University life for freshers (2019/20) - we're hopping towards Easter with a pandemic to avoid **Title edited by MNHQ**

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

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I can’t remember which university website I checked at the weekend but in their FAQ page it said “Will I get a refund on accommodation?” The answer was, “ No, this is out of our control so we are not liable.”

"about what is safe and recommended to flatten the pandemic spread"

Interesting newmodel (last word of your title name very apt at the moment!) - has it been recommended by the CSO and CMO though?

It would be interesting to know the view of the DoH/DfE/CSO etc. The consequences for students are significant, so perhaps there is scope for some discussion of this issue which at the moment is not really being discussed much by msm (maybe on twitter, I don't know?)

(Though quite possibly the official view would be that all universities must take their own individual decisions)

That's absolutely appalling, isn't it @Benjispruce? I would counter-argue that the students didn't sign up to a year's contract to find they've got to self-isolate at home.

It's out of the young people's control too so that should make them non-liable.

I can't see that there will be many summer holiday jobs for young people to recoup their accommodation cost losses...

"I think the universities are different to schools as the young people are so vulnerable. There would be many situations where an individual could be ill and there would be no one to check on them (especially first years with en-suite facilities in halls)."

Yes zanda that is a good point, though in that case the universities surely should be sending them all home rather than just switching to online lectures and saying "stay if you want to''. But perhaps that wouldn't apply so much to 2nd and 3rd year house sharers.

It would be useful to know what the government's view on this is - have there been discussions between them and the universities?

Here's our experience from one US Chicago university.

Students living on campus have been encouraged to leave, but can choose to stay.

Students living off campus make their own decision.

Facilities like gyms, concert halls, etc are closed.

Not groups of more than 50 in one place.

You can get food in the dining hall, but you go in, they serve your food into a box, you take a bottle of water, and you leave to eat back in your room.

Also it's in the state of Illinois, so all restaurants and bars are closed for dining in, but take out is available.

They did switch to online exams, but they've now said that given how distressing this has all been - especially with people having to travel a long way and potentially pack up their rooms - they have made the exams optional.

They've offered for any student to switch any of their A/B/C/etc grades to pass/fail.

They will mark on students' transcripts that these subjects were taken/tested during a global pandemic, and that the grades should be interpreted accordingly.

They are looking into the possibility of refunding room and board plans.

There doesn't seem to be any talk of refunding tuition, but I'd assume they're at least considering it.

All of this only applies to undergrads so far.

Why are lecturers more important that teachers and frontline school staff?

Wish a journalist had asked about universities at the press conference .

Lecturers aren’t more important than teachers but the universities are essentially private businesses. They’re not run by the govt like schools. So individual universities have made their own decisions and have more sense than Boris.

Yes, that would have been interesting. One of DD's friends is in tears about the university stopping face to face teaching, and has been angrily posting on Twitter.

DD is annoyed that all the medical students have been told that they have passed their year without taking any further exams.

Univs aren't run by the government true, but a lot of funding is provided by govt (basically government pays the fees which may or not be repaid by the student to the SFC in due course. Govt also provides the maintenance loans which enable the univs to function as they currently do, with lots of away from home students). And of course it also decides what fees will be charged!

Anyway things have moved on very significantly since the latest press conference so all previous comments are pretty much superseded - though interesting that no journalist thought it was worth asking about the universities!

I still don’t see the sense of open halls, catered facilities, libraries etc but no lectures face to face. Surely more chance of spread in those other scenarios.

@VivaLeBeaver private businesses reimburse their customers for a service they are not receiving. Didn’t happen over strikes.

Has anyone's DC been told officially that they should not return after Easter and the rest of the year is to be delivered virtually?

Based on what the CMO said, it looks as if the lock-down is going to last 'months', so would think it very unlikely they'll be going back this academic year, unless they develop the new test (to see who's already had it) soon and discover that a large % of late teens/early 20somethings have already had it and can venture back into the real world.

Sorry about the very long sentence.

We've finally closed down - one more day of sessions and then a few days while it gears up to go online.

Yes, didn't someone say somewhere (Channel 4) that that test should be ready fairly soon? That might be a gamechanger, as they say -
assuming that having it once confers immunity. I can't remember what they said about the immunity question tonight - it was addressed at some point!

Online is not closed down though is it? DD is very upset. Gym now closed and The Stag college bar. She has to wait until we can go up and get her on Saturday but many are leaving before. Can’t get train as needs to bring most stuff home.

@Canitreallybehappening20 I think the CMO implied that they don't know enough about COVID-19 immunity and those who are reported to have got it again yet. He suggested that there's always a very small % of people who will get any virus again even when the majority will become immune. Chicken pox being an example!

*Has anyone's DC been told officially that they should not return after Easter and the rest of the year is to be delivered virtually?

Yes, at Newcastle. DD is going to a birthday on Wednesday and I am picking her up on Thursday.

I agree with chicken pox 8 yrs and 18 years, milder second time. As for german measles a teacher friend of mine years ago had it twice in one term.

DS completely at sea. Although they are supposed to move to online lectures next week all of his lectures have been cancelled this week as well. He doesn't have much food and went to Aldi in Sheffield and said there was nothing left. I have asked him to stay put until he has a clear idea of what is going on.
I have tried to impress on him what was said at the press conference and that his Dad is vulnerable, so he cannot go about as before. I have no idea how he will cope.

Ah, thanks Newmodel - I'm going to watch again and concentrate properly this time! I see Matt Hancock has just said in the House of Commons that the 'have you had it' test has not yet been invented but he hopes it will be fairly soon.

Benji, it is indeed a shame for them.

DD also said the maintenance loan for 3rd term will go back to government if they stay closed completely after Easter. She’s very upset that she might not see her friends until September.

Yes, @Canitreallybehappening20, the implication was that the test is in the pipeline and will be available soon. They said that will make a massive difference to modelling and understanding the spread, what % are getting it very mildy or asymptomatically.

I guess the one very encouraging thing that came out of the press conference was that we have some of the best bio-medical researchers in the world who can contribute much to the fight against COVID-19.

@Benjispruce do you have an official source for the assertion that students won't get maintenance loan if they don't go back after Easter? Surely many, if not most, will still have to pay their rent?