We want to create a safe home environment and a sense of belonging for students in halls.
Image: Student accommodation on our Stoke-on-Trent campus
“The health and wellbeing of our University community has to be our number one priority and in common with other universities throughout the sector, we are creating a framework in which students can live and study in supportive learning environment which limits the risk of infection.”
Professor Liz Barnes CBE, Vice-Chancellor
As we begin to reopen our campuses, social distancing will play a crucial role in ensuring a COVID-secure environment for everyone.
With a commitment to open our campuses in September, but with the necessity to ensure that our students living within our residences can live as close to a normal ‘Halls’ experience as is possible, our accommodation experience has never been more important.
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our new student intake, we’re making a number of changes to make our Halls feel like a safe home environment and create a sense of belonging for those commencing study with us.
Fundamentally this will mean reducing the occupancy levels in existing student flats and houses – so students have plenty of room and we reduce potential risk of infection - and allocating accommodation to students undertaking similar courses to create protected ‘bubbles’ or households and foster a supportive living, learning community.
Director of Library and Student Services Ian Munton explained: “While the new controls will restrict movement in and out of student households, they do not limit interactions with other students elsewhere on campus or outside, although we expect all students to observe social distancing guidance.
“We will be ensuring that all students have an opportunity to study on campus and this will be supported by high quality on-line learning. We will update new and existing students as further information and guidance is confirmed.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Liz Barnes CBE was part of a Universities UK press briefing this week which aimed to inform how universities across the sector are planning for a return to learning and teaching in September. Her interviews on BBC Breakfast and other media channels are a follow up to this.
She said; “The health and wellbeing of our University community has to be our number one priority and in common with other universities throughout the sector, we are creating a framework in which students can live and study in supportive learning environment which limits the risk of infection. At the same time we have to ensure a first class University experience and that remains our intention.”
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