Trying to prep for 20/21

[AlwaysColdHands]

Arghhhh!!
We seem to be gearing up for two scenarios:

1. Blended, with reduced f2f, prioritised for year 1, but expectation that all students will come onto campus at some point (staggered times, small groups etc etc). Logistical nightmare to say the least, all delegated down to academics to propose solutions.

1. Wholly online in case of further lockdown

So I may need to transform an undergrad module into an online version with bells and whistles AND got to take on a new postgrad course. How to do this with no school and nursery ???? Dreading the summer and feeling so stressed about September..........who’s in the same boat? 😥
Misery loves company and all that.....

We are recording in a booked room on campus.
Not my office. That would be too easy!

Our university says masks are 'highly recommended.'

Apparently 'mandatory' is too hard to police and cannot be legally enforced.

@lionheart

Our university says masks are 'highly recommended.'

Apparently 'mandatory' is too hard to police and cannot be legally enforced.

I don't understand why they think it has to be legally enforceable? Surely you just make it a condition of in-person attendance? If you're not willing to wear a mask, you use the online alternative that we are all having to provide. Plenty of workplaces don't allow you on site without protective equipment. Universities are private institutions that are free to decide who enters their buildings.

I appreciate the issues around enforcement, though. I really don't fancy having to deal with this.

I imagine they don't want to deal with requiring academics to 'force' students to wear masks as a condition of entry (a la bus drivers and shop assistants) and/or there may be privacy concerns that students would have to reveal that they have an exemption from wearing a mask.

I’ve requested to teach my module entirely online—mostly due to caring for vulnerable family members. But I also feel that the module will run better 100% online than trying to mix f2f and online. Don’t know whether I’ll be allowed yet, but it wasn’t a straight no.

In a similar position historyrocks but care for people who are not in the same household as me so I don't think there is a lot to be done about it.

But I am thinking ahead to the huge migration of students that will occur in a few weeks time (more than 2 million) and what impact that will have on the pandemic.

Is anyone's University looking at testing students (and staff)?

Is anyone's university taking the threat posed by aerosol droplets seriously and making sure sessions are only held in well ventilated spaces?
I feel my employer is ignoring the research on air transmission and only looking at the magical 2 metres, masks and hand washing. If there is other stuff going on we, at the bottom of the hierarchy who will be expected to go into the classrooms, are not being told.

At the moment students may be in spaces for 3 hours at a time- breathing into the air- if one is infected we all get it masked or not (and indeed mask seem to be voluntary at my institution- only magic perspex screens are provided.)

I talked to students yesterday at clearing- many asked and were excited about what a social life they would have. I understand the usual pub crawl organisations are already selling tickets for freshers week. I am very worried and have no faith in my employer. I know the US is different but many Universities are going fully online and not having students back on campus despite saying they would. What do you think the odds are of that happening here?

I have smallish children and elderly parents- I know people who have 'long-covid' symptoms and I do not want to get ill because I am expendable in the rush for student satisfaction.

@Mylordsize ours is same. It seems just like its up to us. I'm happy in some ways that at least my teaching space is within my control and I have windows that open well but no risk assessments that I've seen beyond something generic for every employee. Teaching staff are doing totally varied practice. Some much more online than others.

No info on masks. One way systems that are a joke. No info for higher risk staff.

@Mumteedum we don't yet know which rooms we will be using- many on campus are modern with no opening windows. I am inclined to teach outside whilst walking! we can all get fit together and learn something. lets hope the Winter is mild!

@Mylordsize I'm unsure about testing, though there have been rumblings about temperature taking upon entry and "encouragement" to wear face-coverings. I'm very worried. I'm in a risk category and every year end up with some sort of lung condition due to freshers' flu. The lack of regard to the evidence about risk from aerosol is quite unbelievable. (though we've yet to get to the stage of one colleague at a US university who's had to sign a waiver before she could access her timetable ). While we're encouraged to teach large lectures online, we're committed to small group seminars face-to-face. I'm unsure where these fabled events will take place anyway, given that we have very few rooms of an appropriate size.

I agree it is worrying- in many ways my institution appears to be pretending it isn't happening. All the admin and form filling is still in place and we can't make adjustments to courses without jumping through hoops- we are too late to be allowed to make changes for this year already.

Many buildings have very narrow corridors and staircases and small slow lifts. We have warrens of small rooms in old buildings and the modern buildings are large group working spaces filled with trendy chairs and soft furnishing and shared computers- germ fests in the best of times. And the toilets- I assume they will remove the hand dryers

I am not sure what the Union will be doing- I believe they have set a number of tests to be satisfied before they will support reopening campuses (I left the UCU over the fact they were going to dip into my bank account un- invited- this being the last straw- and I don't get the e mails any longer from our excellent branch)

I see York has just announced that those not wearing face masks can be denied access to buildings and refusal to wear them may result in disciplinary proceedings. That will be fun to police. I suspect we are soon going to looking back wistfully to the days when infringements of seminar etiquette amounted to no more than students arriving late or being distracted by their mobile phones.

coronavirus.york.ac.uk/campus-safety-and-facilities/staying-safe-on-campus

How long before the penny drops that we we might be face to face, but we won’t actually be able to hear each other?

I have DC in school and nursery so I doubt I'll be able to do any face to face teaching given I'll be ill most of the year with standard bugs and colds.

Nothing on testing. Suitable teaching spaces are scarce enough at the best of times.

Talk of testing at Cardiff--with the help of the medical school but nothing concrete.

Anyone else panic stations with the recent announcements?
I'm not even doing Admissions or much first year teaching!

Yes. My university was barely in clearing for five minutes, most of the courses were full by Friday. I imagine this will mean quite a few more students. Timetabling with social distancing considerations was already a near-impossible feat. I’m feeling sorry for anyone doing admissions or timetabling right now.

What an almighty muddle. It is one of those moments when you feel nobody outside them really understands how the universities work and we can just magic up places, teachers, markers, seats in socially distanced lecture halls, personal tutors, as well as accomodation for everyone who needs it. Also sick of the Oxbridge RG obsession. Likely scenario for us is reduced numbers anyway, as the lifted cap hoovers them all up. Panic stations either way.

I'm taking my much awaited and earned leave and I'm willfully ignoring the shit storm until Sept 1st! I've got a healthy dose of fuck it all in my head now! Covid, admissions.. Not having enough info or resources... I'm over it right now. I'll do my best with it when I get back but I'm not willing to make myself ill with stress through over work or worry. (hope I keep this attitude when semester starts!)

@ Mumteedum I admire your style. I am trying to do that too. I helped with clearing and it was a horrible stressful experience (clearing admin Teams did a fantastic job but we had to speak to students with course based queries and many students were understandably very upset)
I am now on leave and trying to ignore the e mails of things to do, mandatory training to go on, IT training Etc. I will try to deal with it a day at a time when I go back. I will be no use to anyone if I don’t have a break.

No communication from management and no timetables yet.

How is your university responding to the A level chaos. I work for a post 1992 university and we rely heavily on clearing so we are likely to lose students and we have extended clearing.

I don’t see how masks can be enforceable for students as it is potentially unfair to people who have exemptions. My biggest concern is the halls of residence which are going to be one giant plague pit. All the bars the students go to are open now so they will be going to them. It’s a big middle.

Our HOD reported that we spent about 5 mins in clearing and have recruited record numbers of students. Yay. Not. I have no idea what we are going to do now....

We were in clearing and then done with clearing, then the cap was lifted so we're back in clearing ...

Has anyone been following what is happening at universities in the US? Some forced to go online within a week of the semester starting due to Covid outbreaks. In some cases, it got to the point of dozens of confirmed cases on campus before the decision was made. 146 at Norte Dame!

Sorry, Notre, not Norte (bloody Francophobic autocorrect).