Faculty update: lifting of the government Plan B restrictions

25 Jan 2022

Find out more.

Humanities communication following the University update on the lifting of the government Plan B restrictions.

What this means for the Faculty of Humanities

While most colleagues have been working under the Plan B arrangements since they were implemented at the end of last year, many have been working on campus delivering essential services and student support.

With the lifting of the Plan B guidance on staff working from home where possible, over the coming days and weeks, all colleagues can return to working on campus, and our Professional Services staff return to their hybrid working schedules. Please do speak with your line manager about plans for returning to campus over the coming weeks if you have been working from home again under the Plan B guidance.

Please familiarise yourself with the key points below.

Face coverings

Until Monday, 31 January face coverings will remain mandatory for staff and students unless they have an exemption approved by Occupational Health or the Disability Advice and Support Service. This allows a one-week transition and covers the exam period.
From Monday, 31 January staff and students are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering when indoors on campus and are expected to wear a face covering in lecture theatres and large teaching spaces.
In certain spaces, face coverings will remain mandatory due to risk assessment of the space. There will be clear signage in areas where this is the case.
Follow discussions with universities in Manchester, Public Health agrees that face coverings in communal areas should continue in universities for the next few weeks, with a review in mid-February. This will be confirmed asap.

During the exam period

Students must:

continue to wear a face covering during in-person exams, unless they have an exemption approved by Occupational Health or the Disability Advice and Support Service;
continue to take a Lateral Flow Test within the 24-hour period before coming on-campus for an examination.

Testing and reporting

We encourage everyone who hasn’t been vaccinated to book or attend a walk-in facility as soon as they can.
Students and staff must continue to take lateral flow tests twice a week and self-isolate if positive. Tests available freely on the campus at catering outlets.
Should you test positive or need to self-isolate, please report this to the University.

Semester 2 plans

All undergraduate and taught postgraduate students have been informed that we expect them to study on campus for Semester 2. This includes those who had been learning remotely in Semester 1 as a pandemic transition.
Students who are able to demonstrate mitigating circumstances on a small number of programmes in the Faculty of Humanities have been able to apply for an arrangement to continue remote study (for Semester 2 only) and were informed of the outcome on 24 January.

Please look out for further information on the University StaffNet site over the coming few days.