Student Update: Government announcement on roadmap for easing Covid-19 lockdown

Please be aware that this information was shared with students by email and correct at the time of sending. For the latest Covid-19 guidance, please visit our coronavirus webpages: www.wlv.ac.uk/coronavirus. If you are a student who has a query or needs support, please log a helpcall with ASK@WLV in e:Vision (www.wlv.ac.uk/evision).

Yesterday the Government set out a roadmap for the easing of lockdown restrictions in England.  This included a statement about when University students can return to campus: 

• Students on practical and creative higher education courses at universities in England, who would be unable to complete their course if they did not return, can return to campus to take part in practical teaching, access specialist facilities, and complete assessments from 8 March. 
• For those students that do not need to take part in practical teaching, and do not require access to specialist facilities or equipment as part of their studies, the Government will review, by the end of the Easter holidays in April, the options for timing of the return of these students. This will take account of the latest data and will then be a key part of the wider roadmap steps. The Government stated that students and institutions will be given a week’s notice ahead of any reopening. 
• Research labs and libraries can remain open.  
• Students accessing on campus teaching are expected to engage with twice weekly testing. 

Michelle Donelan MP, Minister of State for Universities, has also written a letter to students which you can access on our Student News webpage.

Your School or Institute will be in contact with you this week to let you know if your course is one that will be returning to campus from 8 March.   

I appreciate that those of you on courses that cannot return on this date will be disappointed and the thought of a longer time away from campus will be difficult. We will continue to provide online resources and support, and if you are struggling, please reach out. Resources to support you are available online here: www.wlv.ac.uk/support and at the Students Union here: www.wolvesunion.org/wellatwolves.   

Students should regularly check their timetable in the MyWLV app for the most up to date information on teaching for their course before making any plans to travel to the University. More information about testing is available on our Stay Safe, Study Safe, Work Safe webpage. 

Please continue to follow Government guidance and do not travel to the University for non-teaching activity unless you need to return for health and wellbeing reasons or you do not have access to an appropriate study space.  

Thank you, and stay safe. 

Professor Julia Clarke 

Deputy Vice-Chancellor