Today, 11 September, an email was sent to all staff with the latest guidance on Stage 2 of the University's return to campus plans.
You can read the full email here:
As we approach the start of the term, we are continuing to provide all staff with the latest information on the reopening of campus and welcoming our students. We recognise this is a long email but it contains important information and we would encourage you to read to the end.
Stage 2 of the reopening of campus
Stage 2 of our phased campus reopening runs from the start of the academic year this month until January 2021.
Teams across the University are working hard to ensure we support the resumption of academic activities on campus, giving overall priority to teaching, while also addressing non-academic aspects of the student experience.
We welcomed our first cohort of students in Education and Social Work on the 4 September. There was a range of positive feedback from both staff and students in ESW, and the Estates and H&S teams have been able to review their experiences and are now making adjustments to the wider estate preparations.
The majority of staff in essential roles will be returning to campus on 21 September and there is guidance available on our Autumn 2020 webpages which outlines up to date information on a range of matters from health and safety through to HR and other return to campus matters.
Latest Government guidance
At the Prime Minister’s press conference this week, it was made clear the Government sees universities as a priority area and recognises that maintaining education is essential for good mental health. Updated guidance has been published and covers two areas in separate Department for Education (DfE) documents, the Higher education coronavirus (COVID-19) NHS Test and Trace handbook and Higher education: reopening buildings and campuses.
The University has been systematically working through the SAGE report published last Friday and has been doing the same with this new guidance to ensure the University is compliant. The below information has been extracted from the guidance and is important to note:
The DfE guidance identifies a series of tiers which serve as alert levels. Regardless of the tier of restriction currently in place for teaching provision, all providers, students and staff should comply with guidance issued on wider restrictions. National Institute for Health Protection (NIPH) will issue and regularly update guidance on how any additional restrictions imposed will apply to students moving between university and home. Unless told otherwise, in the event of additional restrictions being imposed locally during term, students should remain in their current accommodation and not return to the family home, which would increase the risk of transmitting the infection. Explanation of tiers:
- Tier 1 (default position): HE providers are expected to provide blended learning, with face-to-face tuition, following the provisions of this guidance, and public health guidance, including, for example, the appropriate use of face coverings.
- Tier 2 (fallback position): HE providers should move to an increased level of online learning where possible. Providers should prioritise the continuation of face-to-face provision based on their own risk assessment. We expect that, in the majority of cases, this will be for those courses where it is most beneficial (for example, clinical or practical learning and research).
- Tier 3 (where stricter measures are needed): HE providers should increase the level of online learning to retain face-to-face provision for priority courses (for example, clinical and medical courses), and in as limited number of situations as possible. Students should follow government guidance published as part of any additional restrictions applied locally, including where this says that students should remain in their current accommodation and not return their family home or other residential accommodation to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus through travel. In these circumstances, providers should support students to do so by keeping services for students, such as university libraries and catering facilities, open.
- Tier 4 (last resort): We expect the majority of provision to be online, with buildings open for essential workers only. This should include the continuation of essential research.
Return to campus buildings
Estates and Facilities and Student Experience will approve the opening of general teaching spaces and computer cluster spaces once they, and the building, have been risk assessed and are fully prepared for the return of teaching.
If you are returning to campus during Stage Two, please make sure you have familiarised yourself with all the available Health & Safety guidance for staff and all returning staff will be expected to watch the induction video which will be available soon.
In-person teaching
Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) are running a comprehensive programme of training for academic staff. The Teaching Online, Learning Anywhere Canvas site has been revamped with an extended range of resources and pedagogical guidance.
Further guidance and induction materials are being prepared to show staff and students what to expect in the classrooms. These will be shared shortly.
Community Pledge
A community pledge is being developed which will set out the expectations of our students and staff when they are on campus. We would like our community to take collective responsibility and commit to following the University’s and Government guidelines. We will soon be sharing more details on this.
Health and Safety guidance
A comprehensive H&S guide for teaching staff is just being finalised and will be shared with all staff soon. This focuses on the delivery of face-to-face teaching on campus and information on how this has been informed by the risk assessments we’re carrying out and other details such as equipment use and cleaning. Guidance on how to risk assess activities that schools wish to undertake not covered by these general assessments will also be provided.
Classroom furniture has been arranged for 1m+ social distancing and the timetable allows extra time for entry and exit of all classrooms. It’s important the furniture is not moved as it has been set to specific H&S requirements.
As well as the new guidance on returning to work for teaching spaces we have the Returning to work in Research Laboratories Social Distancing guidance and the Health & Safety guidance for working in office and low hazard spaces. This includes guidance on determining the distance between colleagues in offices and use of other spaces.
Moving around University buildings
From the beginning of the term, student ambassadors will support the flow of key areas in buildings to help everyone get to their classes in a way that ensures social distancing is maintained. There will be clear signage to support traffic through key areas including: study spaces in the Library; Schools and additional study spaces; and ITS computer rooms.
We also have staggered Library access, with our click to study service, ensuring that socially distanced measures are in place and introduced a booking system app for study space (enabling track and trace).
Buildings with one-way systems will be clearly marked at the entrances as you approach the building.
Cleaning
Our Estates and Facilities staff are implementing an extensive and thorough cleaning and sterilisation programme across all areas on campus used by students and staff. Our cleaning regime has been increased and focuses on contact points (e.g. door handles).
Anti-viral wipes will be available for students to wipe their desk before class. Wipes will also be available for teaching staff to wipe keyboards, lecterns and AV equipment at the start of each class.
Ventilation
The Estates and Facilities team have worked hard to ensure all campus spaces have adequate ventilation, and provided the required assurance to the H&S team, that ventilation in accessible areas meets the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) standards. These measures include:
- Checking all accessible spaces against existing H&S requirements to provide adequate supplies of fresh air.
- Air condition filter units have been changed and units have been set to bring in air from outside where possible.
- Some windowless rooms (e.g. lecture theatres) have air-handling systems that provide ventilation which is not immediately apparent.
- Areas where this cannot be confirmed or that develop faults may be closed.
- An additional H&S control to ventilation is face coverings.
Face coverings – in indoor communal and teaching spaces
Indoor communal areas:
The University has updated its guidance on face coverings, asking for them to be worn by students and staff in all indoor communal spaces on campus where 2m social distancing cannot be achieved. There is also clarity on who is exempt from wearing a face mask and how they can be identified.
Teaching spaces:
Students will be asked to wear face coverings in all teaching spaces. Academic staff should be able to maintain a 2m distance from the front of the class and so do not need to wear cloth face coverings. The University will provide face visors for academic staff to wear during classes, as an added protection that will allow students to see the academic’s face.
Provided academic staff remain 2m distant from the students it is their choice whether to wear a face visor.
All students will receive lots of information about the need to wear face coverings and this will include a pledge to sign-up to along with a set of protocols for the classroom that will be very clear for everyone in all teaching spaces.
The university has ordered 20,000 disposable face masks and Schools will be able to order their own supplies. In addition, 6,000 reusable masks will be made available for students which they will get in their Welcome packs.
You can find more information and FAQs about face coverings.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The use of PPE is particularly relevant in laboratory and related teaching activities. Staff and students should continue to wear the relevant PPE as determined by the relevant risk assessments for their areas as a minimum.
All teaching staff will be provided with a face visor for use in teaching spaces. These visors are being made on site so can be easily distributed/available for staff as required.
Information about how to access this will be made via your Schools. In addition, School office screens will be fitted.
Covid reporting form
We are asking all staff and students to report Covid symptoms by completing this Covid-19 Symptoms or self-isolation reporting form. The University will provide support for any students who are self-isolating – whether that be due them showing Covid-19 symptoms or because they have arrived at University from being abroad and must quarantine
HR guidance and tools for staff and managers on returning to campus
Please familiarise yourself with the advice and guidance provided:
- Comprehensive guidance has been developed for staff on the return to campus, acknowledging staff have individual needs.
- A toolkit for managers has also been developed to support them in addressing any individual concerns.
- The University has developed a self-assessment tool to support staff and students to identify if they have a clinical vulnerability to becoming seriously ill from Covid-19. You can read more about the tool on our self-assessment webpage, including how it identifies increased vulnerability and provides next steps for people with underlying health conditions, or who are pregnant, and may be more vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19.
Return to campus webinars
We have held a number of return to campus webinars for staff and have published answers to the questions asked at the events, online and via text message. You can watch a recording of the event and read the questions.
You can also see the FAQs on our Autumn 2020 page which are continuing to update with the range of questions you have.