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

With lockdown due to start tomorrow, I wanted to confirm that, in line with Government policy, the University will remain open. Your timetable will not be changed and we will continue to provide a mix of face-to-face and online teaching.

As you will be aware from the letter we sent to you on behalf of the Minister of State for Universities, Michelle Donelan MP, the Government has decided that universities are to remain open to protect your wellbeing and long-term future.

We have now received further guidance from the Department for Education which reiterates the importance of face-to-face teaching, including for the mental health and wellbeing of students, and expects this to continue where it can be done safely.

This guidance confirms that libraries and study spaces will remain open and that we will still be able to provide a ‘sit-in’ catering service to those who are on catered accommodation packages. We will also be providing a take-away service from other catering outlets. Unfortunately, we will have to close the Sports Centre on the Canterbury campus, but we are planning to run online exercise classes.

I would also like to draw your attention to the following Government guidelines which are specifically for students. During the lockdown period (between 5 November and 2 December 2), you should:

• Only socialise in household units
• Not leave your term-time address to return home
• Travel from home to the university for education if you are a student who normally commutes

We will continue to update our online information and will continue to follow the evolving guidance and measures put in place by the Government to keep you and our staff safe. If you would like to find out more about the current situation, please sign-up for Friday’s Web Chat where staff from across the University will update you on the current situation and will share information about the resources that are available to help you make the most of your study and free time over the next few weeks.

Finally, it is important that you continue to attend on-campus teaching where you are expected, as non-attendance that has not been approved 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