No uni return til Aug/Sept

[Newgirls]

So Edin and St A have said no f2f teaching til next academic year (apart from med and some post-grad) and students should not be there unless v specific needs. Very sad that this cohort are going through this. I assume English unis will follow?

i have also heard from quite a few of our international students currently overseas that they are taking a wait and see approach when it comes to vaccinations e.g. in Hong Kong for example i.e.they want to see whether there are any negative side-effects that appear in the UK. So international students may or may not be willing to take up vaccinations if offered.

I can well imagine Nicola sturgeon asking for vaccination before international students fly in. BJ possibly not.

Looks like dd will be allowed back (due to practicals) so she plans to return the weekend of the 6th March.. Friends also going back.. Not sure whether she will come home for Easter.. Up to her it's been lovely having her home.

This is guidance NOT law but I think the law is not yet published:
class="underline">ResponseSpring-2021.pdf

"Students on practical Higher Education courses at English universities who would be unable to complete their courses if they did not return to take part in practical teaching, access specialist facilities, or complete assessments will also return from 8 March. Research labs and libraries can be kept open if needed. 90.For those Higher Education students that do not need to take part in practical teaching, and do not require access to specialist facilities or equipment as part of their studies, the Government will review, by the end of the Easter holidays, the options for timing of the return of these students. This will take account of the latest data and will then be a key part of the wider roadmap steps. Students and institutions

will be given a week’s notice ahead of any reopening. The Government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families where they remain unable to return to Higher Education settings, but it is necessary to limit thenumber of students who return to university at this stage to minimise travel and manage the risk of transmission. The Government has made available an additional £70 million of hardship funding this financial year, which universities can use to support students impacted by COVID-19"

I work at Glasgow uni and today was told today that there would be no f2f teaching in September and that long term it would be blended learning here to stay. Apparently, the majority of students seem to like blended learning in our school. This was before BJs announcement though.

Practical covers all sorts doesn’t it? Performing arts etc hopefully?

I wonder if they will fit in all labs etc. Too late for my student but she’s feeling very positive about next year now with less social distancing, vaccines and accom sorted. I feel a very cautious sense of relief

@jabbathebutt

I work at Glasgow uni and today was told today that there would be no f2f teaching in September and that long term it would be blended learning here to stay. Apparently, the majority of students seem to like blended learning in our school. This was before BJs announcement though.

Interesting. Not strictly tied to covid then, more a choice by Glasgow? Did they say why?

I do think teaching staff need to be very cautious about blended learning. Sounds a way to remove some jobs/reuse material/save money on office or whatever. I can see why unis might like it and it will appeal to some internationals and mature students in particular.

@Newgirls

I do think teaching staff need to be very cautious about blended learning. Sounds a way to remove some jobs/reuse material/save money on office or whatever. I can see why unis might like it and it will appeal to some internationals and mature students in particular.

I’m not sure if it would cause job losses? Teaching a live session takes the same amount of time as teaching a face to face session. I’d really hope they wouldn’t use Panopto type enough recordings and just use the same recording each year.

Guess they could but that’s very unfair for the students and a rubbish pedagogy. Totally didactic and no interaction, no active learning and no opportunity for students to ask questions. I think universities would be reluctant due to the impact on the NSS. Universities are ruled by the student survey!

I am not sure that teaching staff will have much of a say in what happens at uni. Honestly, we are at the bottom of the food chain. My uni are definitely discussing blended learning going forth and am sure they are also eyeing up redundancies.

Students and institutions will be given a week’s notice ahead of any reopening.

A week?!! I can't see students currently overseas being too chuffed about that. I can foresee some of them just not bothering to return until October. Teaching f2f and remote simultaneously is a right pain in the backside for all concerned too.

I do think teaching staff need to be very cautious about blended learning. Sounds a way to remove some jobs/reuse material/save money on office or whatever.

Blended learning is here to stay. It's not necessarily a bad thing. We are investigating ways of using it to give the students more small group contact time. Seminars, labs, tutorials etc. Students would still need to be on campus.

My dd has found blended learning has worked well but it's a lecture intensive course. Shes loved the tutorials even the online ones have helped develop her confidence. She does not like public speaking so being able to do the first few presentations online has really given her a boost. I do think lectures in the first term are important to allow students to get to know each other though.

I do think lectures in the first term are important to allow students to get to know each other though

I find seminars are better for that. They can actually talk to each other without getting told off by me.

Think students will opt for Unis that still have plenty of f2f learning. They want to meet each other and learn together.

I do think teaching staff need to be very cautious about blended learning. Sounds a way to remove some jobs/reuse material/save money on office or whatever.

Too much "blended learning" will make students wonder why they're getting into £15k p.a. debt. They can get an OU degree for a fraction of that cost or do professional qualifications alongside a trainee/apprentice job and get paid for it. Uni's need to be VERY careful what they do if they wish to survive. They won't be able to survive on practical subjects alone (that can't be done remotely) and will miss the accommodation income if numbers don't return to pre-covid levels.

and will miss the accommodation income if numbers don't return to pre-covid levels.

I doubt it. We struggle to guarantee first year students a place in uni owned/managed accommodation. Any spare rooms would be easily filled. I suspect most institutions are in a similar position.

I do think teaching staff need to be very cautious about blended learning. Sounds a way to remove some jobs/reuse material/save money on office or whatever. I can see why unis might like it and it will appeal to some internationals and mature students in particular.

As soon as I introduced a blended approach to my course applications more than tripled. I had to introduce a second cohort with a January start and we will be more recruiting staff. All of this since September.

Proper, good quality blended learning doesn't involve reusing materials - I teach face to face just over teams. Sessions still need to be prepped, students still need supporting etc. It's certainly not a way of removing jobs.

Applications to start in September 21 are looking very healthy across the sector with noticeable increases in health courses and mature students.

miss the accommodation income if numbers don't return to pre-covid levels

Not all universities own accommodation. We don't.

@changi

and will miss the accommodation income if numbers don't return to pre-covid levels.

I doubt it. We struggle to guarantee first year students a place in uni owned/managed accommodation. Any spare rooms would be easily filled. I suspect most institutions are in a similar position.

My DS has just secured an "on campus" room for his second year starting in September. That's unheard of at his Uni. Priority is given to PHD students, and those returning from overseas/workplace years, then final year students. They were told that second year students hadn't a hope of an "on campus" room unless they had special needs/disabled etc. DS applied anyway "just in case" and not only has yet been given a place, he has a full choice of room type. So his Uni certainly aren't expecting to be full if they're giving rooms to second years (when they said they wouldn't).

@TheJerkStore

miss the accommodation income if numbers don't return to pre-covid levels

Not all universities own accommodation. We don't.

I know, but many do, especially "college" based Unis.

I hope the unis will give some thought to those students who have had no chance to meet people this year. That’s why I was hoping for F2F teaching this year as my DD has been at home doing her course. So I suspect she won’t return, unless there is social activity perhaps. Wish they could do a catch up freshers week for example.

@GaribaldiGirl

I hope the unis will give some thought to those students who have had no chance to meet people this year. That’s why I was hoping for F2F teaching this year as my DD has been at home doing her course. So I suspect she won’t return, unless there is social activity perhaps. Wish they could do a catch up freshers week for example.

My DS and his flat mates are intending to "gate crash" September's freshers' week. They spent a miserable first week (last September) in their rooms watching pretty tedious "online" freshers events and had completely lost interest after the first couple of days. They're definitely intending to do a "reset" and do all the things they missed, i.e. clubs & societies fair, campus tours, etc etc. They spent a whole term in their campus flats and barely saw any of the university amenities, so they've a lot to catch up on.

@kazzyhoward.. Its probably down to the fall in EU students. I read a report today to say eu applications for next Yr are down 40 percent so there will be extra accommodation available at some universities. Overall uni applications for 2021 are however up so I should imagine that accommodation will be filled at most universities.

An end of year freshers week would be good...

My DS has just secured an "on campus" room for his second year starting in September. That's unheard of at his Uni.

Yes, that confirms what I thought would happen. They will just fill the gaps with 2nd, 3rd, 4th years and postgrads. Those that want to stay in halls anyway. Not all will.