“Yes indeed, things have been quite hectic for our webcare team for some time now,” Pascal Appel says. “And not just last week, in fact, we’ve been flooded with questions for some weeks already, with the largest explosion on Thursday March 12, when TU/e announced that it would cancel all physical education.”

Normally, the webcare team is active on weekdays between seven a.m. and seven p.m. “But last week we kept our lines open on several days until eleven in the evening,” Appel says. “We currently also offer webcare during the weekends. Questions constantly keep coming in at busy times, for instance after a press conference from Mark Rutte, a new RIVM guideline, or a new TU/e mail update.”

Emotional issues

Appel: “Depending on the news or the TU/e updates, we saw different questions come in every time. In the beginning people mostly wanted to know how to deal with travelling to risk areas, such as China and Italy, but over time the questions became of a more personal nature, especially those by international students. In general, they have the same questions as Dutch students - What consequences will the measures have for my personal situation? Am I still allowed to go to campus? What about my internship? My research? Lectures? But we also receive questions such as ‘I want to go back home but I’m not sure what the consequences will be,’ and they ask our advice about that.”

The webcare team also receives questions from students who worry about their own situation and health, and who practically ask the team for medical advice. Appel says that people with questions that can’t be directly answered, will be referred to agencies that can provide them with an answer.

Latest developments

Most of the time, Appel is able to properly inform the webcare team about the latest developments well beforehand. “I receive all necessary information directly from the CEC crisis team, which I’m part of as well, to ensure that our webcare team has the right information on time. In addition, I have a direct line with the Central Crisis Team, via CEC director and Executive Board spokeswoman Hanneke Koppers, for all the questions the webcare team is unable to answer based on the information available at that moment.” The webcare team, incidentally, also adds input to the update mails and Q&A list. Because by now, the team members have a good understanding of what matters to students and staff members, according to Appel.

The webcare team consists of ten students, and under normal circumstances one of them is in charge of webcare. Appel: “We have more people working on this now, if necessary, and fortunately everyone is flexible and therefore able to help out if need be. We keep contact via chat platform Slack. After a hectic first week, during which I too was available between seven in the morning and eleven in the evening to help the team answer questions and to share my thoughts, my tasks are now divided between myself and CEC colleague Liesbeth Castelijns, so that I won’t have to focus exclusively on webcare anymore either. Everyone is fit and ready to answer all incoming questions for the coming period as well.”

New peak

What does Appel expect today, now that the education program will go online? “Until now we saw a new peak in our webcare each time TU/e placed an update mail. Therefore, we expect a new peak this time as well, and we already adapted our planning to this situation. We were also manned last weekend, but it was actually relatively quiet. Apparently, TU/e’s most recent update was clear enough. Starting today, we will assess the situation day by day. In any case, we will be open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and longer if necessary. We shared all information with the students, so I look to the period ahead with much confidence.”

In conclusion, Appel would like to say how enormously proud he is of the webcare team’s so-called first response time. That is the time elapsed between a message sent to TU/e a response. Appel: “The average response time was two and a half minutes during the past two weeks. You need to include nights and different time zones. People are quite surprised by that. Staff members, students, or people who are otherwise involved don’t expect a response to a WhatsApp message within ten minutes on a Friday evening. So yes, it was a hectic time, but judging by the number of thank-yous and compliments, people are very glad that we are here to help them.

You can find all updates of TU/e on www.tue.nl/corona

TU/e also offers a Q&A with frequently asked questions. Can’t find your question? Send a mail or app (via + 31 641683406).