Letter to the students from Dr. Bahar Akingüç Günver, Chairman of the board of trustees, and Prof. Dr. Erhan güzel, Rector

Dear Students, Distinguished Families,

The COVID-19 process, which has turned into a great struggle in terms of health, economy and social dynamics, has also triggered radical changes in all areas of life.
First of all, we congratulate our students who fulfill their educational responsibilities with a maturity and endurance beyond their ages despite the restrictions that started with the reality of a pandemic. We would like to thank you, our dear families, for your sensitivity, understanding and solidarity during this time.
It is our common wish to ensure that our young people complete their university life in the best possible way. It is our primary duty to support students to clarify their perspectives in the near and medium term during this period when uncertainty affects their future outlook. With this awareness, we assure you that we are coordinating with precision all the requirements of the normalisation calendar as Kültür family.

Dear students and their families,
As Istanbul Kültür University, we continue our studies within normalization calendar, the foundations of which were laid across the country in May, and we have structured our studies under five headings: health-safety, education efficiency, business continuity, information and communication management, planning of the near future.
Our first and foremost topic is health and safety, as before the pandemic. In March, when we faced pandemic as a country, our health and safety practices, which we carried out high level of application and control, were increased one more step in May with the new normal. All our teams received their hygiene training to prepare for controlled normalization at our university. Sterilization of our physical areas was provided by expert teams. In addition to this, staff, visitor coordination, working principles, food and beverage services principles were prepared in writing together with the rules and sanctions to be followed, and shared with the Kültür family.
Our Department of Health and Support Services under the coordination of the General Secretariat has been tracking all enters and exits within the university in detail since June when the normalization calendar was announced and shared the necessary reports with the management.

Efficiency in education is another agenda that is equivalent to health-safety at the center of our university. Our students experienced a new educational application and assessment process as of March 23. Our distance education system CATS, which has been active as an infrastructure for 11 years but is used preferentially apart from compulsory courses, has turned into the basic media of education during the pandemic period. Our platform, which provides distance education, measurement and evaluation services to all our students from associate to postgraduate, is now much stronger with your opinions and suggestions, the conditions of the new normal and updates transferred in the context of instructional technologies.

For this reason, we have seen that we can continue the distance education that we had to pass during the pandemic period without interruption as in formal education. Our students did not waste time. We know the importance of this especially for students who have reached the graduation stage. Only this year we are experiencing the bitterness of not being able to hold our graduation ceremony on time as we are used to. However, we will be together in the first normalization process and experience the joy of graduation.

Pandemic seems to transform many methods and practices in higher education. Information regarding the use of distance education up to 40 percent in academic education, which YÖK shared with the public in recent weeks, is one of the strongest proofs of the transformation to be experienced. As Istanbul Kültür University, we would like to state once again that we have the infrastructure and experience to realize all the requirements of distance and / or face-to-face education in the context of academic, technological and business processes.

Sustainability in information and communication is to think within alternative scenarios; Our most valuable asset in times of crisis that require planning within the framework of short, predictable calendars. In addition to our portal titled covid19.iku.edu.tr, which we launched in May, in order to keep track of all the information and developments within the new normal conditions, we are working on a special digital platform for our students within the scope of back to school.

And plans for the near future… The 2020-2021 academic year, in which we continue to work and plan within different scenarios, will in a sense be a period when we manage the side effects of the pandemic. Our wish is to meet at our campuses in safe and healthy conditions without a second wave. However, when we interpret it from today's perspective, we can say that 2020-2021 will be the year of the precautions. At this point, our future plan is clear: Prevention in health and safety, sustainability in education service. As long as the conditions permit, we will continue to provide our students with all the social and cultural aspects of university life, all our facilities that will reinforce education and facilitate learning. Every decision taken in the process, every application to be made will be health and safety centered. Our main goal is not to interrupt the education process of any of our students. We would like to share that we are always open to your opinions and suggestions at this stage where all existing scenarios are evaluated with our academic, administrative staff and technological opportunities.

Dear Students and Dear Families,
Today, as İstanbul Kültür University, we focus on the quality of summer education in the short term and fall scenarios in the medium term, we have students at the center of every decision we make.

Pandemic is a process that will take time to heal, including possible new wave scenarios. It is more important than ever to preserve hope without ignoring the conditions of the day, the difficulties and the sanctions imposed by the crisis.

"How will we succeed?", "How will we overcome?" As for the Kültür family, in today's conditions where uncertainty prevails, we have a single and clear answer to these questions: together.

Dear Students,
2019-2020 Academic Year IKU Summer School
All IKU Summer 2020 programs and courses being offered will be conducted through our distance education system. Applications for the summer school will be carried out online. Students will not need to apply to the university in person for their application. Similarly, the Summer School Final exams will be conducted in the same way. 

For details; https://oidb.iku.edu.tr/en/registration-acceptance/summer-term

2020-2021 Academic Year at IKU
Regarding the upcoming academic year, preparations are being made. Acknowledging that Pandemic will still be part of our daily lives for many months to come, there are hopeful signs. The epidemiological reality in Turkey has taken a positive direction and government restrictions will slowly be lifted. Nevertheless, we will have to deal with the new normal of physical distancing and other protective measures for a while longer. Teaching in classes will be limited, traveling may still be complicated, and the academic experience of students and staff will certainly be different. Still, we are convinced that we can shape the next academic year in a way that allows us to maintain our high standards in education and research.

Courses: With regard to teaching, the current restrictions in Turkey and at the IKU establish a maximum occupancy of 50% of the capacity in each class and using a safety distance of a minimum of 2 meters between students. Thus, following the guidelines we have recently received from our University, we are planning to start in September with bi-modal teaching: combining virtual and face-to-face classes and practical lessons in small groups.
In the 2020-2021 Academic Year Fall Semester, it is envisaged that 40% of the courses will be held online and 60% in the classes. The distribution of the courses will be in the most efficient way.

• To wearing a mask will be required inside the campuses. Every individual in IKU campuses will have to wear a mask. 
• If the courses are held in classrooms, the cross seating plan will be prepared with a distance of 2 meters between each student.
• All campuses and classes will be regularly cleaned with disinfectant.
• Medical disinfectants will be in every classroom, laboratory, cafe, toilet, and room within the borders of our university. 

Academic Calendar: 2020-2021 Academic Calendar is decided as follows:
Registration Renewal and Course Registration Beginning: September 7, 2020
Beginning of Courses: September 14, 2020
For the full academic calendar; https://www.iku.edu.tr/en/academic-calendar  

Accommodation
IKU dormitories will be available for students in the 2020-2021 academic year. Quotas will be limited in dormitories where all health measures are taken. For this reason, it is recommended early registration to book a dormitory. The orientation week is usually held a week before the courses begin. Students will also be informed about the orientation week.

For details; https://www.iku.edu.tr/en/istanbul-kultur-university-dormitories

Visa
We encourage you to closely monitor visa processing time frames and consult the nearest Turkey embassy/consulate for additional information. Students who are unable to reach the academic calendar due to delays in visa procedures or students who cannot obtain a visa will be able to attend online courses.

Flights
We encourage you to wait to buy plane tickets until there is more certainty about fall/academic year travel guidance. Be aware of your airline’s waiver and refund policies. We recommend purchasing flight insurance that offers maximum flexibility should tickets need to be changed or canceled. 

Stay updated
Please refer to the IKU website for up-to-date information about the university’s response to COVID-19. 

https://www.iku.edu.tr/en/
Hope to meet you on healthy and beautiful days!
Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver                                                                                                Prof. Dr. Erhan Güzel
IKU Head of the Board of Trustees                                                                                          Rector