We communicated with all students earlier this week following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday, which outlined the gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictions in England over the next few months. Since then we have received further details about what this means for the re-opening of universities, and below we have set out in more detail what this means for you.
Teaching arrangements
You may have read that the Government has recommended that universities prioritise re-opening face-to-face teaching for those students on practical and creative courses that require access to specialist equipment and facilities. This decision has been made to ensure studies can continue while preventing, as far as possible, the mass movement of students across the country, and subsequent potential transmission of the virus.
This means that all students who are currently receiving in-person teaching or taking part in placements, including mainly those on clinical courses and other programmes exempt from the current restrictions, will continue to do so as planned.
Furthermore, we are now finalising plans for students who are not currently receiving in-person teaching, but who need to undertake practical work on campus this academic year, to resume those elements of their studies from the week commencing Monday 12 April, following the Easter holiday period. You will receive further communications from your school/department shortly, if this applies to you.
For now, however, all students who are currently studying wholly online will continue to do so until the end of term on Friday, 19 March.
The Government has said it will provide a further update before the end of the Easter holidays about the possibility of other students, who do not require access for practical elements of their studies, returning to campus during the current academic year. We are planning for this possibility and will give you as much advance notice as we can about how any further changes to Government guidance affect you.
Please be assured that if you have already been informed that you can continue to study online for the remainder of this academic year then your position has not changed and we will continue to support you remotely. There is no need for you to take any further action now.
We can also now confirm that we will not be running on campus written examinations in semester two and most assessments will be online. If you are studying a clinical or practical subject which requires skills-based or other assessments you may be required to complete these on campus; your department will provide details about this. We will provide further information about assessments for all students in due course.
Returning to campus
Whilst we are still in a period of national restrictions, to prevent unnecessary travel and minimise the risk of transmission across the country, we ask that students do not return to campus unless asked to by their school or department or you require access to study facilities because you do not have adequate provision where you live. If you are asked to return, you should aim to do so in time for your first timetabled session, however we would recommend not making travel plans until you have heard from your school.
Many of our student services and support are fully accessible via our digital channels. This includes among other things, support with your studies through KnowHow, online access to our library services, help identifying and pursuing your chosen career, access to advice and guidance on everything from mental health to money issues, and a range of activities to help keep you occupied away from your studies. We’re always here for you, so please continue to take advantage of any support that may be beneficial to you. We will also be increasing access to campus based services over the coming weeks in line with government guidance please check the web pages of the relevant services for up-to-date information.
To help shape our plans, please follow this link to let us know if and when you intend to return based on the latest Government guidance outlined above. This will help us to support you, from wherever you are studying, for the remainder of the academic year.
Regular testing available on campus
If you are regularly working or studying on campus in Liverpool, including in our Halls of Residence, you are now required to take regular quick-results lateral flow tests. Any student who is on campus for three or more days in any week (Monday to Sunday) will need to access two ‘no symptoms’ lateral flow tests (approximately every three days). For students who attend campus for one or two days in any week (Monday to Sunday) they must access at least one ‘no symptoms’ lateral flow tests every seven days, aiming for two where circumstances allow.
Our main ‘no symptoms’ test centre is currently located at the Sports Centre on campus. The centre is open seven days a week, and any students who are due to start face-to-face teaching are advised to get a test here prior to starting any activity to protect others.
Any students displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 are reminded that they can still book a ‘with symptoms’ test on campus.
It is important to remember, however, that testing is just one of a range of public health measures in place to control the spread of COVID-19. Whilst we encourage all our students to take regular tests, please do continue to keep in mind that the three key steps we can take as individuals – wearing a face covering, regularly washing our hands, and maintaining a safe distance from anyone from another household – make an enormous difference.
Further updates
As we prepare to invite more students back to campus, in line with national guidance, we plan to increase our on-campus services.
From Monday, 1 March we will begin to re-introduce individual, bookable study spaces in the Sydney Jones Library. Read more about this update here. You can also still book spaces elsewhere on campus, again through the library website. Please, remember that many of our library resources are available online, and recently introduced services including Click and Collect and the Book and Copy Delivery Service will continue to operate.
We are also currently reviewing plans for upcoming events, including arrangements for graduation, and will be in touch with updates on these and any further changes to provision on campus as soon as we have more clarity.