What to Expect this Fall Semester
Message from Prof. Rachel Dekel, Academic Head, BIU’s International School
The past five months have revealed how individuals and educational institutions have risen to the challenges of COVID-19 and the related crisis – and in so doing, have changed the face of education for the foreseeable future. Bar-Ilan University’s response was immediate. Within days of the shutdown in Israel, we had moved to virtual classes and were operating successfully and creatively. This remarkable feat was due to the amazing collaboration of faculty and staff in all departments and campuses of the university, but was helped by the fact that we have been planning a move of this nature for a few years already and, in a sense, we were prepared for such an unexpected crisis.
And so it wasn’t long before our professors and lecturers found interesting and exciting ways to capture the attention of our students, who adapted to the changes like ducks to water. Although they missed being in class, the Zoom sessions were entertaining, thought-provoking, and enjoyable.
When it came to the year-end exams (July and August), some professors decided to cut down the number of exams and replace them with additional papers or research reports, but the remaining exams have been held online. We are happy to say that the exam process is going smoothly with few major issues.
A Vision for the Future
While we look ahead with a lot of uncertainty, we were recently informed that the government is allowing the universities to open campuses up to international students. This exciting news has enabled us to plan the new year to combine tried-and-tested ideas with new ones.
We are still scheduling virtual classes for all students, but this will, once again, be combined with classes and research programs physically on campus (adhering to strict social distancing and other necessary protocols relating to the pandemic, of course), enabling us to offer our students a well-blended and exciting learning approach.
We are looking forward to seeing our international students on campus in October. Not only will this make a difference to their university experience, but it will also mean that students whose countries are in a completely different time zone will now be able to attend all virtual classes as they are happening rather than watching recorded classes.
New Deadlines and Language Tests
Another important decision was made last month. We have extended our application deadlines for our upcoming year to allow you more time to be sure of your choices. Our new deadline is September 1, 2020 and the new semester starts on October 17, while the start date of some of our programs has been delayed until the March semester.
In addition, we have changed our options for English and Hebrew proficiency tests for our programs to give you more options online.
While we know the COVID-19 crisis has impacted both students and universities alike, we are trying to get back some kind of normality for our students and the university, and we look forward to welcoming you at Bar-Ilan University’s beautiful, award-winning campus very soon.
Until then, stay safe and be well.
Prof. Rachel Dekel
Academic Head, Bar-Ilan International School
