ORDER NO. 74/R/2020 – New guidelines regarding the teaching-learning process and the school calendar

In this order, some more guidelines are established that should be followed within the organization and pursuit of the teaching-learning process, in the current context of profound change in its operation, and to ensure the completion of 2019/20 academic activities.

Given that:

Since March 16, most of the curricular units, with the exception of some units or of their components, started to be taught in a non-presential regime;

This change has implications in the teaching-learning process, presenting increased difficulties, in particular to teaching staff and students with access problems to non-presential teaching platforms;

It is necessary to preserve the legitimate interests of students, despite the limitations arising from the current exceptional situation;

It is not yet possible to determine when the face-to-face teaching activities will be resumed. However, some teaching and/or face-to-face evaluation components may occur until the end of July;

It is necessary to preserve the credibility of the teaching-learning process, namely in its evaluation component, which, in the distance learning modality, involves complex problems;

Higher education institutions have made joint efforts to reflect on this issue and to find solutions for remote assessment;

The professor responsible for each curricular unit shall adapt the assessment model to the teaching in progress, combining or not remote components (e.g. written papers and oral components), with face-to-face components, the latter occurring at a later date.

After hearing the Presidents of the University and Polytechnic Pedagogical Councils, and the Presidents of the Faculties and Schools of the University of Madeira, it was decided that:

1. Those responsible for each curricular unit may change the assessment model, no longer being subject to the assessment models defined in annex I to the " Regulation for the Evaluation of Student Learning at the University of Madeira", hereinafter referred to as the Evaluation Regulation;
2. The responsible for the curricular unit should try to listen to the students within the definition of the evaluation model to be adopted, a model that should be submitted to the Degree Director and to the President of the University/Polytechnic Council (as the case may be), who shall act on the matter if they do not consider it appropriate;
3. By May 15, the Degree Director for each study cycle, together with the Department Coordinator (if any) and the President of the Organic Unit responsible for the study cycle, and the President of the Pedagogic Council where the study cycle is inserted (University or Polytechnic), shall draw a proposal for the timing of the curricular units' activities of the degree that allows the conclusion of this 2nd semester until the end of July, safeguarding exceptional cases of specific curricular units.
4. In the distance learning components, attendance and participation in classes can be a component of normal evaluation, although not eliminatory, but cannot be taken into account in supplementary and special evaluation period;
5. All students will have access to the special evaluation period, to take place in September on a date to be defined, in which they will be able to recover 100% of the classification of all components, with the exception of some components, such as those of a laboratory nature, field trips or traineeships, where such is not feasible and which have not been the subject of non-presential teaching;
6. Dissertations/project work/master's degree reports, doctoral theses and traineeships in higher professional technical courses, as well as study cycles, which are the subject of specific protocols, are the exception to the previous paragraph;
7. The deadlines for the submission of dissertations/project work/ master's degree reports and doctoral theses, as well as the deadlines for the completion of traineeships in higher professional technical courses have been extended for a further three months;
8. It falls under the responsibility of the Presidents of the University and Polytechnic Pedagogical Councils to clarify any doubts regarding the application and adequacy of the Evaluation Regulation to this exceptional situation and, together with the Degree Directors, to monitor the teaching and evaluation processes.

As the situation evolves, new guidelines will be issued regarding the teaching-learning process and the school calendar.


Funchal and University of Madeira, on April 8, 2020

The Rector

José Carmo