Covid-19 : Instructions from the Academic Affairs and Research Department

École Polytechnique will be closed from March 16 at 8:00 am. Our priority is to protect the health of our students and staff and to ensure the continuity of our missions under the best possible conditions.

With regard to students (excluding doctoral students) and trainees, the specific measures are as follows.

Students are encouraged to return to their homes or families. However, in case of need, accommodation for students currently housed or returning from internships will continue to be provided on campus.

Internships are suspended sine die irrespective of their location except in the case of teleworking on the School's site or at the student's home formalized by a bilateral agreement between the School and the institution offering the internship is formalized.

Next week's courses (16 to 20 March) are cancelled and will not be organized in order to allow for

- teachers to build an online adaptation of their course,

- students to get organized.

 All courses will be provided in e-learning as of March 23rd.

 Printing of handouts is suspended. Electronic versions will be available.

Next week's exams (16 to 20 March) are postponed to a later date. However, teachers who wish to propose non-presential examination arrangements can submit a project to the DER for validation. The students concerned will be notified individually with sufficient time to ensure optimal preparation.

Sports activities on campus are suspended.

The library will be closed from Monday on but the restaurant remains open.

The health and psychology services will be on duty.

Concerning laboratories and research, the specific measures are as follows.

All missions in France and abroad are suspended as well as the delegations for signing mission orders from the various departments of the DER. In case of absolute necessity, exceptions may be granted by the provost.

The activity of the laboratories (including that of doctoral students) is maintained in the following way:

- Telework is organized as much as possible, especially for all activity of a non-experimental nature.

- Experimental work as well as maintenance/logistics are maintained in the laboratories, with the unit director being responsible for ensuring safety conditions.

- Meetings of more than 10 persons must be virtual.

 The arrival of external persons on site is strictly limited to essential services. In particular, seminars and face-to-face conferences shall be cancelled.

 Selection and recruitment panels should be held using videoconferencing.

 PhD defense, HDR and recruitment juries can take place using videoconferencing.

This information will be updated as the pandemic and government guidelines evolve.