RECTOR’S letter
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POLSKI
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02. 04. 2020.
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The Lodz Film School Rector, Prof. Mariusz Grzegorzek has written a letter, addressing the school’s community.

Łódź, 2 April, 2020

Dear Professors,
Students,
and Employees of the Lodz Film School!

The first weeks of this difficult, aggravating situation that has outgrown the scenarios of bad disaster movies have passed. We are all restless and are trying to deal somehow with the sense of the unknown and the reality of an extremely intense threat, though impossible to detect with any of our senses and available warning systems. I do hope that you are coping with this situation, although probably each of you faces a disturbed sense of security in a different way.

It is natural that we want to restore normality and a basic sense of purposefulness as soon as possible. One of the important elements of this process is the attempt to reconstruct the most important activities in our Alma Mater. Perhaps these first weeks of the pandemic period were too chaotic on our part - I apologize for that, but it is difficult, in the face of such a strong breach of the existing mechanisms of functioning, to develop a precise action-plan for a completely unpredictable, near future.

However, I would like to assure you that the School in its administrative and decision-making kernel is functioning. It is in constant contact with both ministries and follows emerging legal regulations as well as unofficial suggestions. However, it is clear to us that we will have to work out most of the decisions that bring solutions matching our school’s specificity ourselves.

I would like to briefly discuss some of the most current issues:

1. E-LEARNING
From the beginning, the school community has been conducting a lively discussion about the e-learning platform. It quickly turned out that the specificity of individual classes varies enormously. In short, a simple, consultative form of classes in a small group (often in the form of one to one, teacher-student contact) does not require any new special tools - we are all familiar with it and from what I know, we’ve been using this type of communication via e-mail, Facebook, telephone, etc. at a time and pace convenient to all parties. More complicated e-learning forms: lectures, workshops, presentations for more students require more sophisticated tools. On the advice of more experienced colleagues, we have opted for the Microsoft TEAMS platform. I know that the Film Art Organization Department and the Editing Faculty are successfully using TEAMS right now. This is obviously not a mandatory solution. We only offer assistance in accessing the platform, which provides advanced features useful in conducting more complex multi-threaded tasks for a relatively wide number of participants. E-learning probably does not meet all our expectations, neither is it obligatory, but we must all feel the need to continue our work in any possible way. Let's prepare for a situation in which, maybe soon, the remote form of communication will become, for some time, the only and obligatory tool for teaching and working. Frankly speaking, I don't know what to advise the Acting Department. I am afraid that practical teaching of acting is impossible in this system, but maybe there will appear some solutions unforeseen to me?

2. RECTOR'S ELECTIONS
The pandemic began almost simultaneously with the onset of more advanced election activities. We didn't choose the electors. We have no information about the official applications of candidates. We cannot organize pre-election meetings, we cannot meet and discuss in subgroups. I am of the opinion that all remote actions in this matter should be suspended. Let us remember that the term of office changes from September 1, 2020. I very much hope that we will be able to return to normalcy in May or June. There will be enough time to carry out such an important “change of the guard” on time, without any tension, in direct contact, in a focused and complete way.

3. RETURN TO NORMAL CLASSES; SCHEDULE OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR
If it is not possible to return to running classes in May or June, there is an informal announcement by the ministry regarding the possibility to extend the academic year so as to at least partly, make up for the lost teaching time. We cannot declare ready solutions at the moment, but this option seems inevitable. The release of pandemic isolation will also allow us to catch up on production backlogs, which after all limit the teaching process at the Film and Television Direction Department and the Cinematography and Television Production Department.

4. SALARIES
They are not at risk for now. We do not know what the financing of universities will look like in the future, but we assure you that ensuring payroll continuity will be an absolute priority for us at this sensitive time. The level of unknowns is so high that we cannot consider the above initiatives as more than carefully thought out hypotheses. The situation is very dynamic, forecasts differ radically, at the moment, everyone wants to be an expert in virology, psychology and socio-political forecasts.

I recommend that you be cautious about accepting too much conflicting information. If possible, let's stay calm and well-balanced which will allow us to wisely and effectively survive this dark time.

I cordially greet everyone.
I wish you HEALTH!
At all possible levels,

Mariusz Grzegorzek