virus. We also remind you that hazing is a criminal offense punishable by up to six months in prison and a fine of 7,500 euros. It is strictly prohibited.

We know that the circumstances surrounding the start of this academic year are difficult for you. However, this should in no way dampen your motivation or your desire to succeed: together with the administrations of the academic departments, schools, and institutes, as well as the teaching staff, we are doing everything we can to ensure that your year goes as smoothly as possible.

We thank you in advance for your commitment to helping prevent the spread of the epidemic and wish you a wonderful academic year.

Dear students, please accept our best regards.

Philippe Augé
President of the University

Alexis Vandeventer
Student Vice President

* Close contact: any person who has had direct contact with a confirmed case in one of the following situations without effective protective measures (a surgical mask worn by the case or the contact, a general-purpose mask manufactured in accordance with the AFNOR standard or equivalent worn by both the case AND the contact, a face shield, or another form of physical barrier such as glass or plexiglass):

• A student or teacher from the same class or group;
• Student, faculty member, or other staff:
  • who have shared the same living space (home, etc.) as the confirmed or probable case;
  • who have had direct, face-to-face contact with a case at a distance of less than 1 meter, regardless of the duration (e.g., conversation, meal, flirting, hugs, kisses). However, people encountered briefly in public spaces are not considered high-risk contacts;
  • who have provided or received hygiene or medical care;
  • having shared a confined space (office, meeting room, personal vehicle, etc.) for at least 15 minutes with a confirmed case, or having been in close proximity to a confirmed case during multiple episodes of coughing or sneezing.

View the fact sheets from Santé Publique France:

• I help limit the spread of the virus by following the proper guidelines
• I have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19
• I have symptoms of COVID-19

Message from the President on May 19, 2020, to students

Dear students,

The gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions in our country began on May 11. Although you will be away from campus until September, you remain our top priority. While exams have begun in many departments, issues such as internships, study abroad programs, and registration are all topics on which we are focusing, in collaboration with the directors of the academic units, schools, and institutes.

We are also particularly committed to addressing student financial insecurity.

We would therefore like to draw your attention to the one-time grant of 200 euros offered by the government to assist, on the one hand, students who have lost a job or internship due to the COVID-19 crisis and, on the other hand, students from overseas territories who have remained in mainland France. This aid is intended for students in initial training, whether or not they receive scholarships. To apply, eligible students must complete a form available on the government website:
. Overseas students may also benefit from negotiated rates for their return trip (https://bit.ly/2z1Oy2E).

But beyond these measures, the University of Montpellier remains fully committed to addressing this social emergency. The Solidarity and Student Initiative Development Fund (FSDIE) has thus been supplemented to meet requests for exceptional financial aid. This aid program can be combined with assistance from the government or the CROUS to help students in need meet their basic needs. All information is available online here.

In addition, for those of you who, due to financial constraints, are unable to access digital services, the University of Montpellier is offering special financial assistance to help you sign up for an internet plan, upgrade your current subscription, or purchase a 4G dongle. To take advantage of this assistance, please contact the UM Student Services Office.

In addition, various university services are available to assist you: for example, if you wish to see a healthcare professional (doctor, psychologist, etc.), you can contact the Joint Office of Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion or the University Health Center (CSU) in Montpellier by scheduling an appointment at 04.11.28.19.79 or by email.

More information about student life can be found on the university’s website

We remain by your side thanks to the dedication of our faculty and administrative staff, who are working hard to keep campus life going, even remotely.

Dear students, please accept our best regards.

Philippe AUGÉ
President of the University

Alexis VANDEVENTER
Student Vice President

Message from the President dated March 30, 2020, to students

Dear students,
In light of the lockdown—the only way to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus—our University has taken steps to continue fulfilling its core missions as effectively as possible, particularly our commitment to providing you with a high-quality education.

Many issues remain sensitive: the suspension of professional placements—particularly internships—the digital divide, and social challenges continue to pose problems. In collaboration with the deans of academic units, schools, and institutes, and thanks to the dedication of our teaching staff and administrative teams, we are doing everything possible to provide you with the most appropriate educational solutions. Please continue to check your university email for updates on the various initiatives organized by your department. We know that the question of how exams will be conducted is one of your main concerns. This is understandable. We are working on various scenarios even though we have no idea when the University will be able to resume its normal activities. We ask for your patience.

Such a major upheaval in your academic schedule and personal life, especially given the current difficult circumstances, can lead to feelings of unease, anxiety, and isolation; however, as we have repeatedly emphasized, social distancing does not have to mean social isolation.

In this email, we would like to outline the measures put in place by our university’s departments and services to support you during this challenging time in the areas of student life, health, disability services, financial aid, career services, library resources, culture, and sports.

We will also support student initiatives aimed at combating social isolation.

Sadly, our campuses are empty, but we’re still here for you.

We know how resilient you are in the face of adversity, and our thoughts are especially with those of you who are currently doing clinical rotations in hospital departments, as well as with those who are facing a difficult situation.

Dear students, please accept our best regards.

Philippe AUGE
President of the University

Alexis VANDEVENTER
Student Vice President

Message from the President dated March 20, 2020, to students

Dear students,

Following announcements by the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the Government, a lockdown has been implemented, effectively suspending in-person classes. In response to this unprecedented situation, the University of Montpellier is fully committed to developing measures designed to help you continue your academic life as smoothly as possible. First and foremost, let us keep in mind that these measures are being implemented to protect everyone’s health and that, as such, the use of remote communication tools must be the norm.

Our primary goal has been to ensure educational continuity despite the pandemic. To achieve this, the deans of the academic departments, schools, and institutes are in daily contact with the academic administrators and remain your primary points of contact in this regard.

I am also aware of your concerns regarding future internships and exams. Please know that the decisions and measures we will be taking in consultation with the deans are driven by our commitment to supporting you, ensuring that this pandemic does not hinder your studies in any way and that equal opportunities are upheld.

This applies to all students, and in particular to students with disabilities, for whom the Handiversité service remains available. We are also working with the Ministry to find solutions for students who may be stranded abroad.

In addition, SCUIO-IP continues to answer all your questions about career guidance or job placement. You can find information about our services and contact us by email.

Beyond these educational issues, the times we are living through can be a source of anxiety, worry, and unease.

Social distancing, though often discussed, should not lead to social isolation.

In consultation with the university’s Student Vice President, Alexis Vandeventer, I therefore decided that a number of initiatives should continue or be launched.

Access to the Joint Documentation Service’s online resources and services remains available viathe digital campus platform (Library tile). This is already the case for the books, journals, and databases you are currently using, and over the course of next week, additional resources will become available, including novels and comic books. Online courses and tutorials on research skills are available on Moodle or on the University of Montpellier channel. Personalized research assistance sessions (appointments with a librarian) and a remote Q&A service are available via email.

Similarly, if you’d like to continue enjoying cultural offerings during the lockdown, we invite you to explore, read, and listen to content via the University of Montpellier’s Art & Culture Facebook page.

In the coming days, the University Physical Education and Sports Department will be sharing a number of tutorials designed to help you stay active and relax.

Student organizations affiliated with the Office of Student Life are also here to listen and offer support if you’re feeling isolated.

If you have any medical concerns, you can contact the Joint Office for Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion (SCMPPS). Your message will be forwarded to a healthcare professional. The University Health Center (CSU) in Montpellier also remains open and continues to provide medical and psychological consultations. You can make an appointment by calling 04.11.28.19.79.

Finally, the CROUS is continuing to provide emergency financial aid to students who need it.

No matter what the situation, the Campus Life Office is here to guide and support you.

Finally, I would like to assure you of the University of Montpellier’s full solidarity and support in the face of this major crisis.

Sincerely,

Philippe AUGE
President of the University

"Tous Anti Covid" app

Launched on October 22, 2020, the “TousAntiCovid” aims to facilitate the notification of people who have been in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 and to speed up their care. This new app complements existing preventive measures.

A university committed to combating the spread of the COVID-19 virus

Scientific potential

Together with the CEMIPAI service laboratory, one of the largest Level 3 microbiological safety research facilities in France, the University of Montpellier and the CNRS offer the scientific community the opportunity to work in a controlled environment with infectious biological samples and Class 3 biological agents, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis viruses, or mosquito-borne viruses (Chikungunya, Dengue, Zika), pathogenic bacteria, and prions.

CEMIPAI collaborates in particular with researchers fromthe Montpellier Institute for Research (IRIM / UM, CNRS), those from the multidisciplinary research unit on Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections (PCCI / Inserm, UM, EFS) on the topic of antibodies, and with researchers fromthe Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules (IBMM / CNRS, UM, ENSCM).

Solidarity with healthcare workers and patients

In solidarity with healthcare workers and patients, the University is organizing a drive within its research laboratories to collect medical supplies (protective masks, gloves, and gowns) for the Montpellier University Hospital. This initiative is being coordinated university-wide by Professor Jacques Mercier, Vice President for Research.

Measures implemented by the University of Montpellier

Additional information

• Coronavirus information on the government website.
• Contacts at the University of Montpellier: email.

Various local, national, and international studies are currently underway on issues related to lockdowns. We invite you to participate:

Study on the Impact of Quarantine on Students’ Mental Health (National Center for Resources and Resilience (CN2R))

The research team at the National Center for Resources and Resilience, supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research Innovation, aims to assess the impact of the quarantine on the mental health of college students. To do so, we need your participation.

To ensure that this study is representative and meaningful, we invite you to complete the various questionnaires that will be sent to you throughout the study. You will be asked to participate on several occasions (monthly during the lockdown if it is extended, and then approximately every three months) for a period of one year starting from the beginning of the national lockdown. The questionnaires are anonymous; your identity will never be revealed.

If you feel overwhelmed or are having difficulty while completing the questionnaire or after finishing it, please don’t hesitate to ask for support. Information is available on the website of the National Center for Resources and Resilience (CN2R). You can also contact the national medical and psychological support and care service at the toll-free number available 24/7 (0 800 130 000) or your primary care physician. In case of an emergency, call the SAMU-centre 15 by dialing 15.

• Take part in the study and complete the first questionnaire (it takes less than 15 minutes to complete)

Confins Cohort

Share your thoughts on the lockdown and your health, and help advance research and understanding of the coronavirus: www.confins.org

The CONFINS study is a collaborative research project aimed at better understanding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic—commonly known as COVID-19—and lockdown measures on your well-being and mental health. We also want to better understand your views and concerns regarding this pandemic, its treatments, and vaccines.

Opinions and attitudes regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown measures – General public

This survey is being conducted by a research team from MONTPELLIER RECHERCHE EN ECONOMIE (MRE, University of Montpellier).

• Access the questionnaire

Keywords: COVID-19, Health, University