The guidance states this will only be students studying programmes where you need special equipment, labs or access such as on our Science, Health and Teaching programmes. All other programmes must continue online for the time being. Your faculty teams are contacting you to provide more detailed information.
Our Accommodation Promise
Our Accommodation team are writing to all student residents who haven’t returned to halls since before Christmas to advise you that we are extending the timeframe for hall fee rebates where your courses remain online only. You can claim a fee rebate from 11 January to 5 April. We will continue to keep this date under review, pending further Government updates. Please contact the team if you have any questions or concerns.
Being Covid- Safe
If you are coming back to campus in March, we’ll be making sure that you can do so safely. You’ll be able to help us by observing Covid-Safe guidelines to keep yourself, your fellow students and staff safe. That means wearing face coverings, unless you are exempt, regularly washing your hands and maintaining social distancing. Our classrooms will be set up to enable social distancing of 1m where other measures are in place, such as wearing face coverings, meeting Government guidelines.
Testing
The Government has already been clear that regular testing (before your return, and then repeated once you are back on campus) will be a key part of a safe return. We have local authority testing facilities on all three campuses to support this. You must get tested when you return to campus and twice weekly (with around three days between tests) thereafter. Tests can be booked via the council websites for any council testing site.
You should notify us if you are self-isolating because you have developed the symptoms of Covid-19 or received a positive test result (either a positive PCR test or a positive lateral flow test).
Safe travel and the Easter break
You must only travel when it is essential to do so. That means if you do travel back to campus, you should remain there and not return to a home address. The Government has advised it will be updating its regulations so that students will be able to return home at Easter without breaking the rules on household mixing.
If you are a commuter student traveling back to campus from 8 March, the guidance is to do this in a Covid-Safe way. This means wearing a face covering unless exempt, observing social distancing, regular handwashing and avoiding busy routes and times.
International students
There is a lot of information for our international students in the Government guidance including that you should delay travel if you can. If you are returning to the UK from overseas you must check to see if you will be affected by the government’s travel restrictions, check entry requirements for the country from which you are travelling and observe quarantine rules. Our International Office will be supporting all International Students with information and advice.
Campus services
Campus will look different for those of you who return, but our libraries will be open, catering outlets will continue to provide take-away food and drink services and our bus services will resume from 8 March. The Medway – Greenwich service will run a full service and we’ll start with an out-of-term service between Avery Hill and Greenwich, which will be increased if there is demand.
Support for everyone
Please remember the university is here to support you and our support services continue during this period. We will continue to keep you updated so please continue to check your emails and the portal.
We’ll be arranging live Q&A sessions with senior staff next week to answer any questions you might have. In the meantime, please contact your programme leader.
