Coronavirus: Information on the crisis management team
The crisis management team is the official coordination and decision-making body in crisis situations. Its composition and responsibilities are regulated in the official crisis manual of the University. It also contains the basic principles for alerting procedure, the use of space, and the use of technical infrastructure.
The following people are the current members of the crisis management team:
- Rector Virginia Richter
- Director of Administration Markus Brönnimann
- Vice-Rector for Teaching Fritz Sager
- Vice-Rector for Research Hugues Abriel
- Secretary General Christoph Pappa
- Head of Communication & Marketing Christian Degen
- Head of Risk Management Unit Urs Zehnder
- Head of Facility Management Erich Zahnd
- Head of IT Services Cord-Ulrich Fündeling
- Head of Human Resources Barbara Engel
The crisis management team is not active at the moment.
When is the crisis management team activated and when do we define a situation as a crisis?
A crisis is an imminent or event which has already occurred that disrupts, or even makes impossible, the ability to make decisions in everyday life.
Among other things, the event can also be characterized by escalation and intense attention from outside. Significant interests, a good reputation, or even existence are at stake.
The seriousness of the situation requires the definition of guidelines for how to act, as well as rapid, forward thinking and solution-oriented decision making.
In connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, the crisis management team has drawn up a master plan. It is based on the following general principles and guidelines.
General principles and guidelines
- The health of all people has the highest priority.
- The decisions of the Federal Council and the Canton of Bern provide the guiding principles.
- No student should lose a semester or a year because of the Coronavirus.
- Exit is not simply the inverse of the transition to emergency operation, but is an independent process. Whenever possible, once the easing of restrictions or simplifications have been made, they must then also be scaled back again afterwards.
- Experimental research should be able to be resumed as quickly as possible and on a permanent basis.
- Economic harm to service providers should be minimised.
- The University of Bern's protection concept is the foundation for the university units' ability to resume their activities in the university's premises and facilities. It shall be adapted to the current situation.