From Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience:

As you will no doubt be aware, the Department for Education has announced its plans to bring students safely home for Christmas. The guidance, released earlier today, makes it clear that you will still be need to remain in lockdown until 2 December. The following week – 3-9 December – has been designated as the ‘Student Travel Window’ and the Government has requested that we, like all universities, develop a plan to enable students to have staggered departure dates.

The Government also requires all teaching to be online from 9 December at the latest.

I appreciate today’s announcement by the Government may cause you some concern. Please be assured that we are now looking at this latest guidance to assess how it impacts on our existing plans for this term, including assessments that may be due between now and the end of term, and will issue further updates over the next few days.

We will continue to update our online guidance for students in response to the latest guidance from the Government.

I would also like to reassure you that the health and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our key priority and will inform all our decision-making in response to this latest guidance.

In the meantime, until you hear otherwise, please continue to attend your face-to-face and online learning sessions where you are expected. If non-attendance has not been approved, it will have an impact on your attendance record and learning outcomes. If you cannot attend a teaching session on campus, you must notify your school as soon as possible.

We are committed to supporting you during this challenging time and we are here to support and advise you. If you have any concerns and wish to speak to someone please call Student Support and Wellbeing on 01227 823158, email CovidSupport@kent.ac.uk or ring the University Nursing Service on 01227 823503.

My very best wishes to you and your family.

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience