Natolin Pledge 3 // Community outreach

At the beginning of every academic year, the Natolin student community elects its Student Representatives. Three Student Representatives were voted in for the 2020/2021 academic year, each taking on a different portfolio: academic affairs and languages, extracurricular activities, and student wellbeing. They are in constant contact with the whole student community: as such, they are also invited to regular meetings with the administration to discuss Natolin’s pandemic response – and forward any concerns or suggestions that students might have.

In addition to meetings with the Student Representatives, the administration also organised open session which the whole student community was invited to join (via video chat, of course). Individual students are always welcome to approach the Student Affairs Office and other contact points if they want to talk about any part of their Natolin experience, pandemic measures included.

We also organised a community meeting with our consultant epidemiologist. During this conversation, the epidemiologist explained the reasons behind some of the counter-COVID policies we adopted on campus and gave practical advice on how to keep safe. Students also had the opportunity to put forward their health-related questions.

Extracurricular events and student societies continue to take place and hold meetings. The College of Europe in Natolin has prepared several common rooms and spaces for this, upgrading the ventilation and reducing maximum occupancy in order to ensure a safe community environment. Events that cannot be held fully in person are organised remotely or semi-remotely. This allows community life, including the National Days that Natolin is known for, to continue.

We acknowledge that safety is a real community effort. It is only by looking out for each other and being responsible that we can all stay safe. In addition to a constant dialogue with the student community, we also published clear guidance on health measures on campus, encouraged students to refrain from any unnecessary trips, and continue to update them about the epidemiological situation in Poland.