Commencement of the second semester at Reichman University on March 25, 2024


Dear students,


After a productive semester, during which we had to demonstrate flexibility and creative thinking, the Reichman University administration is now preparing for the second semester of the academic year, taking into account that there will still be students serving in the reserves. In light of this, we have decided to postpone the start of the second semester by one week. The semester will commence on March 25, 2024, will span 11 weeks and end as planned in the academic calendar (21.06.2024). The purpose of this decision was to extend the break between semesters from two to three weeks. This additional time will enable students to complete their first-semester assignments, and will allow more reservists to join their programs at the beginning of the second semester.


At this stage, we are exploring the possibility of hosting a special “hackathon” over the course of the week beginning on March 17th, prior to the beginning of the second semester. This event would span several days and would involve the participation of students and graduates of Reichman University along with representatives of various societal organizations. The objective of the hackathon would be to address the challenges facing the State of Israel in the wake of the Iron Swords War. The idea is to create an open platform for collaborative brainstorming on the future trajectory of the State of Israel the “day after” the war. Discussions will encompass social, security, economic, legal, and political aspects, as well as the common denominators of Israeli society, the goals to be achieved, social cohesion, and our shared vision. More details regarding this event will be provided at a later date.


Ahead of the commencement of the second semester, several decisions have been made in cooperation with the Students Union of Reichman University:


➢ At the Raphael Recanati International School, studies will resume in their regular format, rather than in hybrid format. Recordings of courses will remain accessible to students.
➢ Attendance will not be enforced; however, lecturers will have the option to award a bonus mark for attendance. (In the case of reservists and members of the security forces, this bonus will be granted automatically). Attendance requirements may be enforced for seminars and clinics.
➢ The special reintegration plan for reservists and members of the security forces, additional support classes, and extended office hours will continue as implemented in the first semester.
➢ Beyond the accommodations for reservists announced in the first semester, reservists and members of the security forces who served over 130 days may receive two additional academic credits. In such cases, students will be entitled to apply these credits to any elective courses in their program.
➢ Students who do not have enough elective courses left will be asked to coordinate with their academic advisor and/or the coordinator in the Student Administration Office regarding the course to which they wish to allocate the credits.
➢ In master’s degree programs, an exemption from one course (up to three credits) will be awarded to reservists and members of the security forces who served for at least 50 days. Students will be entitled to apply these credits to any elective courses in their program. Students who do not have enough elective courses left will be asked to coordinate with their academic advisor and/or the coordinator in the Student Administration Office regarding the course to which they wish to allocate the credits.
➢ Students who did not utilize their option to convert a course grade to a binary (pass/fail) grade in the first semester will be entitled to do so in the second semester.
➢ Lecturers have discretion in determining the format of their assessments. The management of the university has recommended, when possible, to favorize final assignments instead of exams. In the case of exams, a special date will be offered for our serving in the reserves.
➢ Exams will be taking place on campus.


As we near the end of the first semester, we wish to express our appreciation to the students and faculty of Reichman University for their collective efforts to maintain a full and regular academic year to the extent possible. We are committed to providing continuous support and personalized attention to the reservist students returning to the classroom. We consider the academic emergency routine that we have been sustaining these last months as a national duty and as a commitment of the university administration to all students.


Hoping for better days,

 

____________________________________________________

 

After a series of postponements, the academic year at Reichman University’s Hebrew schools commence on Sunday, December 17th and at the RRIS on Sunday, November 19th. Many of our students are still serving in the reserves, fighting in the Iron Swords War. We extend our hopes for the safe return of our reservists in the coming days and weeks. We see it as our personal and institutional duty to ensure that no student serving in the reserves faces any academic setbacks. To fulfill this commitment, we have devised a unique program tailored to meet the academic needs of the reservists for any stage at which they complete their service, and throughout the entire semester. We have upgraded the program upon receiving input from the Student Union; its core aspects are outlined below.

 

 

General

 

  • The purpose of this document is to outline the provisions and accommodations available to reservists returning to university. Please note that some of these allowances may vary based on the duration and timing of reserve service, as well as the specific study program. All provisions and accommodations will be implemented in accordance with the directives of the Council for Higher Education. These provisions and accommodations do not detract from the rights of the reservists in accordance with the Student Right Regulations (accommodations for students serving in reserve duty) – in Hebrew.
  • For students enrolled in two schools, all provisions and accommodations apply to both schools. The student holds the discretion to distribute academic credit and grade conversion to a binary grade between the two schools unless specified otherwise by the schools.
  • Reservists who served in the Iron Swords War can exercise their benefits (as per the details outlined below) by contacting the relevant student administration and presenting a standard certificate of reserve duty. In certain cases, other students who have been directly and concretely impacted by the war (evacuees from the Gaza border communities and the North, those whose immediate family members were victims of the war, spouses of reservists with young children, and those serving in other security forces) will be eligible to receive some of the allowances and accommodations outlined here. Those who are not reservists and wish to receive some of the accommodations detailed in this guide may contact the student administration office, which will forward the request to the Dean of Student Affairs.
  • The provisions outlined in this guide do not detract from the standard rights of reservists at Reichman University, in accordance with the document “Assistance for students serving in the reserves during their studies at Reichman University,” which include: deferment of assignments and exercises, special exam dates, mentoring, access to recordings, borrowing books, exemption from paying additional tuition fees for re-registration for a course due to reserve service, eligibility for the extension of studies, the option to study “conditionally” in an advanced course in which a student is absent from a prerequisite exam due to reserve duty, course registration adjustments to accommodate reserve service, and exemption from community service hours for socio-economic scholarship recipients. For comprehensive details, please refer to the university website.
  • Just returned from reserve duty? Begin by contacting your coordinator at the student administration, who will register your return and your eligibility for accommodations and allowances in the system. The coordinator will then transfer your information to the academic reserves coordinator within your specific school.

 

 

Converting course grades to a binary pass/fail grade for the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year

 

  • Who is entitled? Any student who served in the reserves for 4 days or more during the Iron Swords War (regardless of whether the service occurred during the semester) is entitled to convert the final grade for up to 4 courses to a binary (pass/fail) grade. Any student who served in the reserves for more than half of the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year (either at one time or across several periods) is entitled to convert the final grade for up to 8 courses to a binary (pass/fail) grade. This provision also applies in principle to reservists pursuing a master's degree, with adjustments and changes that will be provided to them separately.
  • Which courses are eligible for grade conversion? At the student’s discretion, this option applies to all courses taken during the first semester or courses from the previous academic year in which one of the exams is still pending. Conversion of grades (or part of a grade) for a year-long course will not be possible except with the prior approval of the academic advisor.
  • How will the grade conversion take place? To convert their final numerical grade to a pass/fail grade, students need to notify the student administration any time from the date of receiving the final grade in the course until the end of the 2023-2024 academic year. Conversion to a “pass” grade is conditional upon the completion the course assignments with a final grade of 55 or above and the fulfillment of any other course requirements. It is not possible to reverse the decision to convert a grade in a certain course once it has already been converted. Instructions and deadlines for submitting grade conversion requests will be provided by the student administrations.

 

In each school, there may be courses in which converting grades to a “pass/fail” may pose challenges for students wishing to further their academic careers (for example, with regards to acceptance to advanced degrees or internships). Students considering converting their grades must take this into account. The deans and/or the academic coordinator for Miluim will provide the student administrations with a list of such courses, and the student administration will make every effort to bring the matter to the students’ attention before they convert their grades in these courses.

 

 

Recordings, extended office hours, and academic reinforcement classes for reservists

 

  • General: The university is committed to helping students returning from reserve duty integrate into their various courses, taking into consideration their preferences, ability, and the date of their return to university. To this end, a comprehensive program has been set up, encompassing video recordings of all on-campus lectures, extended office hours for the faculty of each course, and specialized reinforcement classes for reservists (subject to pre-registration).
  • Who is entitled to assistance? Any student who served in the reserves during the Iron Swords War.
  • How to access the assistance: All lectures are recorded and will be available for students until the end of the exam period. In addition, assistance will be provided through designated reinforcement classes (up to five sessions in each course) for discharged reservists, extended office hours for reservists, and, in certain cases, individual guidance from a lecturer or teaching assistant.

 

Specifics about the dates of reinforcement classes, the extended office hours, and registration details will be announced at a later date.

 

 

Receiving academic credit for reserve duty

 

  1. Who is entitled?
  • Every undergraduate student who served in the reserves for 10 days or more is entitled to two academic credits one time during their undergraduate program, as per the university’s regulations and conditions.
  • An undergraduatestudent who served in the reserves during the Iron Swords War for more than 10 days and up to 30 days is entitled to receive 2 additional academic credits (for a total of 4 credits if they haven’t utilized the standard reserve credit previously, and 2 credits if they have already used the standard reserve credits).
  • An undergraduate student who served in the reserves during the Iron Swords War for more than 30 days is entitled to receive 4 additional academic credits (for a total of 6 credits if they haven’t utilized the standard reserve credit previously, and 4 credits if they have already used the standard reserve credits).

 

Reserve service that qualifies for additional credit: Active reserve service as of October 7, 2023, and reserve service undertaken as part of the war, but before the commencement of the semester, qualifies for credit.

 

Courses to which accumulated academic credits may be applied under this clause: Under this clause, a student is entitled to apply the academic credits they have accumulated to all elective courses in their program. A student who does not have enough elective courses left may, under this clause, apply credits to compulsory courses, in coordination with the school’s reserves advisor and subject to the school’s constraints. The school retains the authority to designate certain compulsory courses to which accrued credits cannot be applied under this clause, provided that every eligible student can exercise their right in full. In this regard, it should be noted that credits may not be applied to a course that serves as a prerequisite for another course in the program, unless there is explicit prior written approval from the reserves advisor.

 

Students enrolled in study tracks at two schools may select the school where they wish to apply the accumulated credits under this clause. Students in combined undergraduate and graduate degree programs can utilize the credits from this provision solely within the framework of their undergraduate program.

 

Master’s degree students are not eligible for this provision.

 

 

Options for course deferral, courses during the summer semester, and other academic solutions

 

  • For those students returning from reserve duty after the end of the semester, or those who request a hiatus from their studies, a personalized study plan will be built aimed at facilitating their swift reintegration.
  • If there is a demand, we will explore the possibility of providing specialized courses during the summer semester (subject to a minimum enrollment threshold).
  • In courses where the work is done in groups, the lecturers will assign the reservists still on duty to the groups, allowing their participation to the extent feasible.

 

 

 

Financial assistance

 

  • With the outbreak of the war, the Reichman University administration decided to establish a special fund to grant scholarships to hundreds of financially disadvantaged students serving in the reserves, or the security and rescue forces, who have been substantially impacted financially due to their enlistment. Additionally, scholarships will be extended to students directly affected by the war, or whose immediate family members have suffered harm. The purpose of the fund is to offer these students meaningful support to aid in their recovery and rehabilitation.
  • Any student who believes they are eligible for a scholarship based on these criteria is welcome to submit an application for the “Iron Swords” scholarship.

 

Deadlines for scholarship applications: There will be two rounds for submitting applications, corresponding to the release dates of the reservists.

 

The first submission window is from December 10, 2023, to January 10, 2024. The subsequent window, for those released after January 10, 2024, will be announced shortly.

 

  1. The application for the scholarship must be submitted through the online personal information portal.
  2. A student whose application was rejected may file an appeal to the scholarship fund’s appeal committee.
  3. For more information: scholarship@runi.ac.il.

 

 

Merit scholarships

 

Students eligible for merit scholarships that require a certain grade point average, who served in reserve duty during the Iron Swords War for at least 30 days (including service before the beginning of the semester) or who served in reserves for at least 14 days during the semester, and whose first-semester grades do not meet the required threshold, will not have their first-semester grades taken into account for meeting the threshold; that is, these grades will not affect their eligibility for the scholarship. If their first-semester grades did meet the required threshold, their average grade for the first semester will be factored into the annual calculation.

 

As part of the support system established for those recruited on an emergency call up (“Tzav 8”), it is the university administration’s goal to ease the process for recipients of merit scholarships.

 

 

Dean's List

 

  • The conversion of grades to binary pass/fail grades will not impact the calculation of the average for the Dean’s List and honors program, nor will it impact eligibility.
  • The possibility of increasing the number of honors students from among the reservists will be evaluated.

 

 

Relaxation of attendance policy

 

  • During the first semester, attendance will not be enforced for any course.
  • Grades will not be contingent upon attendance or active participation.
  • Regarding clinics and practicums: Attendance may be enforced for those who are not in the reserves. For students who were absent due to reserve duty, standard protocols will apply, requiring that reservists be allowed to make up what they missed or be exempted. In exceptional cases of complete or extensive absence, the lecturer and the Dean of Students may decide that the student must repeat the course.

 

 

Academic assignments in first-semester courses

 

  • Final exams on campus will be held only for a limited number of courses that will be approved in advance by the Provost's Office. These tests will be administered by the Examination Department as per standard procedure. In the international school, students who were not in Israel during the semester will be allowed to take the exam via Zoom.
  • For all other courses, the final assessment will consist of a take-home exam or assignment.
  • There will be two dates for take-home exams, as well as a special additional date for those who are eligible. For assignments, there will be a single submission date, and reservists will be provided with necessary extensions as required.
  • Lecturers may demand mid-semester assignments as part of the course requirements. Reservists will be eligible for exemptions/extensions for submitting these assignments in accordance with the standard accommodation guidelines for reserve students.
  • The exam period for the first semester will be three weeks long, concluding with the commencement of the second semester. All “Moed A” dates scheduled will occur within this period.

 

 

Reserve duty as community service

 

Reserve service of 10 days or more will be recognized as fulfilling the mandatory community service hours required to qualify for scholarships.

 

 

Beyond the classroom

 

As always, this year students will have access to multitude of extracurricular opportunities: enrichment activities for personal development, projects to serve the community, student exchange programs, career planning workshops, student clubs, and social events. Moreover, this year all students will have the opportunity to participate in workshops to strengthen personal resilience, led by the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, as well as psychological counseling for those who request it.

 

 

Dear reservists, we have made every effort to provide you with a comprehensive and supportive framework. Should you require additional, tailored solutions for specific situations, we are here for you at all times. Please reach out to the coordinators within the student administrations, or the reserve coordinator in the Dean of Student Affairs Office.