Student Update: Government announcement on return to in-person teaching from Monday, 17 May

Please be aware that this information was shared with students by email and correct at the time of sending. For the latest Covid-19 guidance, please visit our coronavirus webpages: www.wlv.ac.uk/coronavirus. If you are a student who has a query or needs support, please log a helpcall with ASK@WLV in e:Vision (www.wlv.ac.uk/evision).

The Government has confirmed that from Monday, 17 May, there will no longer be any restrictions on the in-person teaching for students on non-practical courses. This means that we will now start to look at managing the return to campus for any programmes which have not yet returned and for which there is still teaching after that date.   

As you will be aware, semester two teaching and assessment for undergraduate courses will have completed by this time. This means undergraduate students on non-practical courses will complete the remainder of their studies for this academic year online. There may be some exceptional cases where we will be offering revision sessions on campus where specialist facilities are needed. If this applies to your course, your lecturers will be in touch with you. 

Postgraduate courses will have two weeks of semester two teaching remaining. We will contact students on postgraduate programmes soon about what the Government announcement means for your programme from 17 May.   

Personal timetables will be updated by the end of this week with the latest information for teaching following the announcement.  

Covid-19 testing 

Getting tested for Covid-19 means you will help prevent the spread of the virus in our community, and we'll be able to support you if you need to self-isolate.  

Students that have not yet returned to campus should take a test before travelling to the University, either through your local community testing programme or by ordering a home test online.   

If you test positive, you must take a confirmatory PCR test and self-isolate for ten days before returning.   

On arrival at the University, you should take three tests (3-4 days apart) at an in-person testing facility.   

All students should then test twice a week, either using home test kits or at an in-person testing facility.  

We have a webpage that includes the Government's latest guidance about when to get a test, along with the locations for testing sites close to our campuses. You can arrange to get a lateral flow test using the facilities referenced on the webpage or somewhere local to you.  

Testing is just one part of our on-campus preventative measures against coronavirus, so please continue to follow our safety guidelines and wear a face-covering whenever you are on campus. 

Letter to Students from Michelle Donelan MP, Minister of State for Universities 

Michelle Donelan MP, Minister of State for Universities, has also shared an open letter to students, which includes information on testing and additional hardship funding being released by the Government. The University will distribute this funding as we have done previously through the University’s hardship fund.  

Ongoing Support 

I want to remind you that our libraries remain open to all students who do not have access to an appropriate study space or PC where they are living. All students accessing the library are expected to follow social distancing guidelines, and face coverings must be worn. You must book a study space in advance of travelling and show your booking confirmation to staff upon arrival. You can find more information and book a study space here.   

If you are struggling with your mental health or feel like you would benefit from extra support, please visit our student support webpages, or complete the online registration form.  

Visit our dedicated Covid-19 webpages for information on how you can stay safe and help protect our University community during the pandemic.     

Thank you, and stay safe.   

Professor Julia Clarke    

Deputy Vice-Chancellor