UEA (2019) dealing with the unexpected and on to 2nd Year

[juicy0]

New thread for the parents of 2019 freshers. Thank you all for sticking around!
At the start of the year we never would have guessed the topics that are currently being discussed in this page but I'm grateful we still have each other to help navigate our way through this with our DC.
With the emptying of 1st year rooms seemingly on hold for many until the end of lockdown our thoughts will soon turn to 2nd year accommodation and whether term is likely to start as normal in September.

Just had this forwarded:

Sanctuary Buildings 20 Great Smith Street Westminster London SW1P 3BT tel: 0370 000 2288 www.education.gov.uk/help/contactus
2nd November 2020
Dear students,
I understand the questions that many of you may have following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Saturday, outlining the new national restrictions due to come into place on 5 November 2020.
Things have moved quickly as we continue to respond to the pandemic, but I wanted to write to you at the earliest opportunity to explain how these restrictions will affect you and your studies.
We are in the process of finalising guidance setting out what these new restrictions will mean for Higher Education, universities, and students, and this will be available shortly.
This guidance will explain that:
• By keeping universities open, we are prioritising education so that there is no gap in your academic journeys and lives.
• As for everyone under the new national restrictions from 5 November, you should stay in your current home. This means you should not leave your term time address to return to your parents’ or carer’s home until at least 2 December - and should continue to learn at university for the remainder of this term.
o The reason we are asking you to remain at your university area and not to travel home before the new restrictions come into place on Thursday is to prevent any further spread of COVID 19 – any movement around the country will risk the lives of our loved ones.
o I know and appreciate that a number of you may want to be back with your family during this difficult time, but I urge you to stay where you are in order to save lives. I can assure you that I will work with universities to ensure well-being, communications and mental health support are prioritised.

• We as a government recognise the importance of face to face teaching, including for your mental health and wellbeing, and we expect this to continue. Universities have worked hard to make teaching and learning COVID-secure, and we have not seen evidence of increased transmission within these environments. If you have any concerns, please do speak to your university – it is crucial that you and staff members feel safe.
• Your university must ensure the quality of the tuition you receive. If more teaching is moved online, standards must be maintained. This means ensuring that courses provide a high-quality academic experience, students are supported and achieve good outcomes, and standards are protected. We have been very clear about this and have worked with the Office for Students to regularly review the online tuition being provided.
o If you have any concerns please do speak to your university. If you need to, you can make a formal complaint, and if you are still not happy you can refer your case to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.
• I know that the current year has been hard, but I want to reassure you that your education, health and wellbeing remain my top priority. Universities are required to provide mental health and pastoral support and this will be available to you in the coming weeks. Please also take a look at the Student Space platform, which you may find helpful.
I want to thank you again for your hard work and perseverance. I remain committed to helping you to continue your university studies during these unprecedented and challenging times.
Yours sincerely,
Michelle Donelan MP Minister of State for Universities

That's not what a lot of students and parents want to hear @Finallyjoinedmnet but at least that govt guidance sets out the lay of the land clearly.

DS just texted to say 2 of his housemates have left to go home

Oh dear @NotSorry, hope your DS isn't being left on his own?

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

Oh dear *@NotSorry*, hope your DS isn't being left on his own?

There’s still one other person there, I’ll give him a call and see what the situation is

Sorry to hear that @NotSorry if the other flatmates hasn't left this evening the presumably they will stay for lockdown?
DD went food shopping today and said it cost her more than usual because all the cheaper lines were gone so she had to buy the more expensive ones remaining. No pasta or toilet rolls on the shelves either. I think food shopping is going to be one of the most difficult things for those staying at uni

Hi @juicy0 I did ask DS if he was well stocked for loo rolls (he said yes but that probably means they've got a four-pack in reserve!). I really don't understand why people are stockpiling.

Stockpiling 😜 really, surely that's so unnecessary?
Aren't all supermarkets and food shops open like normal?
I just don't get why people do that.

I know @Itscoldouthere (how's the snow - settling or a flurry?). It's just so selfish. You also might have thought the supermarkets would have implemented rationing of essential items given that they've had a few days' notice about the lockdown.

I hate to say this, but I seem to recall reading that last time it was affluent middle-class women in the SE (including London) who were behind most of the stockpiling (I think the supermarkets worked it out from loyalty card data) i.e. Mumsnetters!

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 we couldn't get pasta, rice, flour or toilet rolls here last lockdown. Apparently the local supermarkets have introduced rationing again this week as people are stockpiling the same things. I did notice toilet roll shelves empty.

Yes @Itscoldouthere how is the snow and the doggies feet? We've had some frosty morning here in east anglia. Fell to zero last night. The sun soon melts it away though.

@icanbewhatiwant I just don't get it with people stockpiling and it's totally detrimental to those who are not in a position to do so. Talk about a dog eat dog world (sorry, rant over ). Clearly some people didn't get the message last time around.

Not sure what the 'guidance' might be or when it is likely to be published. Asking students to self isolate for two weeks before returning home is a big ask considering many will already have experienced it more than once this term.

Its very worrying. My older UEA DS is working in hospitals 3 days per week as part of his course so he can't self isolate for the last 2 weeks of term.

If you had said to me last year, let's only do Christmas once every 2 years, I would have been very enthusiastic but all this half Christmas and uncertainty is very unsettling.

@sluj I've just read online that the mass testing they're doing in Liverpool could be offered to unis to allow all students to be tested and obtain results in order for them to travel home. It was the Daily Fail though so don't bet Christmas on it!

I have heard that students are to be offered tests at the end of November. Not sure that will work...surely they'd need a test, then isolate for 10 days or so then second test. Just one random test won't help will it?

So are your DC following guidelines and leaving UEA by 9th December?
I haven't managed to speak to DS yet (he's a bugger for not answering my calls) but I'm hoping some of his housemates stay longer, it's going to be tricky if he got to be away from his house for so much time (I think term starts on 17Jan) he's got lots of offers from family and friends for places to stay, but he doesn't really want to go to most of them. I just don't want him left alone in his house with his current MH issues.
I'm wishing I was in the UK just now ☹️ just too much uncertainty going on for my liking.

Its still up in the air for us. DS1 is still on placement so I doubt he will come early and DS2 is enjoying his year 2 house so I can't see he would want to come home early

Ds doesn't want to come home as early as that. He wants to be there most of Christmas and just pop home for a few days. Baring in mind he has a car and is only 45 mins away. So I don't know what we will do.

@Itscoldouthere yes it's a difficult one for you. Hopefully he will do something for Christmas. Can he meet up with his brother?

@icabewhatiwant yes he can go to stay with his brother, luckily his brother has started going out with one of his housemates so he can stay in his brothers room, but he would then have to go back to Cambridgeshire to a friend's for Christmas.
DS1 is currently in hospital in Bournemouth being checked out as he's having some funny medical things going on and he's not sure if it's linked to Covid or not (he tested positive 2 days ago), my backpacker mothering instincts are having to be kept seriously in check at the moment, I think if we had a home in the UK I'd be contemplating coming home but seeing as we don't I'll just have to stress from afar 😂

For anyone who hasn’t already seen it this is the email that UEA sent out to students yesterday:

End Of Term Plans – Teaching, Travel And Testing

Important Message From The Vice-Chancellor

Dear students,

In line with the Government’s announcement today ensuring that students who want to are able to spend the end of term break at home with their families, UEA will be ceasing all face-to-face teaching on campus in a phased way between 3rd December and 9th December.

We are looking at this phasing urgently and we will issue further guidance by the end of this week regarding the gradual winding down of face-to-face teaching after the 3rd of December, which will enable students to start to plan their departure dates.

GOING HOME
The current national lockdown restrictions mean that students should not leave to go home until after the 2nd December. Students, except those undertaking healthcare placements, who wish to return home should do so within the Government’s ‘student travel window’ from 3rd December to 9th December.

TESTING
The University is applying to participate in the Government’s new lateral flow testing scheme which could provide a swift COVID test result to students before departure, but we do not yet know whether UEA will be a priority area because our numbers of COVID cases are very low. We will keep you fully informed once we hear. Testing will continue to be available from our own campus testing initiative outside Careers Central in the Street.

STUDENT HEALTHCARE PLACEMENTS
Healthcare students who are on placements are considered essential workers and should therefore remain in their placements until the end of term. You can then travel home for the holidays, following the public health guidance. Many healthcare students on placements will already have access to priority testing.

PGR
For PGR students wanting to travel elsewhere for the end of term, we recommend having a COVID test by 9th December and arranging supervision online after that date.

SUPPORT AND FURTHER QUESTIONS
UEA is here to support you and will remain open during the break for those students not going home. There is a lot of information to take in, and it’s natural to have questions. You can speak with your advisor once the phasing plans have been issued later this week, check the student services online information on the portal or email [email protected] or chat to the covid response team online or email [email protected]

With best wishes,
David

Professor David Richardson
Vice-Chancellor

@Itscoldouthere my DD will reluctantly come home on the 5th but in her house of 4 one has already left, one on placement until late Dec & one overseas student will just stay there, hopefully with a visit from family so I think student households will vary greatly in how they can comply with these rules.

@Itscoldouthere yes I'd be stressing from afar too. Mine is only local and very happy. But I still worry. I've just told him off for ignoring my messages. He said he wasn't, he's busy. I'd messaged Monday to ask how lockdown was going with no reply. Hadn't heard from him for almost a week. He hadn't even opened my message. Funny now when he's home every time the phone buzzes he's onto it in a flash. I can just see him looking at the words WhatsApp mum flash up on his screen, then rolling his eyes and flicking the message from his screen.

I really don't think my DS will want to come home that soon at all. It certainly doesn't fit in with his plans to focus on his studies for a week or so after term has officially ended. Maybe he'll just follow the HCP student way of doing stuff (including when to get a test).

Any update on your DS1 @Itscoldouthere? Hope he's got supportive friends and flatmates while he's not feeling well.

DS2 seems quite happy to come home early - I think that's what we'll aim for and see what happens with testing