Return to classes | Fall 2020 semester Hybrid Format and academic affairs - Undergraduate

San Pedro Garza García, July 2, 2020

Dear UDEM Community: 

We have gone through some months that have demanded all of our strength to adapt to a totally unexpected situation. It is a true joy to see that thanks to the talent and commitment of the UDEM team we are ready to begin the Fall 2020 semester. The conditions of this start are also atypical and they respond to sanitary requirements that will allow us to return to classes in an environment of academic excellence while preserving the health of our whole community. 

On May 26, 2020 we sent you an announcement informing you that our courses would be run in a hybrid format and that the semester start day was September 1 of the current year. See the details below: 

Hybrid format 

The hybrid format combines online and in-person academic experiences that allow us to preserve our high-quality whole-person education, thus protecting the wellbeing of our community. 

This format is made up of courses that can be taken in the following modalities and from which the student will be able to choose upon registration: 

Online: These are courses run synchronically by the teacher on a digital platform, at a set time and in real-time communication.   

Given the experience from last semester and in order to improve the academic dynamic and fulfill the learning objectives, some sessions and/or activities may be supported by supplementary asynchronous sessions. Asynchronous sessions are those sessions carried out in delayed time, with no real-time communication and supported by technology to establish a connection. 

Synchronous courses with real-time communication will be given priority. Most courses will be taught online. 

In-person: These courses are held 100% in person, run by the teacher in specific academic spaces (labs, workshops) or external units (clinics, hospitals, etc.). 

In-person experiences will be organized as follows: a student requesting to come to campus in person may do it at the time and on the date chosen, based on course offer and complying at all times with the health and hygiene protocols established by the university in line with the instructions from sanitary authorities, as well as with academic regulations.

Blended: These are courses run by the teacher in a combination of the in-person and online modalities. The on-line/in-person time ration will depend on type of course and its requirements. 

The registration process will open on July 27; as from this date, students will be able to select their modality of choice when setting their schedule. In the upcoming days, we will send you more details on the registration process, sanitary protocol and how the hybrid format will work as regards the formative activities. 

Out-of-town and local students 

All students, both out-of-towners and locals, can choose their classes in any of the three modalities. That is to say, if a student wishes to do so, they may take all their courses online or in the format that is most convenient for them. 

New students 

It is advisable for new students to take at least two courses in the blended modality so that they experience going to campus. However, they will have the option to choose what is most convenient for them, in accordance with the educational offer.

Use of laboratories and specialized equipment 

Students wishing or needing to make use of some of the workshops, machines, and tools may use them once they have registered for it. This is in order to control the number of people present at these facilities. Whenever students come to campus, they must follow all sanitary protocols. 

Clinical practice 

The clinical field courses will be 100% in person and will be held in strict compliance with the health authorities’ regulations. 
 

We reaffirm that the health and wellbeing of our UDEM Community is our priority. Therefore, we invite you to continue to comply with the recommendations issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Health Secretariat of the Government of the Republic and the Health Secretariat of the Government of the State of Nuevo León to curb the spread of the virus.

In order to stay in constant communication, we kindly ask you to keep track of our official communication channels, your institutional e-mail address, social media, and the website udem.edu.mx/coronavirus where you will find information on what to do during the pandemic.

Sincerely,

Carlos Basurto Meza
Vice President of Higher Education 

Carlos García González
Vice President of Art, Architecture, and Design 

Eduardo García Luna Martínez
Vice President of Health Sciences