An update for all staff, including latest information on academic progression, working on campus and rent reductions for our students.
Academic progression 2020-21
As you will be aware, we have currently suspended face-to-face teaching for most of our study programmes. This means that a large proportion of our students are being taught via online methods and the vast majority of them are studying from their permanent homes. We are planning for the lockdown restrictions to last until 1 March 2021; however, this date is provisional and linked to whether rates of infection start to decline across our country.
Understandably, many students are questioning how the coronavirus pandemic will affect their academic progression and ultimate degree classification. Staff are working incredibly hard to ensure no students are disadvantaged because of the pandemic and that academic standards can be maintained across the University.
We are currently updating our no detriment policy for the 2020-21 academic year. This includes offering greater flexibility for mitigation applications and making processes easier for students to follow. We will also be extending deadlines where feasible, including offering an additional week’s extension for deadlines due between now and the end of the second week of term (29 January).
Further information on academic mitigations and no detriment will be available online shortly. Students should speak with their academic school if they have any immediate queries.
Staff working from campus
We have received further guidance from the Department for Education concerning which staff are able to work from campus during the national lockdown. The guidance reiterates our current position that all staff are required to work from home unless deemed essential or business critical workers. Whilst it does confirm that Higher Education teaching staff and those providing necessary services for students on campus are considered ‘critical workers’, it is important to stress that presence on campus should only be for cases where this is absolutely vital. We all have a responsibility to reduce unnecessary contact with each other during this time and only travel from home when essential to do so.
The FAQs relating to staff returning to campus have now been updated on our Staff Coronavirus website. For any staff that are working from campus, please note our asymptomatic testing facilities are available for you to use. Details of the campus services currently open are also outlined on our Staff Coronavirus webpages.
Staff should discuss working practices with their line manager and can contact hrcovid19@kent.ac.uk if they have any queries.
Rent reductions
Current restrictions means that the majority of our students are not permitted to return to campus and should remain at their permanent homes.
We will be offering a six-week rent reduction scheme for Canterbury-based students who have university accommodation they are unable to return to during the national lockdown. For our students based at Medway in accommodation from Unite, our private provider, they will receive a 50% rent reduction for four weeks. An additional 4 weeks’ accommodation will be available for Medway students at the end of their contract. Unfortunately, we have limited control over how students’ rents are managed within the private sector; however, we continue to support Kent Union in their representation of these students to help ensure they are not disadvantaged against those based in university accommodation.
Further information about the rent reductions is available in our Spring term rent reduction scheme FAQs.