Coronavirus Update

Campus access is restricted to the North Entrance, at Route de Cojonnex, for everyone coming on site.

All Preparatory Year (AP1) and CREM students, as well as staff need to present their EHL card to the Security Desk at the entrance and lanyards are provided so that cards are easily visible.

Students in the Bachelor program will not be allowed to enter the main buildings of the Campus as the number of people on campus is currently limited. If these students wish to return to the Campus to retrieve personal belongings, an Outlook appointment must be made with the Security Team to access their lockers during the following hours:

• Monday-Friday: 08:00 – 11:00 / 13:00 – 18:00 / 19:00 – 21:00
• Saturday: 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm
• Sunday: 08:00 - 20:00

Students are requested to arrive at the North Entrance at the scheduled time, and no unplanned entries will be granted.

External visitors must present their invitation number and identification.

For deliveries, suppliers must go to the delivery bay accessible from Route de Berne.

Visitors

External visitors on campus will be restricted to groups  of 9 persons maximum, upon invitation only and accompanied by a member of staff. For any events or meetings at EHL with more than 10 persons, special authorizations are required.

All visitors must be pre-announced by completing the online form as per the Swiss government recommendations for traceability purposes. After completing the online form, visitors will receive a confirmation email along with an invitation number to be presented at the Security Desk at the Campus entrance along with their ID.  Students who wish to invite an external visitor on campus must contact Student Affairs to request an invitation number.

If the maximum capacity allowed on Campus is not reached, then walk-ins will be accepted and the above mentioned process can be organized at the Security Desk and access to the premises can be granted.

After the security check, all students, staff and visitors must present to the Health Desk who will advise on the sanitary and hygiene measures to follow on campus. A brief health check based on the Coronacheck elaborated by Swiss Unisanté will be required on a daily basis. The medical team may ask more questions if symptoms are suspected.

The Health desk will be open weekdays from 7:30 to 16:00 and the Security team will run this service at all other times and on weekends.

All staff and students who have parking on campus must use the underground car park at Route de Cojonnex with their parking badge. The temporary parking situated near the Route de Berne will not be accessible until further notice.

Visitors with a pre-confirmed appointment and/or Berceau des Sens reservation will be directed to the underground parking at Route de Cojonnex.

Smoking is permitted only in the designated areas and you are requested to follow the guidelines posted in those areas.

Everyone is advised to follow the general recommendations from the Federal Office of Public Health, when on campus or elsewhere, in order to protect yourself and others, namely:

• Keep your distance
• Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly
• Avoid shaking hands
• Cough and sneeze into a paper tissue or the crook of your arm.
• Stay at home if you experience symptoms.
• Always call ahead before going to the doctor’s or the emergency department.
• If it’s not possible to keep your distance, wear a mask.
• Continue to work from home if possible.

Masks will be provided to all students, staff and visitors on campus and wearing them is required in all public spaces and whenever social distancing cannot be respected.

Surgical masks (paper) are single use and can be worn for a full day.

The reusable masks in fabric can be worn up to 40 times and must be washed between uses at 60°C or steamed.

 The facial mask will be considered as an integral part of the EHL Professional attire dress code during this period.

Sanitization stations have been installed around campus to disinfect your hands, work stations and study or meeting areas, including self-service UV lighting sanitizer units for small items.

A self-declared health statement must be performed daily upon entry to the campus, using the Coronacheck evaluation form by Unisanté. In case of symptoms, and as instructed according to the Coronacheck results, you must stay at home and students should contact the EHL nurse, staff should contact their personal doctor. 

Self-isolation is required in case of symptoms such as: 

• Cough (usually dry) 
• High temperature, feverishness
• Muscle ache 
• Shortness of breath 
• Sore throat 
• Sudden loss of sense of smell and/or taste   

More rarely: 

• Conjunctivitis 
• Gastrointestinal symptoms 
• Headache 
• Head cold 

Symptoms of illness can vary in severity and can even be mild. 

Swiss Office for Public Health instructions for self-isolation 

Return to campus will only be allowed after a minimum of 10 days and at least 48 hours after symptoms have completely resolved.

Self-service temperature control stations are available at the Campus North entrance, Nurse’s office and in the Atrium of Residence 3. In case of fever or abnormal rise of temperature, please contact the School Nurse immediately or contact your personal doctor.

The SwissCovid app for smartphones (iOS/Android) will aims to help contain the spread of the new coronavirus and help to break new chains of infection. Use of the app is voluntary and free of charge. The more people install and use the app, the more effectively it will help contain the spread of the virus therefore EHL recommends that everyone to install this app on their mobile phones as soon as it is available.

To ensure that the recommended distances and sanitary recommendations are maintained throughout campus, special markings on the floor, airport ropes and inaccessible zones are clearly marked and your complete adherence to the set rules will be required at all times on Campus.

Seating has been arranged in all meal areas, study spaces and meeting rooms to ensure appropriate distance between participants. Moving the tables or chairs, or adding additional chairs, in not allowed.

Staggered seating is required in all classrooms to ensure distance between students and Faculty.

To limit the risk of contagion by touching surfaces that are used by many people, please respect the following guidelines:

• Use the “Clean Key” distributed for all students and staff upon first entry on Campus - a handy personal device useful to avoid touching door handles, elevator buttons or any other surface with bare hands.
• Open door policy is implemented wherever possible and during normal office hours. All doors should be left open to avoid touching the door handle. For all doors where access control is mandatory, please use the “Clean Key” to open the door.
• No more than one person in elevators at one time and favor the stairs
• If you touch handrails or any other surfaces, ensure to disinfect or wash your hands afterwards.

Additional measures have been implemented to limit the risk of contagion through contact with infected surfaces, including increased cleaning and disinfection, contactless payment systems, and sanitization stations.

In closed spaces such as meeting rooms, offices and meeting pods the following guidelines apply:

• Wearing a mask is mandatory when other people are present
• Use of conference rooms must remain exceptional
• Favor meetings through Microsoft Teams
• Avoid long meetings (maximum 30 minutes)
• Respect the maximum capacity written on the front door
• Respect the staggered seating arrangement and do not add more chairs or change the room setup
• Doors should preferably remain open
• Open windows to ventilate the area often
• Leave the area clean for the next persons using the sanitizer available in all rooms to clean the table, chairs, remote control and any other surfaces before leaving.

As mentioned on each classroom door and other visual signage, you will need to respect the following guidelines:

• Be attentive to respect 2m between workplaces
• Respect the staggered seating arrangement
• Wear a mask if you cannot respect social distances
• Use only your personal equipment
• Respect the maximum capacity written on front door or table
• Do not add new chairs in classrooms
• Doors and windows should preferably remain open
• Before leaving, ensure to take all personal belongings
• Sanitizing wipes will be available in each classroom. When leaving the classroom, students and teachers are requested to clean their desks & chairs, and open the windows.

• Housekeeping staff will visit every classroom between 12:00 and 2:00 pm to disinfect the room.

The layout has been adjusted for all student study areas in accordance with the health and sanitary regulations to ensure appropriate distances. Moving furniture or adding chairs is not allowed and all users are required to disinfect the area with the sanitizing material provided before leaving.

Meetings and gatherings are currently restricted at EHL in compliance with official government restrictions, and require special authorizations for more than 10 people. All external visitors must register in advance using the online form.

Virtual events are taking a new lead and are accessible online. Check out the Hospitality industry webinars, student events listed on Myehl and the Virtual Open Days.

All toilets and washing areas are cleaned regularly but maximum attention is needed for all of us to respect the following rules:

• Do not touch the door handle to open but your elbow or the “Clean Key”
• Use only authorized sinks/urinals to respect the 2m distance
• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Use single-use paper tissues only
• Use open or foot waste bins only

All non-essential travel within Switzerland or abroad for professional or educational purposes is forbidden until further notice. This applies to students and employees of all EHL entities.

In accordance with the recommendations from the Federal Office of Public Health, unnecessary international travel for personal reasons should also be avoided. Should you need to travel internationally, be sure to check on the local regulations and requirements.

All cross-border workers required to work on site at EHL Campus Lausanne and need to cross the border into Switzerland to do so, must have their ID as well as their valid work permit. We advise you also look up the national and international travel requirements for your country of residence.

As the campus closing was prolonged in accordance with the confinement measure imposed by the local authorities, the AP1 and CREM programs were completely reviewed in order to enable students to continue their semester in the best conditions possible.

Concretely, an hour-by-hour analysis of the curriculum was done and the program was rebuilt to separate the theoretical hours from the practical hours. Theoretical courses resumed on 27 April remotely for six weeks and their final evaluations will take place either online or later on the Lausanne campus according to Faculty instructions.

Practical courses will resume on campus from 15 June and last throughout the summer in order to complete the learning objectives. Practical workshops have been adapted to respect the sanitary measures and distancing.

The number of weeks of AP2 internship will be adapted so that students can have a break to rest and resume their BOSC1 as initially planned in February 2021.

Our objectives remain the same: to pass on the values and DNA of EHL, to provide students with tools for their operational internship, to prepare for the Bachelor's degree and implicitly for students’ future career.

Our priority is that each student is safe and receives the individual support that they need. Students on internship received particularly close support, thanks to regular telephone contact and follow-up. In recent weeks, we have focused on ensuring that each student can be offered an option to validate their internship, which is an integral part of the curriculum, and we are pleased to have been able to find flexible solutions that meet the learning objectives of the internship. Depending on the situation and risk assessment at the placement site, students were given the opportunity to interrupt the internship while being able to validate it with a substitute report. This required a close collaboration with the HES-SO for both the AP and BOSC programs. 30% of the students made use of this possibility.

Virtual Career Fairs and company presentations have been organized for students looking for an internship for the upcoming semester. For those who have not yet secured a placement, please get in touch with your Internship Officer to discuss the available options and your applications, review the postings on the job platform and continue to participate in the Industry Relations events.

Bachelor courses have continued throughout the campus closing with limited delays thanks to the efforts and collaboration of students, faculty, and all academic and administrative support teams. The contact hours are compatible with the regular curriculum and, despite some technical hurdles in the beginning, now have reported positive feedback from both students and faculty.

Recorded online courses are available to watch or re-watch at each student’s convenience, and all group work and assignments have been adapted to the new situation.

Bachelor students will finish their semester, including exams, online since the capacity on campus is limited to ensure appropriate distancing and sanitary measures.

All Bachelor exams will take place remotely and new IT measures are being implemented to ensure that all evaluations are secure.

Given the constraints and difficulties caused by the current situation, failure of a module or a retake exam in the spring 2020 semester will not be counted. Students may be excused from an exam in the spring 2020 semester by notifying Student Affairs at least two weeks before the date of the final or retake exam and it will not count as an attempt.

A dedicated graduation ceremony will be organized on campus as soon as it is again possible and will be announced well in advance to allow all participants to make the necessary arrangements. 

In the meantime, a symbolic online graduation will take place at the end of the semester. All graduating students will receive their degree by secured mail shortly thereafter, you will soon be contacted to confirm your postal address.    

Other student events are postponed or shifted to virtual events for the time being.

Most databases remain available remotely and instructions are available on Myehl. Preparatory Year and CREM students will be able to access the library on campus upon their return on 15 June.

The fitness center is open only for students on weekdays from 16.00 to 22.00 and weekends/holidays from 09:00 to 16:00. The specific rules for use of equipment, maximum number of people allowed as well as other hygiene requirements are posted at the entrance and near the fitness equipment in the room.

The Fitness Ambassador will be monitor all regulatory measures.

Students can use the beach volleyball court as well as the multisport area for a duration of maximum two hours. Hands must be washed before and after playing. The external facilities are available from 08:00 – 20:00 daily, weekend included and require advance booking using the internal systems.

Security will monitor and ensure that rules are respected.

Access to third-party sports facilities is dependent on their reopening restrictions and guidelines. Students are advised to call/check in advance.

During the normal working hours (08:00 – 17:00), the EHL medical team – nurse and psychologist – will be available to assist with any health related questions or issues, and also to provide advice on dealing with emotional stress. The global situation is affecting all of us and can be an additional source of concern or anxiety for some. Students and staff are encouraged to reach out to the EHL Psychologists for support either in person, or via remote discussions.

The EHL Spiritual Counsellor is also available for support.

All student services continue to remain open and available for students present on campus and at home.

On campus, ensure to respect distances and the in/out flux and waiting line signage.

The IT Service Desk and Print Shop will remain open and services will be provided only by previous appointment made on Myehl. Ensure to respect distances and the in/out flux and waiting line signage.

A solidarity fund of CHF 1mio has been created to ensure that talented students whose financial capabilities have been directly impacted by the Covid-19 crisis can continue to pursue their studies at EHL. Financial support is provided as interest-free loans, to be reimbursed after completion of the studies.   

Loans are made available to cover all or part of the cost of education and can come in addition to other scholarship support. The amounts and the duration of the loan are flexible according to each individual situation.   

All students living on campus are assigned single rooms in order to respect social distancing.

Rooms will be professionally cleaned once per week.

Students will continue to have access to their postal services at all times at the North Entrance of the Campus (Route de Cojonnex).

Students and visitors are requested to respect 2m between workplaces and the staggered seating arrangement in the common spaces of Atrium 3. It is not permitted to more furniture or add chairs.

Masks should be work if social distances cannot be respected.

Only personal equipment should be used.

EHL’s Michelin starred training restaurant, the Berceau des Sens, will reopen on 15 June and will remain open throughout the summer. The restaurant will be able to welcome a maximum of 40 customers as per the present recommendations.

Guests are invited to book a table online and will need to show their reservation confirmation email at the entrance security check to enter the campus. The restaurant is accessible only through the North entrance at Route de Cojonnex.

Guests must also pass through the Health Desk for final clearance to enter the Campus.

New contactless payment systems will be installed at all points of sale, thereby reducing the physical exchange of EHL cards. Cards can be recharged through the Myehl app with all major credit cards and twint. Cash recharge has been discontinued.

New measures have been implemented at all outlets with namely mandatory hand sanitization upon entrance, recyclable single-use cutlery and wrapped self-service plates.

Plexiglas protection screens have been installed at the M Bar, Food Court and Finger Food.

Instruction signage is installed at all F&B outlets and should be strictly followed at all times, as well as instructions for floor managers at each point of sale.

Special seating arrangements respecting the required distancing as well as maximum number of persons per table have been put in place at the Food Court dining area as well as other common areas in M & N Buildings. You are not allowed to move tables around or add additional chairs and respect of these rules will be strictly monitored and reprimanded. 

Clearing trolleys have been installed in various locations around the seating areas to avoid concentration of people during peak times. The offering has been revised and a new layout has been implemented with designated queuing, ordering and collection areas.

After AP and CREM students return to campus on 15 June, staff are encouraged to finish their meals before midday or take their lunch break after 13:00 to avoid large inflow at peak times.

A new service for prepaid on-line meal ordering will soon be available internally to reduce crowding the usual food service outlets. Orders from the Food Court menu and for Boutique products must be placed a day in advance and will then be delivered at the agreed time at the Grab ‘n’ Go outlet.

Since the beginning of the Coronavirus epidemic, a dedicated EHL Task Force has been monitoring the situation closely and liaising with International SOS and the relevant Swiss health authorities.

There are presently no cases of coronavirus found among the EHL community and the few suspected cases of have been handled. As of 5 March 2020:

• 2 people have been placed in quarantine and do not present any symptoms after having had contact with a person outside of the EHL Community who was infected
• 1 person who had been placed in quarantine following contact with an infected person outside of EHL has been tested negative for the coronavirus and may return to normal activities
• 1 person presenting symptoms has been tested and authorities have confirmed that it is not a case of coronavirus

The following special measures are implemented at EHL to protect the entire EHL Community and external visitors on campus:

• All student and staff travel is forbidden to countries identified with a higher risk of contagion. The travel ban list is updated as the situation evolves and refers to the official list of countries from the Federal Office of Public Health.
• All non-essential travel must be avoided, even to areas which do not present a higher risk of contagion. • Home office is implemented for staff based in countries at higher risk.
• External events where there may be people who have recently traveled to one of the countries affected must be avoided.
• Restrictions for external visitors are being formalized and will be communicated asap.
• Intensified cleaning schedule in toilets, residences and public areas at reception, food court and Hall N
• Use of disinfectant for handrails and door handles, and higher frequency for waste removal with systematic disinfection of the bins.
• Increased hygiene measures at the food court with namely mandatory hand sanitization upon entrance, new cutlery trays and wrapped self-service plates.
• Special measures are being implemented F&B outlets to provide additional protection against contagion.
• Protective masks are available for all students and staff at the infirmary and at the reception for all external visitors.
• Hand sanitizers have been distributed around all public areas of the campus.
• 3 sessions with a representative from the Cantonal Medical Office has visited the campus and presented an update on the current situation and their specific recommendations.
• Procedure for the identification and care for people infected has been put in place.
• A quarantine plan has been prepared by the task force and validated by the Cantonal Medical Office should a case be identified or the need arise. Home quarantine of people having been in countries at risk is however discouraged by the Cantonal Medical Office.
• The EHL health service has been reinforced to ensure that all questions or concerns can be addressed efficiently.
• Signage has been posted around campus to inform people on how to protect themselves and others.
• A dedicated intranet page provides regular updates to students and staff, and all relevant local and international contacts.
• Students who arrived mid February were informed of the risks and symptoms to look out for. They have also been requested to provide information on any recent travel to Mainland China to ensure that the EHL health services can support them with additional information on precautionary measures they may take.

In line with the above, EHL has decided to postpone or cancel upcoming events on campus. You will be informed on the logistics of these events and any changes to the schedule by the relevant teams. If you have not received any information, please email your EHL contact.

EHL Lausanne events cancelled or postponed include, but are not limited to:

• Career Fair – new date TBD
• Young Hoteliers Summit – new date TBD
• March Selection Days – contact your Recruitment Officer for alternative procedure
• Taste of EHL – contact admissions@ehl.ch

As the global situation of Covid-19 can evolve very rapidly, we remain on high alert and may cancel or postpone other events scheduled in the coming months according to the latest recommendations from the official health authorities. Decisions will be made in due course according to the latest information available.

The safety of our students and staff is our priority, and the EHL task force remains on high alert to implement any recommended new measures as the situation develops. The measures are reviewed and adapted daily to ensure appropriate precautions are taken. Plans have been prepared and approved by the local health authorities for this sort of situation.

According to the decision by Cantonal authorities, all in-person classes must transition to distance learning. As a result we will be migrating classes to remote learning methods and restricting access to our academic campus buildings in Lausanne and Passugg until end of April.

Further communications are being shared with all students and staff via internal communications means.

As of tonight, 94% of our students have been able to go home.

The remaining students who were not able yet to go home are staying in their on-campus accommodation and we are in close contact with them.

• Another 20 students have been able to return home, and EHL is contact with all students remaining on campus to facilitate their return home when possible, and support them during the campus closing.
• Considering the global situation, all online systems are strained which can cause issues connecting to certain platforms, including the online courses. EHL’s IT teams are monitoring the situation closely to mitigate impacts on study and work platforms.
• As of March 18, we have been informed that 1 Preparatory Year student has tested positive for Covid-19 on 17 March in their country of residence after returning home. The student is recovering and followed by the local medical services. The student’s roommate, classmates and relevant Professors and members of staff have been contacted by the EHL Infirmary to advise on precautionary measures to be taken.
  We remain in regular contact with all students and members of staff to ensure that necessary precautions are taken to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

• Due to the nature of the practical workshops for AP and CREM students, these will be suspended from March 23 until the end of the campus closing.
• Our goal is to continue to ensure the highest quality and provide students with the necessary tools and guidance for the remote learning set-up. Students will continue to receive information as and when available from the Directors of Program and Faculty members.

Current situation within the EHL Community :

• One-to-one contacts with students on internships continues to support them with individual solutions and to ensure their safety.

• As of March 18, we have been informed that 1 Preparatory Year student has tested positive for Covid-19 on 17 March in their country of residence after returning home. The student is recovering and followed by the local medical services. The student’s roommate, classmates and relevant Professors and members of staff have been contacted by the EHL Infirmary to advise on precautionary measures to be taken.
  We remain in regular contact with all students and members of staff to ensure that necessary precautions are taken to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

• Bachelor online courses and connect sessions have been planned until end of April - from Electives, Business Tools I and Business Tools II. This represented a total of more than 400 scheduled activities.

• 98 sessions were given online this week for Preperatory Year and CREM students, accounting for about 168 hours of contact, with mostly very positive feedback from faculty and students.

• Collection of student feedback from Class Representatives and the Student Council for continuous improvements.

• For questions pertaining to job or internship offers from employers, please email rec@ehl.ch

Update 23.3.2020

• Online courses have begun for most students, and retake/exam information will be provided shortly to relevant students.

• EHL continues to support the few students remaining on campus to return home.

• EHL is closely monitoring the situation of the EHL Community and the Infirmary is in contact with students who may have been infected. As coronavirus testing guidelines vary greatly per country, we are currently unable to confirm with certainty the number of people infected. Ten days after the campus closing, we remind all students and staff to remain at home, and to monitor for any potential symptoms. The EHL Infirmary is available to answer questions and provide support here. 

September 2020 applications:

EHL is monitoring the international situation closely and, given its rapid and unpredictable evolution, we don't expect to be able to make a decision before May regarding the possible postponement of the September intake or implement any arrangement concerning admission criteria. As this is an exceptional situation, we will consider exceptional measures to alleviate the negative impacts of this pandemic.

However, EHL will continue to receive applications. The deadline for applying for our September 2020 bachelor intake remains May 1^st 2020. For students who have applied or are applying, please get in touch with our Admissions department at admissions@ehl.ch for any academic enquiries.

For enquiries about our Summer 2020 EHL Junior Academy, please get in touch with our team at ehlacademy@ehl.ch.

Application deadline:

The deadline for applying for our September 2020 bachelor intake has been postponed to 1 June 2020. For students who have applied or are applying, please get in touch with our Admissions department for any academic enquiries.

For enquiries about our Summer 2020 EHL Junior Academy, please get in touch with our team.

Retake Exams:

The current health crisis is having an impact on the academic calendar, particularly the exam sessions. Consequently, the retake session scheduled for the month of April has been postponed. New dates in June have been communicated to the concerned students.

Student Business Projects (SBPs):

The format for the upcoming SBP session has been redesigned in order to:

• preserve the safety and wellbeing of students;
• minimize the impact on academic learning;
• allow students to finish their course in the initial time allowed by working on projects still linked to the reality of the real world;
• and guarantee the same conditions and opportunities to ALL students in this uncertain context.

Details have been provided to all final semester Bachelor students and the project proposals will be announced on 20 April 2020. However, EHL will continue to receive applications. The deadline for applying for our September 2020 bachelor intake remains May 1^st 2020. For students who have applied or are applying, please get in touch with our Admissions department for any academic enquiries.

For enquiries about our Summer 2020 EHL Junior Academy, please get in touch with our team.

Application deadline:

The deadline for applying for our September 2020 bachelor intake has been postponed to 1 June 2020. For students who have applied or are applying, please get in touch with our Admissions department at admissions@ehl.ch for any academic enquiries.

For enquiries about our Summer 2020 EHL Junior Academy, please get in touch with our team at ehlacademy@ehl.ch.

International Baccalaureate:

The International Baccalaureate has reviewed its processes to enable Diploma and Certificate delivery in these extraordinary times. Diplomas will be available from 5 July 2020 and these should be submitted to your Admissions Officer once available. For more information on the International Baccalaureate measures, please visit the Covid-19 IB updates.

Campus Residences:

The vast majority of EHL students have returned home since the campus closing, in Switzerland or abroad. 73 students remain in the “Neighborwood” residences on campus. While F&B services were provided during the first 2 weeks after the campus closing, very few students had elected to take advantage of this option, and some days none at all. As we all endeavor to stay at home and comply with social distancing recommendations, we will therefore be limiting further services on campus. From Monday 30th March, the campus will therefore be fully closed, including the F&B outlets. All EHL support teams will remain operational and available virtually during the normal working hours. Security will continue to be present on site 24/7 and available in case of emergency.

A message from our CEO: Video message from ROC

Innovation Hub Incubator:

In compliance with the guidelines from the cantonal authorities, the incubator will also be fully closed from 1^st April and all start-ups of the EHL Incubator will be working from home. Regular services provided by EHL will remain operational via remote work.

Internships:

For all students who were unable to finish their internship, either due to the employer’s decision or for personal reasons, EHL is offering support to find personalized solutions to each situation. We will also provide flexibility regarding the number of internship weeks in order to minimize the impacts of our students’ academic curriculum. The modalities of this flexibility are under evaluation, namely in light of the HES-SO guidelines and will be communicated to students as soon as confirmed.

Number of Covid-19 cases within the EHL Community

EHL is closely monitoring the situation of the EHL Community and the Infirmary is in contact with students who may have been infected. As Covid-19 testing guidelines vary greatly per country, we are currently unable to confirm with certainty the number of people infected. Since the campus has now been closed since more than 15 days, any new cases identified would likely not be relevant for tracing the origin of contagions. We will therefore not provide data on the number of cases within the EHL community anymore as the information available may not be accurate and misleading.

We encourage you to refer to your national and/or regional statistics for information about the spread of the coronavirus. For Switzerland refer to the Federal Office of Public Health website, and globally the World Health Organization and the Global Dashboard from John Hopkins University.

We remind all students and staff to remain at home, and to monitor for any potential symptoms. The EHL Infirmary is available to answer questions and provide support here. 

The vast majority of EHL students have returned home since the campus closing, in Switzerland or abroad. 74 students remain in the “Neighborwood” residences on campus.

Update of the EHL Campus Lausanne Construction as of 8 April 2020

In accordance with the requirements and guidelines of the local authorities, all companies must ensure that hygiene and distancing measures are respected by all employees on construction sites, or else the work must be suspended until the Covid-19 health crisis is improved.  More details related to construction work guidelines are available from the Canton of Vaud here.

As of today, 9 companies, with a total of 76 employees – in a place of around 180 -, continue to work on the EHL Campus Lausanne construction site as they are able to ensure the safety of their employees. The SUVA has performed checks on the construction site to ensure that the measures in place are appropriate and fully respected.

While each external company present on site is responsible for ensuring that their employees respect these extraordinary hygiene and distance measures, EHL has been working closely with the site supervisor in order to provide support and material.

It is expected that the completion of Buildings will be delayed by 2 month While it is too early to confirm exact delays in the final completion of the campus, our priority is to ensure the safety of all persons involved. Further information regarding the construction finalization and work progress will be provided in due course.

Measures put in place on the construction site of EHL Campus Lausanne:

• 2000 masks donated by EHL for construction site workers
• Parking route de Berne open to allow workers to commute with their own vehicles rather than carpool buses
• limited area of intervention and constant monitoring of compliance with safety distances
• 4 additional containers have been added to increase the cloakroom and canteen areas in order to comply with social distance requirements
• Setting up of a permanent cleaning service for the common areas, including after each break, after each wave of meals in the refectories;
• Cleaning up the life bases of companies if they do not respect the rules in force to protect their employees;
• Awareness-raising course for workers on arrival at the construction site;
• Implementation of temperature control at the entrance of the work site, any person presenting symptoms recognized as potentially at risk are not authorized to access the work site;
• Companies are obliged to complete and sign the control forms provided by SECO before being allowed to enter the site.
• Presence of 2 PROTECTAS in the field to avoid group effects inside the construction site and to continuously sensitize the workers.

While we continue to closely monitor the situation and will take necessary steps according to the evolution of the pandemic on a global level, the Canton of Graubünden has given the green light for both the Apprenticeship Degree (HoKo) and the Swiss Professional Degree (HF) programs to start as planned in August 2020 on the EHL Passugg campus.

There are still uncertainties and we expect some travel restrictions, however preparations have begun to implement an online format for our HoKo and HF classes just in case. EHL Passugg will be ready for the start of the study programs this summer, either in an exciting remote format or as usual on campus.

Remote learning update: Bachelor and AP programs

On 8 April, HES-SO published the first series of measures applicable to bachelor and masters programs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students have been informed of the modalities of validation of the module and academic calendar. Complete information about these decisions can be found on the HES-SO website.

Exam and evaluations

• Students will not automatically receive credit for their academic courses, internships or the SBP/thesis.
• Oral exams and thesis defenses will be organized remotely where possible on the dates to be communicated. Written exams may be replaced by remote exams or an individual/group project. If it is not possible, the dates of the relevant exams will be pushed back.

No penalty in case of failure or absence from an evaluation

• Failure of a module in the spring 2020 semester (or retake exam) will not be counted.
• Students may be excused from an exam in the spring semester of 2020 if they notify Student Affairs at least two weeks before the date of the final or retake exam - it will not count as an attempt.

Suspension of Bachelor's courses and exams for 4 weeks during the 5-week period from 13 July to 14 August 2020

• The periods of teaching (including SBP/thesis), internships and evaluations may be modified for organizational reasons and according to the evolution of the health crisis, but the number of teaching weeks will remain equivalent to 15 weeks.
• All bachelor classes will be suspended for 4 consecutive weeks, during the 5-week period from 13 July - 14 August 2020. During this 4-week period, no BOSC exams or other BOSC evaluations will take place. The EHL dates for the 4 weeks of course suspension will shortly be confirmed.
• However, if the health situation requires us to further delay classes and/or evaluations, they could take place before or after this period.

Suspension of studies

• Students may suspend their studies for one semester for the spring 2020 semester. If they choose to do so, they will not be able to take the relevant exams scheduled for the semester.

BOSC-4 internships

• In accordance with the HES-SO, EHL will determine how students can receive credit for a portion or all of their internship (e.g., extra work or partial credit with the possibility to make up missing credits later).

AP program

The HES-SO measures impact the AP program in two ways:

• AP2 internship: the measures related to admissions into the bachelor program mention a certain flexibility regarding the professional experience, which may have been interrupted due to the pandemic. For EHL’s AP, this allows a validation of the AP2 semester even if it has been interrupted because of the health crisis.
• Evaluation methods: The deanship decided to extend the application of the principles issued regarding the evaluation methods of the AP program. This implies that if a student fails a module, it will not be counted as an attempt; if needed, the study deadlines may be extended (including the maximum duration of studies). However, all the modules of the AP program must be successfully completed before students can join the bachelor program.

Typsy Provides Free Hospitality Education to the World

Global hospitality learning platform Typsy has launched a new plan to support the worldwide hospitality industry during the coronavirus pandemic: The Typsy COVID Support Plan. The Plan offers unrestricted, free online access to its industry-leading platform and library of 650+ hospitality video lessons. The COVID Support Plan will be available for individuals, businesses, and schools until 30 September 2020. 

Typsy is the world's fastest-growing online hospitality learning platform. Their courses are led by world-class instructors and designed for hotel and restaurant chains, learning institutions, small businesses, as well as individuals looking to upskill and improve their resume and job opportunities. 

Typsy recognizes that it is essential to address ways in which hospitality practices can evolve and adapt to deal with the impact of COVID-19. Their course library consists of lessons in a variety of categories including leadership, beverage, service, hotel and culinary. Endorsed certificates are earned for every course completed on Typsy. 

Typsy is supported by Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL).

Learn more about the Typsy COVID Support Plan.

Industry event: RISE

The current Covid-19 crisis is a confusing and frightening time for the world’s 50,000 students currently studying hospitality and/or tourism management. It is, however, also a unique opportunity to learn from a real-life case study taking place in real-time. 

EHL is proud to introduce a live web show, RISE – produced and hosted by EHL Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Demian Hodari and Anita Mendiratta, a familiar guest speaker at EHL, as well as business leader and Special Advisor to the UNWTO Secretary General. 

Together with a cast of industry leaders, they explore the questions surrounding the Covid-19 crisis’ impact on the hospitality, travel and tourism industries’ students, recent graduates and other job seekers. There is no fee and no exam – just a chance to come together to work through the situation together in a fun, personal, and unusual way.

Join them every Monday at 12:00 GMT (14:00 Switzerland, 20:00 Hong Kong, 08:00 New York) and participate in a first in the world event from EHL.

Click here to register.

Following eight weeks of campus closing and confinement, we can now look forward to an easing of the measures related to COVID-19, as announced by the local Swiss authorities. According to these announcements, universities will be allowed to reopen in June under certain conditions. For reference, you can view the latest Federal announcements here and the Vaud cantonal measures.

We are happy to share with you the plans for the gradual campus reopening. Please note that the details provided may be adjusted according to the development of the situation and official recommendations from the relevant authorities.

Campus disinfection and preparation

Strict compliance with hygiene and social distancing rules remain essential for the gradual opening. In order to ensure the best conditions for the campus reopening, a complete disinfection plan for the site has been put in place. Several task teams are preparing sanitary and hygiene measures that will be implemented on campus to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Details of these measures and guidelines will be shared soon.

The gradual reopening of the campus will commence as follows:

• From 25 May: Specific staff teams will be allowed to resume work on campus in order to finalize all preparations on site.
• From 2 June: Pending confirmation from the Swiss authorities on 27 May, we should be able to welcome back on campus other administrative functions and practical arts staff. These teams will work in shifts, so that approximately half of our usual staff numbers are present on campus while the other half works from home. This is to ensure sufficient distancing measures throughout the campus.
• From 15 June: AP1 and CREM students will return on campus in order to finish their practical workshops on site. In order to allow sufficient distancing and hygiene measures, it has been decided that all BOSC students will finish their semester online. In order to finish the AP1 semester on campus after 15 June, the Lausanne Campus will remain open throughout the summer.

Le Berceau des Sens will reopen on 15 June and remain open all summer to allow AP students to do their training. Restrictions will apply to all visitor according to the recommended sanitary measures. To book a table, please visit: https://www.berceau-des-sens.ch/en/reservation/

We continue to closely monitor the situation and will provide more information in due course.

The current situation with the Coronavirus pandemic is raising a lot of questions for students who wish to start EHL this fall. To help and guide these candidates in their application and decision-making processes, we've prepared an overview of what EHL has implemented in admissions, health and security measures and learning resources for the new academic year.

The dedicated page can be accessed here.

As per federal recommendations, EHL Campus Lausanne closed on 16 March. Since then, the entire EHL community showed great adaptability and commitment, implementing various innovative and effective measures to deal with the situation.

We are proud to share an overview of EHL’s response to the Covid-19 crisis until the end of April. The overview demonstrates the work achieved by all teams in a short amount of time.

Download EHL’s Response to the Covid-19 Infographic