{"id":117735,"date":"2020-09-16T17:40:59","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T15:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=117735"},"modified":"2026-01-20T10:07:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T09:07:18","slug":"why-tinbergen-is-closed-and-other-campus-study-space-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/09\/16\/why-tinbergen-is-closed-and-other-campus-study-space-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Tinbergen is closed and other campus study space questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where can you study on campus during the coronavirus outbreak? How do you secure a space? And why are the study spaces in Tinbergen closed again? Sandra Klarenbeek from Real Estate & Facilities\u00a0<\/em>answered five pressing questions. \u201cWe\u2019re currently at around a 25 per cent occupancy compared with the time before the coronavirus outbreak.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Studying at the library<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAmber Leijen<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

It was quite some puzzle for\u00a0Real Estate & Facilities<\/em>\u00a0staff to create as many study spaces on campus as possible while adhering to the RIVM regulations. In the end, Klarenbeek is rather pleased with what they\u2019ve managed. \u201cRight now, it looks as though we can offer sufficient study spaces for the students who are already on campus for \u2018offline\u2019 teaching groups and who are looking for a space \u2018because they\u2019re here already\u2019.\u201d<\/p>

How many study spaces are currently available on campus?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Klarenbeek estimates that the university has around 25 per cent of the study spaces that students could access prior to the coronavirus outbreak. \u201cWe started with a few study spaces in the University Library and scaled this up slowly to monitor any consequences. There\u2019s now space for four hundred students, which is the maximum feasible if the University Library is to adhere to the 1.5-metre distance rule.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students can also study in the Polak and Sanders buildings. \u201cThere is space for 118 students in Polak and 70 in Sanders. We\u2019re considering increasing the latter number to a hundred, but we first need to examine all the walking routes carefully.\u201d Real Estate & Facilities<\/em> has also updated the study spaces in G building. \u201c86 students can sit there.\u201d<\/p>\n

How can you secure a space?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can only book most of the spaces via an online booking system on www.eur.nl\/studieplekken<\/a>. You can cancel your space in the system too if you find you can\u2019t use it for any reason. That will free the space up for a co-student. The university used a booking system during the coronavirus outbreak last academic year too, and it became apparent then that around half of the students do not show up. Klarenbeek is hoping to prevent this now. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve posted an extra banner in the booking system with the message: you can also cancel your space.\u201d<\/p>\n

This seems to help. \u201cSo far, with the current number of study spaces, we\u2019ve always had enough spaces available.\u201d And if you\u2019re on campus but haven\u2019t booked, don\u2019t worry. \u201cThe G building spaces are for students who arrive and suddenly think: I think I\u2019ll hang around on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTessa Hofland<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

For how long can you use the study spaces?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The university uses different time slots. There are two time slots for the University Library: from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm and from 4.00 pm until 10.00 pm. Three time slots apply in Sanders and Polak: from 8.00 am to 12.00 noon, from 2.00 pm until 6.00 pm and from 7.00 pm until 11.00 pm. \u201cWe\u2019ve opted for three time slots in Sanders and Polak because students in Polak and Sanders often want to sit for shorter periods to have a quick look in their study books there. In the University Library, students often want to make a longer day of it.\u201d Students can come and go as they wish in G building.<\/p>\n

What are you allowed to do with the tables and chairs, for instance in Theilhal?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Students can sit on all chairs that are not marked with a cross. They can study there too. \u201cOnly we\u2019re not calling these study spaces because they don\u2019t meet the study space criteria, for example because of noisy surroundings or a lack of power sockets. We removed a lot of tables and chairs in such areas last summer. Students are free to use any chairs that are still there. Of course, the chairs should stay where they\u2019ve been positioned so that we can continue to safeguard the 1.5-metre distance between students.\u201d An example of areas where this is possible are the alcoves with chairs and tables in Theilhal, as well as the tables with purple chairs in Van der Goot building.<\/p>\n

On fixed furniture, in lecture halls for instance, a cross or a sticker stating \u2018do not sit here\u2019 has been placed on the chairs you should not use. \u201cStudents can also check the EUR Studyrooms<\/em> app. The lecture halls and tutorial rooms are stated here. Students can study in these rooms if they\u2019re not being used for teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why are the study spaces in Tinbergen closed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The study spaces in Tinbergen that were opened earlier in the coronavirus outbreak for those students unable to study at home are now closed again. Why? \u201cWhen the pandemic broke out, we made fifty places available in the PC rooms on the first floor. Those rooms are now being used again for education.\u201d The study places on higher floors in Tinbergen that were refurbished in 2019 have also been closed. \u201cThe lifts proved to be a bottleneck. No more than two people can use a lift at the same time, and there are a large number of study spaces in Tinbergen. It\u2019s not possible to cope with all those students with just a few lifts. Of course, you could tell people to use the stairs to reach the twelfth floor, but it\u2019s rather a long way. And we\u2019re concerned that, because of the long wait, more students will get in the lifts than is permitted. We decided to close these study spaces so that we can guarantee a safe environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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