Guidelines for threats and restrictions on campus presence
Instructions for staff, students, and teaching activities in the event of threats and restricted campus access
These instructions describe the university’s operating procedures in situations where authorities issue a warning about a threat to the area and urge people to stay at home or avoid the area (e.g. a drone threat, risk of explosion, gas leak, or similar). (Instructions updated 5 May 2026.)
1. Basic principles
- The university follows the instructions issued by the authorities.
- The safety of staff, students, and visitors is the highest priority.
- Operations continue remotely, where possible.
- Information about the situation is coordinated through the university’s management and security organization.
2. Measures following an authority announcement
University management and security
- Assess the situation in cooperation with the authorities.
- Make decisions on closing university premises, restricting use, or switching to remote work.
- Initiate crisis communication when necessary.
Staff and students
- Follow the authorities’ instructions on movement restrictions. If the authorities order people to avoid moving outdoors or to remain at home, these instructions are to be followed.
- Work/study remotely to the extent that duties and studies allow.
- Actively follow: Authority announcements, the university’s communication via email, the abo.fi website, and other internal work and study channels.
- When the danger is over, work and studies will resume as usual in accordance with the authorities’ instructions.
Teaching
- Follow the authorities’ instructions on movement restrictions.
- Planned in-person teaching shifts to remote teaching if possible.
- In urgent situations, a transition to remote teaching may be practically difficult or impossible.
- Ongoing on-campus teaching continues indoors.
- Teachers primarily use digital tools already in use (e.g. Teams, Zoom, Moodle).
- Examinations, laboratory work, and other location-bound teaching are postponed or arranged later based on a safety assessment.
- Actively follow: Authority announcements, the university’s communication via email, the abo.fi website, and other internal work and study channels.
3. If you are already on campus
Indoors
- Remain inside the building.
- Stay away from windows.
- Avoid unnecessary movement within the campus area.
- Follow the university’s and the authorities’ instructions.
Outdoors on campus
- Follow the university’s and the authorities’ instructions.
- Move to the nearest safe indoor location.
In the event of a drone threat:
- Avoid open areas and gatherings outdoors.
- Do not photograph, film, or approach a suspected drone.
4. Communication
The university informs about the situation via:
- the website abo.fi
- Åbo Akademi university will, where necessary, send its own emergency notifications via the Tuudo mobile application, which all students and staff are encouraged to use.
Communications include information on how to act, whether teaching and work/studies continue remotely, when it is possible to return to campus and where you can find more information.
More detailed information on practical arrangements, concerning teaching, examinations and work, is provided via the university’s internal channels.
5. Important points to consider
- A drone threat may be linked to security, disruption, or intelligence-related situations.
- Do not spread rumours or unverified information.
- All observations of potential threats must be reported to the Head of Security (Rikard Andersson rikard.andersson@abo.fi, 040 040 7043) and/or the Director of Campus Development (Stefan Willför stefan.willfor@abo.fi, 040 504 7904), or in urgent situations to the emergency number 112.
Pay
- In the case of a short-term absence, no salary deduction is made, even if you need to be absent from work (e.g. in the event of a drone threat lasting a few hours).
- If the threat and the authorities’ instruction to remain at home continue for several days, information on any effects on pay will be provided separately.