We would like to thank all, who participated in the hugging of the faculty, for your support and courage. Every interaction with you convinces us of the tremendous strength and cohesion of our academic community. All of this gives us the energy, day after day, to rebuild and take back our academic life together.
As part of the „restart“ of faculty life, we have been also working intensively on arrangements to allow all our students to go on with their studies at their own pace in the weeks and months ahead – with an option to progress according to their original plan or to loosen the pace of their studies as needed.
Some students may find useful the following leaflet with advice on returning to the CU FA buildings as the academic year slowly resumes its normal routine.
All relevant information currently available can be found below (divided by individual topics). If you do not find the answers to your questions here, please contact the head of your department or institute. They will be fully at your disposal. Alternatively, you can send a query to the information email info@ff.cuni.cz.
Course and length of study, fees for extended periods of study
In cooperation with the Rector’s Office of Charles University, the issue of extending the maximum study period by six months for all students of the CU FA is currently being addressed (similar to the situation during the Covid epidemic). In practice, this will mean a six-month extension of the period for which it is possible to study. In no way is it an obligation to extend one’s studies by six months.
In connection with the extension of the maximum study period, we are addressing the assessment of fees for extended periods of study in BA and MA degree programmes accredited in the Czech language. Once we have established the exact procedure in this matter in cooperation with the Rector’s Office, we will send students comprehensive information on the assessment of fees in a separate email. For the time being, the assessment of fees is suspended.
Similarly, the re-arranging of the current year of study (study plan) over two years is being addressed for all BA and MA students. In practice, this means that the „credit count“ for progression to the next year will be delayed by one year, i.e., from September 2024 to September 2025. Even under this mode of spreading, it will be possible to continue your studies as originally planned, i.e., you do not need to take advantage of the spreading.
For information on PhD study, please see the separate section below.
Examination period
The examination period will take place according to the academic year schedule from 15 January to 18 February 2024.
Due to the current situation, the form and/or content of the attestation may have changed for individual courses. These changes were communicated to the students by the teachers of the individual courses or other persons authorized to do so by the heads of the departments/institutes during the week of 8–14 January 2024. The dates of the individual forms of attestation (including those for which the students were already registered in the SIS) may have been changed as a result. Those that would normally take place in rooms in the main building of the faculty will be held in other faculty buildings or in alternate rooms in other faculties of the university or affiliated institutions.
If you are unsure of the date, form, or content of assessment in a specific course, please contact the course instructor, subject supervisor, or department/institute head.
Checking of study obligations before the State Final Examinations (SZK)
The check has been postponed from 10 January 2024 (see here) to 18 January 2024. An email was sent to the students concerned on 4 January 2024 (with several cases to be dealt with individually).
Students who have been registered for the State Final Examination but have not fulfilled all their study obligations by 18 January 2024 will be removed from the State Final Examination, i.e., they will not forfeit their term.
State Final Examinations, BA and MA theses
The deadlines for the submission of final theses are normally set at least three weeks before the defense. Now, they may be postponed at the discretion of the department or institute. At least five days before the date of the defense, the thesis must be visible to the public in the SIS and both reviews must be uploaded in the SIS.
State Final Examinations (i.e., oral/written examinations and BA/MA theses defenses) will be held according to the academic calendar between 22 January 2024 and 9 February 2024.
The state final examinations may be conducted in an on-site, distance or hybrid form (as decided by the department/institute).
Students who are registered for the State Final Examinations and have fulfilled all study requirements but fail to take their State Final Examination will be excused from them (i.e., they will not forfeit their term). We kindly ask all students who are unable or do not want to take their State Final Examination to excuse themselves from the exam by email to the head of department or institute.
Students who have excused themselves from their State Final Examination but have fulfilled the conditions for the exam may automatically receive an invitation from the SIS. This invitation is to be ignored.
Summer term, timetables, enrolment in courses, and timetables in SIS
The summer semester will run according to the academic calendar from 18 February to 17 May 2024. Depending on the technical condition of the main building, the beginning of the semester may be modified (distance learning, etc.). Classes usually held on the 4th floor of the main building will take place in alternative rooms during the summer semester.
The timetable for the summer term will be published on 5 February 2024 (according to the academic calendar, it should have been published on 2 February 2024).
Enrolment in courses and timetables of the SIS will take place according to the academic year schedule, between 9 February and 1 March 2024 (and between 12 February and 1 March 2024 for students of other faculties).
If the course you wish to register for in the summer semester has as a prerequisite the completion of a course taught in the winter semester of this academic year for which you have not yet been assessed yet, feel free to register for the course in the summer semester nevertheless; these prerequisites will be ignored by your department/institute in the SIS.
Doctoral studies
The officers of the PhD Studies Office work in the alternative mode of office hours at the Faculty of Law, Charles University, or in the online mode (in this mode, they can also be contacted by email, telephone, mobile, or via MS Teams; see the link below for contacts).
In cooperation with the Rector’s Office, the issue of extending the maximum study period by six months for all students is currently being addressed (similar to the situation during the Covid epidemic). In practice, this means a six-month extension of the period for which one can study. It is not obligatory to extend one’s studies by six months.
The dates of scheduled and planned defences of dissertations and Doctoral State Examinations remain valid; the changes concern only the venue of the defences and doctoral state examinations scheduled or normally held at the main building of the CU FA, which will be held in alternative premises. You will always be notified about the venue in due time by the PhD Studies Office.
All forms of attestations in the PhD study are voluntary. If you are unable to take any of them due to the events of December, please contact your supervisor or the chair of your PhD study board without delay.
The Special Annual Assessment, as set by the PhD study boards as part of the Annual Assessment for the academic year of 2022/2023, will take place on the dates and in format originally set. In the event of any medical incapacity due to the December events, please proceed as outlined in the previous bullet point.
Doctoral students can generate a study certificate with an electronic seal from the SIS (for instructions, see this).
It is also possible to generate a list of completed courses (SIS module „Výsledky zkoušek – prohlížení“ / „Summary of exam results“).
Some types of applications can be submitted online (see this).
Libraries
Outside the main building of CU FA, all libraries are in normal operation.
All libraries in the main building will remain closed until at least 31 January 2024 and it will not be possible to borrow books or laptops from them. The following libraries will be closed: the Jan Palach Library, the Phonetics Library, the Library of English and Romance Studies, the History Cabinet, the Library of Auxiliary Historical Sciences, the Library of Philosophy and Religious Studies, the Library of German Studies, the Library of Musicology, and the Library of Finnish.
Books and laptops borrowed from the main building can be returned at the Celetná Library at 20 Celetná Street, on the ground floor of the building, during opening hours (Mon-Thu: 9 am – 6 pm, Fri: 9 am – 4 pm). There is also a return box open 24/7 where you can return borrowed items. A temporary Interlibrary Loan Services (ILS/MMVS) study room will also be set up in the building.
All loans from all the CU FA libraries that were due to be returned between 21 December 2023 and 29 February 2024 have been extended until 1 March 2024. However, the extension does not apply to documents that were due to be returned before 21 December 2023; for those, the loan period cannot be changed retroactively. Documents borrowed by the CU FA students and employees from libraries of the other Charles University faculties have also been extended. All the changes will be registered in the reader’s account (http://ukaz.cuni.cz).
Main building
The main building remains closed for technical reasons. During the December events, damage was sustained on the 4th floor: water leaked from the heaters, and most of the doors throughout the building were damaged during the police response. These damages require replacement or repair. Until these repairs are completed, the building cannot be accessed as it would be impossible to ensure the safe movement of people and the secure storage of belongings and sensitive information. The complete closure of the main building is scheduled until the end of January 2024.
The technical condition of the main building permitting, classes will begin there in the summer semester but our priority is to start opening the building as soon as possible. The process is divided into two separate parts. Repairs will be prioritised from the ground floor to the 3rd floor and the 4th floor will most likely be closed for classes until approximately September. The opening will be arranged in steps according to the progress of the repairs, with the schedule to be specified.
Throughout January (i.e., until 31 January 2024), it will still be possible to pick up personal belongings left in the main building during the evacuation, that is in UK POINT in 13 Celetná Street, Prague 1, every Tuesday from 11 am to 6 pm and every Thursday from 8 am to 4 pm. If you have any questions regarding the collection of the belongings, please contact UK POINT during their office hours: +420 224 491 850.
Current location of the CU FA administration (a selection)
Student Affairs Office: the Faculty of Law, 7 nám. Curieových, Prague – Old Town
Paluba Centre: the Faculty of Law, 7 nám. Curieových, Prague – Old Town
Psychological Counselling Centre, Faculty of Arts, Charles University: 20 Celetná Street
International Relations Office: Česká spořitelna building, 29 Na Příkopě, Prague – New Town
Information Systems Office: 1 Voršilská, Prague – New Town
Grant Office: 1 Voršilská Street, Prague – New Town (4th floor, Office 421, visit possible upon prior arrangement by email)
Submission of applications
Student applications can be submitted in several ways:
- via the Czech Post or other postal licence holders (by all students);
- via data box (by all students);
- via the Record Management Departmant of Charles University (by all students);
- via the mailbox in the arcade outside the main entrance to the main building of CU FA (by all students);
- by handing the application to the Student Affairs Officer at the Faculty of Law during office hours (by all students);
- electronically via the „Applications“ – for relevant types of applications, see this (by PhD students only).
Psychological support and well-being
Non-sharing groups, EMDR method (public, online, and offline): for more information, dates and registration, see here.
Non-sharing groups, EMDR method (for CU FA students only, offline): for more information, dates and registration, see this.
Sharing groups: requests by student groups are to be addressed at Kristina.Najbrtova@ff.cuni.cz (or through the department or institute head).
Requests for individual psychological support: psych.pomoc@cuni.cz.
For a full range of group and individual psychosocial support, see the CU website and the CU FA website.
Extended offer by the CU FA Department of Physical Education of physical activities for CU FA students and staff: movement therapy from 15 January to 16 February 2024.
Current events
A MONTH FOR THE FACULTY
The aim of the „Four Weeks for the Faculty” initiative is to restore contact of students and academic staff with the home building of the CU FA in Jan Palach Square during its closure in January and to provide students with information on further studies and psychological help right at the site of the December events. The primary aim of this initiative is to support the students in being able to actively participate in the rebuilding of the academic life.
We are setting up a „detached CU FA offices“ at the square in front of the CU FA main building. Mobile rooms are being installed in the square. We also cooperate with the academic community of the UMPRUM and the Czech Philharmonic (Rudolfinum). The programme of the Four Weeks for the Faculty will be further refined based on suggestions from students and the academic community.
During the event, a commemorative bonfire (lit again on the initiative of our students) is part of the improvised space of the CU FA at Jan Palach Square.
The opening event of the Four Weeks for the Faculty was the commemorative procession on 4 January 2024, prepared by the students and student associations (with the production team of the event assisting them in taking care of all the demanding logistics and security). A report on the event in the University Forum is available online.
Further activities and meetings taking place as part of the Four Weeks for the Faculty will be announced next week.
Emails sent from the SIS
The management of the faculty, individual offices of the Administration, individual departments and institutes as well as individual lecturers inform students via emails sent from the SIS.
In order to communicate in this way it is necessary to have a correctly set up email address in the SIS (for more information, please see this).
We thank you for all your support and cooperation. Should you have any questions, suggestions, etc., please contact the heads of your department or institute, specific persons responsible or the email info@ff.cuni.cz.
