Update on change in restrictions from 17 May and further return of students

11 May 2021

A message from Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility, and chair of the Campus Management Group

We are delighted to confirm that yesterday (10 May) the government announced that it will proceed to the next step of the roadmap from 17 May, enabling our remaining students to return to campus from that date.

While we are extremely pleased to be able to welcome our students back to campus from 17 May, as many of you will be aware, we are then heading into the assessment and exam period at the end of the semester and so our on-campus teaching opportunities will unfortunately be limited. It is therefore each student’s choice whether to return to campus this semester, if they are not already here with us.

Following the assessment period, we will be offering some PGT supervision on campus. We will also continue to facilitate on-campus academic advising sessions where requested by students, with COVID safety measures continuing to be in place. Individual Schools and Programme teams should determine what arrangements may be made and communicate these details to their students.

Colleagues should only return to work on campus if required to do so; postgraduate researchers should continue to follow their current arrangements until notified otherwise. COVID safety measures should continue to be observed for any in-person meetings.

We continue to strongly encourage all students and staff on campus to get tested twice a week, as regular testing is an essential part of keeping everyone safe on the campus and the continued easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Self-test kits are available from the NHS directly and will soon be available from the campus.

This next phase also signals the opening of indoor hospitality and allows family and friends to meet indoors in groups of up to six, or two households. While this is all great news, social distancing is still very important and face coverings should continue to be worn in indoor settings.

While these next steps may be welcomed by many, it is perfectly normal to still feel anxious about the easing of restrictions. The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and the wider local community is our primary concern. Please remember that we have a full range of support services available if you feel like you need any additional support.

Professor Nalin Thakkar

Vice-President for Social Responsibility and chair of the Campus Management Group