Instruction No. 2/2021. (X.II.) of the Rector and the Chancellor (Excerpt)

The rector and chancellor of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music (hereinafter: Academy) as persons exercising the employer’s rights, we hereby determine the special order of the academic year 2020/2021 and the concert season with regard to the valid epidemiological regulations of the government in the present instruction (hereinafter: Instruction).

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

§ 1

Purpose and effect of the Instruction

(1) The Purpose of the Instruction is to determine the measures for the start and carry out of the academic year 2020/2021 and the concert season which decrease the risks of the coronavirus infection and prevent the further spreading of the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, it ensures the protection of the life, health, property safety and right certainty of the persons (students, employees, participating persons and the audience) participating in the activity of the Academy and the guarantee of the continuity of the higher education and the stability of the operation of the institution.

(2) The measures are based on the currently valid governmental decisions and sectorial guidelines and on the currently available information and they may change in case of the change of the epidemiological situation and/or as a result of the governmental measures.

(3) The personal scope of the Instruction covers the persons having a legal relationship governed by service regulations, employment relationship and other work-related legal relationships (hereinafter also as colleagues), students, audience and all persons entering any of the buildings of the Academy for carrying out tasks or for any other purposes. The public education institution maintained by the Academy acts according to the special provisions being applicable for it.

(4) The subject matter of the Instruction is the higher education activity and all concerts, exhibitions, toured building visits or any other event to be organized in the buildings of the Academy, especially in the buildings LF 8 and V 35 but also any other public event or event organized with the participation of invited guests in any other building of the Academy.

§ 2

General and enabling provisions

(1) According to the authorization of the Senate (Resolutions No. 89/2020 (01.09), the making of the general decisions of principle and the concrete measures – including especially the students’ educational and exam issues, the reimbursement and allowance issues of the students, the scope of exercising the employer’s rights and the possible questions of extraordinary purchases – incurring regarding the coronavirus and affecting the Academy fall within the scope of the rector and the chancellor. The purpose of the decisions made within this scope is the creation of temporary provisions for the period of the epidemiological preparedness/state of emergency, the acceptance and issuance of measure plans of the institution handling the epidemiological preparedness.

(2) Besides the provision set out in Clause 1, the rector and the chancellor are obliged to ensure the amendment and continuous updating the regulations, instructions, measure protocols of the Academy by adjusting to the change of the epidemiological situation with regard also the particularities of the institution.         

II. REGULATIONS REGARDING THE ENTRY INTO THE BUILDING OF THE ACADEMY AND THE ORDER OF STAY

§ 3

1. General provisions in the interest of establishing a secure environment from health-related point of view

1.1. The compliance with the measures, legal provisions, internal measure plans, policies, instructions, measure protocols, issues guidelines aiming the keeping of the health is mandatory for everybody.

1.2. According to Circular letter No. 6/2020. (XI.10.) of the President and Chancellor on ordering distance (online) education (Excerpt), from 11 November 2020 all forms of education will be maintained on online platforms, with the exceptions mentioned in § 4 section 1.2. Attending the buildings of the Academy for educational purposes is prohibited.   

1.3. The buildings of the Academy can be visited exclusively by healthy persons not showing any symptoms of the coronavirus and in accordance with regulations within the present instruction and legal provisions of the government. The specific symptoms of the coronavirus illness are detailed in Annex No. 1.

1.4. The compliance with the personal hygiene is necessary and mandatory for every student of the Academy and every person entering any of the buildings and facilities of the Academy. This includes often hand washing with soap or alcoholic hand disinfection by using the placed hand sanitizer equipment ensured by the Academy, the compliance with the coughing etiquette and the avoidance of the unnecessary touching of the face and the compliance with the provisions regarding the use of equipment covering the mouth and the nose (hereinafter: mask).

1.5.        The wearing of masks is mandatory everywhere in the buildings, with the following exceptions

a)      in buffets, restaurants, in places appointed for food and drink consumption exclusively for the period of the food and drink consumption,

b)     during practice as described in Section 4 Clause 3.4,

c)      on the stages for the artist participating persons of concerts and other events for the duration of the performance exclusively.

1.6. The Academy suggests using masks also in cases set out in Clause 1.5 in such cases where it can be solved in a realistic way.

1.7. Compliance with the keeping of appropriate physical distance, the persons being within the territory of the institution are obliged, to keep a distance of 1,5 meters from each other for which the Academy has fit out the affected areas with good visible signs (floor stickers and awareness-raising boards).

1.8. The students and visitors of the Academy are obliged to increasingly ensure the cleanness of the facilities. The Academy ensures the facilitation of the above by using appropriate hand disinfectants (virucide) and surface sanitizer and cleaning fluids also having virucide effects and takes measures for the continuous availability of appropriate hand and surface sanitizers and for the regular disinfection of surfaces touched on a regular basis (door handle, elevator buttons, switches, handles, handrails etc.).

1.9. In closed areas, in the interest of the decrease of the concentration of any possible germs, everybody is obliged to pay special attention to the continuous or regular ventilation having higher intensity. The air ventilation machines operating in the area of the Academy having machinery ventilation ensure the continuous increased ventilation with a fresh air proportion of 100 % and with great effectiveness.

1.10. The Elevators operating in the buildings of the Academy can be used by a maximum of 4 persons simultaneously.

2. General provisions of the entry and staying in the buildings

2.1. The entry into the buildings of the Academy – not for educational purposes – is possible only after measurement of body temperature carried out with a non-contact thermometer at every entry below a body temperature of 37,5 C. In case of a higher body temperature, the Academy carries out a control measurement with another equipment and if also the control measurement shows a higher body temperature then the Academy denies the entry of the affected person.

2.2. The Academy is entitled to control the body temperature of the persons staying in its buildings also at random and in case of positive cases found at the control, to request the affected person to immediately leave the building.

2.3.  Persons having noticeable acute airway problems (continuous coughing or sneezing) but not having any temperature can also be requested to leave the building.

2.4. The Academy states the provisions regarding the protocol to be used in connection with the suspected infection with a separate internal regulation.

3. Order of entry of students and employees

3.1. Entering persons are obliged to make the statement according to the questionnaire No. 2 during the validity of present instruction in the course of their first entry into the Academy at the Reception. In the course of the following entries, the respective persons may enter into the building by presenting the confirmation of receipt certifying the making of the statement according to the followings:

- the entry into the buildings LF8 and W52 is possibly exclusively by simultaneous use of the access card,

- the entry into all other Academy buildings is possible after signing the attendance list – possibly with own pen – certifying the daily entry.

3.2. In case of an answer “Yes” to any of the questions of the questionnaire determined in Annex No. 2, the Academy is entitled to deny the entry of the affected person. In case of sickness, the affected person must present an official doctor’s certificate before the next entry into Academy buildings.       

3.3. The students and employees of the Academy are obliged to immediately inform the Academy in case of any changes affecting any points of the statement set out in Clause 1 – mainly changes in symptoms and sickness, close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 or a person who is in official quarantine due to suspected COVID-19 infection, being affected by epidemiological measures or restrictions sanctioned by authorities.

3.4.        In the interest of facilitating the protection, the Academy grants 2 pcs of reusable, washable textile masks fitting into the image of the institution to all of its employees and students for the first time free of charge. The person using the mask is liable for keeping the mask clean.

III. SPECIAL REGULATIONS REGARDING THE ORDER OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR

§ 4

1. General provisions of the education

1.1. In the emergency situation, the Academy uses distance, online educational form, with the exceptions mentioned in point 1.2.

1.2. Until further notice, the following subjects will be held in person from 15 February 2021: instrumental and other practical individual main subject lessons, where the maximum number of participants can be one student, one professor and one accompanist, i.e. the maximum of 3 persons.

In terms of this section, for professors holding the title Professor Emeritus or Professor Emerita, as well as all professors who are considered to be at risk because of COVID-19 due to age (above the age of 65) or health status (based on medical certificate), the President of the Academy may allow distance education in cases of the above mentioned subjects.

1.3.   During in person education both students and teachers are obliged to enforce the hygienic measures set in place regarding the pandemic situation for all participants present (keeping distance, wearing a mask, and other hygienic rules). In person education by the Academy will be organized in a way, by taking the Academy’s room capacity into consideration, that keeping a 1,5 m distance is possible.

1.4. During the continuous contact with the students, the Academy uses the electronic correspondence, the information and other possibilities through the educational system NEPTUN by granting the possibility of inspection of the documents to be submitted and of the evaluation of the written exams to the students – according to prior consultation.

1.5. The training required by legislation (e.g. fire protection and occupational safety trainings) is carried out at the Academy in online form.

1.6. The students and employees of the Academy are obliged to carry out their official issues mainly in electronic ways in all possible cases – especially in the course of the administration of students at the Study Department and regarding issues in connection with diploma concerts at the Concert and Event center.

3. Practice and use of practice rooms

3.1. Practice is permitted in the buildings of the Academy according to the followings:

Building at Wesselényi street:

• From Monday to Saturday: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• On Sunday: from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Practice room reservation is possible by using the reservation system exclusively for two-hour periods with a technical break of half an hour, on condition that practicing in the practice rooms on floor No. 3 is permitted only for 1 person at a time.

Harpsichord, double bass students may only practice in Ligeti Building.

Main building at Liszt Ferenc square:

• From Monday to Saturday: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. only for percussion students.

Old Academy of Music:

• From Monday to Saturday: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. only for students of organ in the Bach room on the ground floor.

Rehearsal for Chamber groups is not possible.

No accompanying persons are allowed during the practices.

3.2. During the practice, the general hygiene regulations shall apply for the attending students. Prior to the start of the practice, it is mandatory to wash hands with soap or to sanitize the hands with alcoholic disinfectants by using the hand sanitizer equipment ensured and placed by the Academy for this purpose. After the end of the practice, the persons using the practice rooms are obliged to leave the building immediately and to wear masks. 

3.3. The Academy ensures the regular cleaning of big instruments to be found in the inventory of the Academy (organs, pianino, harpsichord, organs play-table, and with special disinfectants harps, double basses, cimbalom, percussion instruments) or other equipment used during the practice with virucid surface cleaning disinfectants – if it does not damage the above. Besides this, at the end of the classes and the education, the lecturer and after the practice the students are also obliged to carry out this disinfection with the equipment, disinfectants put at their disposal in the respective room.

3.4. It is not mandatory to wear mask during the practice in case of the presence of 1 person, however, participating persons are obliged to pay high attention to the compliance with the personal hygiene conditions.

3.5 In case of change of the epidemiological situation, the rector is entitled to make decision about the change of the above practice order and about the entry into force of new provisions and measures.

4.  Reckoning and order of reports

4.1. Order of reports will take place online at the Academy.

§ 5

Other special provisions of the order of the Academic year

(1)   The Academy will place hand sanitizer equipment in its buildings, the use of which is mandatory and often hand washing is also highly recommended.

§ 6

Special provisions regarding foreign citizens

(1)  During the period of state of danger as introduced by Government Decree 478/2020 (3. XI.) on the declaration of state of danger, the regulations laid down in §80 (2) of Act CCIV of 2011 on national higher education are to be applied to non-Hungarian citizens studying in Hungary – regarding those who establish student status after 7 February 2021, and those students who enter Hungary after 7 February 2021 – with the following additions:

a) if the rector of the Academy determines the need for a medical fitness test, and the student is deemed medically unfit to continue their studies according to the result of the medical fitness test, the student status will be suspended for the semester in which the medically unfit status was determined,

b) the Academy terminates the student status if the student is deemed medically unfit to continue and complete their studies according to the medical test in point a).

(2) Paragraph (1) cannot be applied to those students who have the legal right to freedom of movement and residence, and those students who have an immigrant or permanent resident legal status.

VI. CLOSING PROVISIONS

§ 9

(1) Regarding all questions not regulated by the Instruction, the respectively valid government decrees and the provisions of internal regulators shall be applied.

(2) The present Instruction repeals Instruction No. 1/2021. (II.1.) of the Rector and the Chancellor, On the modified procedures and tasks in connection with the measures regarding the decrease of the risks regarding the spreading of the coronavirus and being applicable in the academic year 2020/2021 and in the concert season.

(3) The Instruction shall enter into force on 15 February 2021 and is valid until withdrawal by simultaneous compliance with the respective governmental epidemiological measures.

Budapest, 10 February 2021

Download annexes:

• Annex No. 1 about the symptoms
• Annex No. 2 statement and certificate of handover