Oh god - here we go again... Dd back at uni 10days and already many

[a8mint]

Dd back at uni 10days and already 2 Of her friends are having to self isolate. Luckily they have all tested negative so far

Isn't it wonderful just how much effort universities are making to accommodate students as normally as they possibly can?

The amount of time and energy it's taking for academic and pastoral staff is extraordinary.

And your point is…..

What do you think my point is?
That this pandemic continuesto be a pita, whe we had hoped all this was behind us

I don’t know anyone who thinks the pandemic is behind us. All the young people I know are testing twice a week and waiting eagerly for their vaccine but fully in the knowledge they might still catch Covid

How rubbish for them. Being traced as a close contact is my new fear. What a pain in the neck. The sooner the government can get its act together to hurry up with getting as many adults as possible vaccinated, the better.

It's all right for Michael Gove taking a lateral flow test everyday so he can go about his business of destroying the country

Isn't it wonderful just how much effort universities are making to accommodate students as normally as they possibly can?

The amount of time and energy it's taking for academic and pastoral staff is extraordinary.

And cold hard cash (which most universities don't have). My university's testing hubs are amazing. And we have as many at-home tests as we need, plus liberal quantities of hand sanitiser & boxes of disposable masks everywhere.

Not sure why the OP thinks that the disease is "behind us" - AFAIK, the virus doesn't read the sign saying "University of Bantshire"

Umm because 75% of adults have been vaccinated?

Isn't it wonderful just how much effort universities are making to accommodate students as normally as they possibly can?

I cant tell ifyou are being sarcastic. I certainly hope so! hilarious!!

How infuriating. I feel for university students. Last year was rubbish and it looks like this year won't be much better.

@a8mint

Umm because 75% of adults have been vaccinated?

75% of adults are not fully vaccinated yet. And - crucially in this context- the vast majority of under 30’s have not yet been called up. It’s in this group the virus is now mostly circulating.

@a8mint

Umm because 75% of adults have been vaccinated?

Only in the over 50s age group. I suppose you could tell your dc only to socialise with oldies...🤣

Of course it’s not behind us! The majority of under 30s across the country aren’t vaccinated and these are the main people going out drinking, socialising, living in close quarters etc

Got to hope that Uni students can get both doses over the Summer holidays and are fully vaccinated by the time they go back in September. Then, no excuse for Unis to continue with all this online learning nonsense and get back to face to face tutorials, face to face seminars, and all teaching staff back on campus.

“Online nonsense” is what has kept university education going during a pandemic. Universities will have to contend with thousands of international students arriving next academic year, so I’m afraid it is likely to continue, alongside seminars, tutorials, labs, etc face-to-face.

I’m assuming the majority of people at university haven’t been partially never mind fully vaccinated

‘Online nonsense?’

So should lecturers and students have mixed continuously to ensure case rates were through the roof?

What a stupid comment.

Both my DD's have finished for the year but the university medical centre vaccinated them before they left

Then, no excuse for Unis to continue with all this online learning nonsense and get back to face to face tutorials, face to face seminars, and all teaching staff back on campus.

Ha ha ha ! I'm just now dealing with a couple of (UK-based) students who are petitioning to do the rest of their degrees online.

So, you know, try not to make generalisations about something you know very little about.

Universities will have to contend with thousands of international students arriving next academic year, so I’m afraid it is likely to continue, alongside seminars, tutorials, labs, etc face-to-face.

Yup. If you want us to keep drawing in the international students whose tuition fees subsidise those of your children we are going to have to offer hybrid or blended teaching.

@mibbelucieachwell

The sooner the government can get its act together to hurry up with getting as many adults as possible vaccinated, the better

This is unreasonable. The government and NHS and everyone else involved in the vaccine roll out have their act together stunningly, admirably well.

*IntoAir

Then, no excuse for Unis to continue with all this online learning nonsense and get back to face to face tutorials, face to face seminars, and all teaching staff back on campus.

Ha ha ha ! I'm just now dealing with a couple of (UK-based) students who are petitioning to do the rest of their degrees online.

So, you know, try not to make generalisations about something you know very little about*

Absolutely!!! Ds’s gf would only attend online. Her dm was clinically vulnerable.

And then I also know many students who are lamenting about online teaching and saying they’ve missed a lot teaching wise due to that.

Obviously courses that have a practical side have suffered a lot too.

I have to say, if Unis are keen on online lessons, they should provide it at the cost of an online course such as the OU (which includes some weekends where people meet up, have some teaching etc...)

And if students are keen to do everything online, they should transfer to the OU.

@KeepingTrack

And then I also know many students who are lamenting about online teaching and saying they’ve missed a lot teaching wise due to that.

Obviously courses that have a practical side have suffered a lot too.

I have to say, if Unis are keen on online lessons, they should provide it at the cost of an online course such as the OU (which includes some weekends where people meet up, have some teaching etc...)

I agree. Unis need to be honest about the plans this year. And, yes, they should offer a choice of either face to face OR online, which would give their students the choice of how they want to study. Unis can't get away with charging £9250 for online courses - they've spent years justifying their charges as being for their physical facilities etc., so if students aren't using such facilities, then the fees should reflect that.

@lomaamina

“Online nonsense” is what has kept university education going during a pandemic. Universities will have to contend with thousands of international students arriving next academic year, so I’m afraid it is likely to continue, alongside seminars, tutorials, labs, etc face-to-face.

The point is that some unis didn't provide the face to face tutorials/seminars etc, even when the restrictions allowed them to do so. At some unis, their teaching staff havn't even been on campus all year, and they knew that, at this time last year, but weren't honest with their students. Some unis were peddling the "blended learning" through to August, after having already made the decision/instruction to their teaching staff not to attend campus. We need honesty and transparency. And, yes, I know some Unis have made the best of the bad year, but some havn't, and that's my point.