The Student Room Group

Is your university going online due to Coronavirus?

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Reply 60
University of Edinburgh (sorry if already posted but couldn’t see it):

To: All students

In recent weeks and days, the impact of Coronavirus has heightened and we now know that we are in the middle of a global pandemic. This is a rapidly changing situation, which I understand will be causing worry and alarm for everybody.

I have just convened an emergency meeting of my senior staff and I wanted to convey to you the key points from that meeting. Our actions are grounded in the advice and guidance from Government and Public Health Scotland and will continue to be as the situation develops and evolves.

Within that advice our top priority is for the safety of our students, staff and visitors.

It is also important to say, for our students, that your education at Edinburgh will continue. It will need to be modified due to this global public health emergency, but the high standards of education that you are accustomed to will be guaranteed. You will achieve your qualifications on time and an Edinburgh degree will still hold the same value.

Key decisions have been taken:

We are transitioning to remote delivery of teaching by the 23rd March. From then the vast majority of teaching will be accessible remotely. Teaching next week, with a few exceptions where activity can’t be replaced, will be paused.

We will cancel 1st and 2nd year exams for this year. There may be a few exceptions to this for professional accreditation and there will be further advice on that shortly.

Years 3 and beyond we will transition to remote final assessments. Your exams will be online.

Teams from across the University have been working hard for a number of weeks to ensure that we are as prepared as we can be and their efforts continue as we work to keep on top of developments.

I would encourage you to visit our dedicated COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions web pages. They can be found on the University’s homepage and are updated regularly. They include more specific advice including updates on self-isolation, travel and working from home.

This is a challenging and anxious time for us all and I do understand that this is especially worrying for some of you because of particular personal circumstances. The University will always be flexible and understanding in our response to staff and student concerns and we will continue to take the action necessary to provide support and stability through this difficult period.

You can watch my short message to the University community on these latest developments on our website.

Peter
Latest from the University of Edinburgh



Key decisions have been taken:


1.

We are transitioning to remote delivery of teaching by the 23rd March. From then the vast majority of teaching will be accessible remotely. Teaching next week, with a few exceptions where activity can’t be replaced, will be paused.

2.

We will cancel 1st and 2nd year exams for this year. There may be a few exceptions to this for professional accreditation and there will be further advice on that shortly.

3.

Years 3 and beyond we will transition to remote final assessments. Your exams will be online.

Original post by ROC10
x


Ah you beat me to it :smile:
Reply 63
Original post by Blue_Cow
Ah you beat me to it :smile:

Your post is much more succinct than mine but I didn’t want to miss anything so just copied it all.

Do you take that to mean that any teaching next week which is not online will generally be cancelled? So, next week will either be online or cancelled and then the following week will be online only?
Original post by Blue_Cow
Ah you beat me to it :smile:
I'm heading out in a second, but if you want to update the OP with information coming in feel free to.
Original post by 1st superstar
@vicvic38 and @Oxford Mum is Oxford Still open? (Just wondering)

I mean Oxford have actually finished for the term so it's a somewhat different decision for them to make...but here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-51851438
Original post by ROC10
Your post is much more succinct than mine but I didn’t want to miss anything so just copied it all.

Do you take that to mean that any teaching next week which is not online will generally be cancelled? So, next week will either be online or cancelled and then the following week will be online only?


I reckon all seminars/tutorials will be cancelled, yeah. Lectures will probably be online :dontknow:

Stay safe out there - the Tesco and Lidl on Nicolson Street have been short on toilet roll for days :rofl:
Original post by Lemur14
I mean Oxford have actually finished for the term so it's a somewhat different decision for them to make...but here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-51851438


Thanks
Original post by Anonymous
Hi, I'm a first year at UoM and I've heard rumours (i mean i saw a screenshot but it could be fake) about how they're urging third years to go and get books for their dissertations now and how they don't want to disclose anything about what's going to happen. Also my lecturer said today see you next week, possibly online so I don't think they've ruled it out completely. I feel the same as you pretty much. It's awful, I hope you're not too stressed, take care x

Hi, is there anyway you could send the screenshots? If not it's fine :smile:
Thankfully I've read all the material for my dissertation, but I'm going to try and get in for my books for essays I've got to do over Easter. I also managed to speak to my tutors and they've said if I am absent it's justified, but don't know yet how they'll help those who miss classes catch up.
Hopefully things get sorted soon for the sake of students
Original post by Anonymous
Hi, is there anyway you could send the screenshots? If not it's fine :smile:
Thankfully I've read all the material for my dissertation, but I'm going to try and get in for my books for essays I've got to do over Easter. I also managed to speak to my tutors and they've said if I am absent it's justified, but don't know yet how they'll help those who miss classes catch up.
Hopefully things get sorted soon for the sake of students

Unfortunately I can't as i don't have them myself, it was a course mate who showed me on their phone :frown:
Gosh, have they said it's okay for you to be absent? I have vulnerable family and I don't really want to be going to uni and risking it, especially as manchester is the biggest uni in the UK apparently. Do you think it's worth emailing my academic advisor? I hope it does get sorted.
We've already missed so much teaching because of strikes, teachers being a no show and now this. I don't know how you're coping in final year, I'm barely coping in 1st year!
Queen mary London is online from 23rd which is end of the strikes.
It’s okay it by ear now I suppose. I watch all lectures online anyway and suppose they just need to set up the tech for tutorials, it’s not like at work where we all have say Microsoft teams.
Birmingham Medical School have apparently cancelled all placements except for 5th year - and, anecdotally, Cardiff Medical School are sending all students below 5th year home.
I've had an email from one of my departments at Lancaster. Going off some of the wording, it sounds like this may go on past the end of the Easter break and into the next term.
No and I really hope it doesn't either.
I've worked far too hard for 3 years for this to happen and I've overcome an awful lot to even be here.
I'm a few months off graduation and if it's delayed because of this virus I will be really annoyed.
Original post by Anonymous
Unfortunately I can't as i don't have them myself, it was a course mate who showed me on their phone :frown:
Gosh, have they said it's okay for you to be absent? I have vulnerable family and I don't really want to be going to uni and risking it, especially as manchester is the biggest uni in the UK apparently. Do you think it's worth emailing my academic advisor? I hope it does get sorted.
We've already missed so much teaching because of strikes, teachers being a no show and now this. I don't know how you're coping in final year, I'm barely coping in 1st year!


I'd email your tutors definitely, mine were fine with it and both sounded equally concerned about the whole issue. It seems like they're more understanding than the uni seems to be on their website (as is always the way), so I'd try them if you're nervous about going in!
Original post by 04MR17
I will aim to yes. :smile:

That varies per uni, some unis I've omitted from the list have announced that the university will remain open but they are reducing their teaching and closing some services and cancelling events (Keele have today cancelled their offer holder event due to take place tomorrow). Unis listed have sent emails to students saying "we are going to be closed and there will be no teaching".

Several unis who've announced closure have yet to fully confirm plans for exams, most of which are later in May or June. I suspect they're waiting until the Easter holidays to see how the national picture is developing.


UoP is closing all the classes from today. Just got an email regarding that. This is what it says on the email "To all students on taught programmes (not PGR students) - undergraduate and postgraduate
Dear student

Today we have decided to suspend all face to face teaching for students on taught programmes from tonight (13 March) to help ensure your wellbeing as a precaution against coronavirus.

It’s important to say we are not closing the University - just changing the way we deliver teaching."
Business at normal at BCU. Three teaching weeks left before Easter break.

Got a written exam middle of May so worried about what will happen to that. Hopefully they delay or change assessment style.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Anonymous
I'd email your tutors definitely, mine were fine with it and both sounded equally concerned about the whole issue. It seems like they're more understanding than the uni seems to be on their website (as is always the way), so I'd try them if you're nervous about going in!


Thank you for the advice, fingers crossed! I hope your dissertation goes well and stay safe! :smile:
Northumbria uni have moved all teaching online and are looking at what to do about exams
Placements are continuing as normal

Cambridge are debating not opening for the next semester. Students have had to fully empty their rooms.
Medical students (6th year) have now become qualified without having to do their final exams
Just had an email saying the uni is open as normal unless told otherwise. It's Easter break soon so if it does close hopefully it will be during that.
Even if it closes next month that would be better than now as I have imminent deadlines and need the software :redface:

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