Our Commitment to Returning Students
Updated: 29th January 2020
With the government announced changes for education in line with the national lockdown, we will be moving to online delivery.
For this period, your delivery will be mainly synchronistic (following your normal timetabled pattern) and recorded where possible.
Our continued focus is to offer great teaching and learning, ensure that you are able to engage in learning, and can proceed with assessments to achieve the best possible outcomes. To support this:
- You can continue to access any support that you might require remotely (via phone, email and MS Teams), including Disability, Wellbeing, Study Skills and Employability. The Library’s Click and Collect service will be running as usual.
- A number of college buildings (including the University Centre and Hi-Tech Centre) are open for students to access for private study, if you do not have appropriate study spaces at home. In the first instance, please liaise directly with your Personal Tutor or a member of the Student Support Hub who will be able to provide more details and support regarding access.
- We have implemented additional measures to the 20/21 Safety Net, to try to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on your studies.
June/July 2020
We know that since lockdown in March your experience has been very different to what we were all expecting. A big thank you for your commitment and your support. Now, as you each complete the semester, we understand you will have questions about what your experience will be like in the new academic year commencing in September.
I am sure, like all of us, you have a real desire to ‘get back to normal’. Of course, it will be wonderful if we are able to start the new academic year as we would normally. If we can, we absolutely will.
But, I want to address any concerns about what will happen while the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect the UK, even if lockdown has ended. Importantly, I want to reassure you that the University Centre South Devon is planning to start the 2020/2021 academic year for all students in September, providing high-quality, accessible and engaging teaching and learning, a positive student experience and wide-ranging support.
The first important element of our plan relates to your safety and that of our whole institution community. We will follow government advice on social distancing and personal safety to ensure a ‘Covid secure’ working and learning environment. The campus will be operational, and you will be able to study and engage in person and regularly with other students and staff.
The video below has been produced to give new and returning students an idea of what to expect when starting or returning to UCSD in September 2020:
You will be able to participate in lectures, face-to-face tutorials, and seminars. You will be able to access laboratory and studio experiences, the library, and all student support and wellbeing services. If needed, either to enable social distancing or to support your individual circumstances, options for remote access or online and blended learning will be available alongside the face-to-face experience.
We know that we all may need to adapt if Covid conditions change. But our priority is to ensure a great teaching, learning and social experience for all our students. We all look forward to welcoming you back to campus to continue your studies. In the meantime, please keep in touch with your Personal Tutor particularly if you have any questions or concerns about your university life.