Staff update - Thursday 21 May (update at 14:05)
Dear colleagues
I know that many of you are keen to know what our arrangements will be for the phased start of campus reopening and the start of the next academic year. We continue to follow UK Government guidelines but inevitably there remains a high degree of uncertainty around this in terms of our physical return to campus and ‘normal operations’. What is also clear, is that the social distancing rules significantly restrict the numbers of staff we can safely have on campus at any one time.
Earlier this week, Council met and agreed a Framework for Campus Reopening which includes a set of principles and safe working measures, which are informed by government guidance, medical advice, and the need to ensure that the health and safety of our staff, students, and visitors remains central to our approach. This Framework sets out a phased approach to reopening, which is prioritised around critical research, education and student support, income generating activity and relevant professional services, and takes place across two broad phases.
Phase 1 will focus on the initial re-opening of campus starting on 1 June and running over the summer in stages. Phase 2 will run from the start of the 20/21 Academic Year in September.
The detailed plans for which activities and buildings will be prioritised in Phase 1 are currently being finalised and will be approved by the Provost, informed by the Pro-Vice-Chancellors for Education and Research, and the Registrar following discussions with Colleges. This will be a rolling programme: the initial focus will be on June and in the first weeks a limited number of priority buildings will re-open, with more buildings and activities re-opening in stages through July to September. It is important to note that in Phase 1, teaching, learning and assessment activity that is currently being provided online will stay online and continue to be improved and our focus in Phase 1 will be on re-opening facilities to support the 1500 student still in residence and other key student groups such as PGT.
Phase 2 will be informed by the Framework for Education Resilience 2020/21 that Professor Kathy Armour and the Directors of Education are currently developing. Our current working assumption is that we will open all key academic buildings and related facilities for the start of the Academic Year in September and to welcome our new and returning students.
More detail around what is included in each phase will be shared in the next few weeks, starting with the buildings re-opening in June.
While I recognise that some colleagues will be keen to return to campus, the principles in the Framework also set out that activity that is currently operating remotely from campus (from home) during restricted operations will continue to operate remotely unless there is a compelling reason to bring that activity back onto campus as part of the first phase of campus reopening. It is critical that only those who are identified in the plan to return to campus will be permitted to do so, otherwise staff safety will be put at risk. However, we also recognise that in order to support colleagues who will continue to work remotely during the first two phases we will need to develop a support package of measures and this is being worked on at the moment.
As part of the Framework, we have identified a range of measures to support safe working for returning to campus, informed by governance guidance on workplaces and research labs. Health and safety will be a central consideration and the measures will include: safe social distancing arrangements, cleaning and sanitisation, staggered shift patterns, guidance on face coverings, public transport and car parking, and limits on mass gatherings in order to operate safely. This means that space across campus will have to be used flexibly and staff and students that return to working on campus during Phase 1 and 2 will be expected to work in those premises that have reopened, which may be a change from their normal working location. In addition, we are also working with colleagues within MDS to explore measures like tracing, testing, and temperature checking for those who are back on campus.
New guidance and materials addressing these measures to help staff and students work safely on campus during these initial phases of reopening will be shared in the next few weeks.
While there remains a great deal of uncertainty, I hope in sharing our approach and principles this starts to provide some clarity and reassurance. As I have mentioned Phase 2 of the reopening plan will run from the start of the new academic year. I am pleased to confirm that we are planning on the basis that there will be no change to our autumn term dates. As you will have seen from the email from Professor Kathy Armour, given the uncertainty about the evolution of the Covid-19 crisis through the next academic year, we have taken the decision to prepare to teach both on-campus and online. This will increase the resilience of education, while also ensuring we can follow the latest guidance on social distancing. It also recognises that some Covid-vulnerable students and staff may find it challenging to be on campus for quite some time.
You may also have read about the sector, and individual university approaches to the current crisis, and the impact it will have on their financial position. Whilst I welcome the sector deal from government, no new money for universities has been announced, and it will not, on its own, ensure a strong future for the University. We need to ensure that the future of our university is secure through the measures we take, whilst also recognising the income into the University could be very significantly reduced next year, and possibly in subsequent years. We will not know our position fully until the student recruitment round is clearer from September. In the meantime, we are working on a number of scenarios and taking prudent measures, such as pausing the capital plan and controlling staff recruitment and non-pay costs. We will need to balance the needs to save costs with ensuring that we are ready to adapt so our recovery is as positive as possible.
I would encourage you to continue to read the Daily Updates, which will keep you informed about our phased return to campus and new working arrangements, as well as visiting the intranet where you will find more detail and FAQs. We will keep our approach to reopening under review and learn from the experiences as we work through each stage, recognising that we will need to adapt to any changes in government guidelines and associated developments.
As always, I want to thank you for the work you are doing in these unusual circumstances and the adaptability and commitment you are showing. I would also like to pass on the thanks of Council who were very appreciative of all of the hard work of colleagues across the University to transition so rapidly to remote working when we moved to restricted campus operations and of the work that is currently underway to plan and prepare for the phased reopening of campus over the next few months. I am confident that by working as a team, with focus, and our desire to maintain all that is great about the University, and especially our staff and students, we will continue to respond positively to the challenges we face.
Best wishes,
Professor Sir David Eastwood
Vice-Chancellor and Principal