The Universitat de València has been informed through a document sent this afternoon and signed at 15:01 by the General Secretary of the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community  that the Ministry of Interior had conveyed "a series of criteria affecting the mobility of university students".

These new criteria modify those which were in force only at a Valencian Community level, adopted by the Government Delegation in the territory.

These are the new criteria reported by the Ministry of Interior:

POSSIBILITY OF RETURN TO USUAL RESIDENCE OR EQUIVALENT

It is maintained the 'possibility for students to return to their usual residence or equivalent residences, if necessary, as long as the trip is under the provisions of sections d) and h) of the article 7.1 in the Royal Decree 463/2020 from 14 March. Therefore, it will be possible, in these cases, to clear the residences or flats that are rented if the contractual relationship ends.'

'Trips must continue to be individual, unless accompanied by persons with disabilities, minors, the elderly, or for other justified reasons, and in any case respecting the safety and hygiene measures issued by the health authorities.'

In addition, these trips must be justified to the law enforcement agents when needed, providing the documentation that students have and that allows them to accredit the reasons that allow the trip.'

TRIPS TO COLLECT MATERIAL IN STUDENT RESIDENCES OR FLATS

In the document issued by the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community it is provided that these trips ARE NO LONGER AUTHORISED.

In particular, the text states:

'Regarding trips to collect teaching materials in student residences or flats that are rented, it is considered that this activity is not included in the provisions of article 7.1 in the Royal Decree 463/2020, and therefore no trip authorisation can be given to university students for this purpose as long as the alert state remains in force.'

Consequently, the Universitat de València has suspended the issuing of this kind of authorisation since the receipt of this statement from the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community.

Since last Tuesday, and in accordance with the criteria of the Valencian Community that had been adopted by the Government Delegation under request of the principal of the Universitat de València, Mª Vicenta Mestre, the Universitat has been strictly following its instructions and issuing authorisations, based on responsible statements by the students, in cases they need to collect academic materials and/or computer equipment from the residences and flats rented by the students during the academic year.

These authorisations are no longer valid since Thursday 16 April at 18:00.

WHAT TO DO NOW: QUESTIONS ABOUT MOBILITY

The Government Delegation in the Valencian Community has asked the principal to 'adopt the necessary measures to transfer this situation to the students.'

The Universitat de València is informing about it via e-mail, on its website and social media.

If you have any questions or doubts about student mobility, as these are new national guidelines, you can contact the Ministry of Interior: http://www.interior.gob.es/es/web/interior/contacto 

THE POSITION OF THE UV: COMPLAINT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT

The principal of the Universitat de València thanked the Government Delegate in the Valencian Community for her sensitivity and collaboration, supporting the mobility of students for a few days, until the homogenisation of the guidelines established by the Ministry of Interior has limited this mobility.

Tomorrow, Friday 17 April, in the meeting that the principal will hold with the deans of Faculties, the director of School, the general coordinator of the Student Council Branch and the representation of students in the Governing Council, she will propose to send a letter of complaint to the Minister of Interior, to the Minister for Universities and to the President of the Government.

In fact, on 23 March, the Minister for Universities, Manuel Castells, had committed himself in a meeting by videoconference with different principals, among them the principal of the Universitat de València, to find a solution for the trips of the university students, which finally has not taken place, in face of the criteria nationally adopted by the Ministry of Interior.

The principal of the Universitat de València has thanked the technical team of the UV office that had been intensively working since last Tuesday to issue, in less than 24 hours, the authorisations requested by the students that, from this afternoon on, are no longer valid due to the modification of criteria of the Ministry of Interior.