As you may know the Prime Minister has announced a return to full national lockdown and we are writing to you to explain how the new guidance affects all university students and what that means for Brunel.

The Government has said that, apart from in a small number of cases, it doesn’t expect students to return to university campuses or to have on-campus teaching until the middle of February at the earliest, with some limited exceptions, explained below. This has meant we have had to make some difficult but necessary decisions. We are expecting to receive further guidance in the coming days so some of this information may yet be subject to change.

Returning to / remaining on campus

Following the latest announcement, you should not be on the Brunel campus at this time unless:

You are studying one of a small number of subjects for which on-campus teaching is still allowed to take place currently. This includes teacher training, healthcare and social work. Your department will already have been in contact if this applies to you
You don’t have adequate space or facilities at home to study or to take exams
You consider that your mental health would be negatively affected if you remain at home
You have remained on campus over the winter break or already returned following the break
You are an international student and have already arranged international travel to the UK and are unable to change your plans

We are also seeking further guidance regarding students who would expect to be doing mandatory practical activity as part of their accredited course. Please bear with us – your department will be in contact as soon as we know more.

Please be aware that, while the campus is open, it is operating with limited on-site services and under national lockdown rules, preventing social mixing between households.

Please also note that the Government’s guidance says you must not move back and forth between your permanent home and student home during term time, unless you have a good reason as listed above.

We are discussing the impact of these changes on students in halls with the Students Union currently and we will contact those students directly as soon as possible.

Examinations and revision lectures

Term 2 exams and revision lectures are already scheduled to be online and will go ahead as planned. You should therefore continue to prepare for any assessments and submit coursework by the existing deadlines.

If you have exams in the coming weeks, please look at the information here, which contains detailed information about the examination processes.

There are a small number of cases where existing coursework deadlines rely on access to specialist facilities, which is not possible for now. In these cases, we will either adjust the nature of the submission or the submission deadline to ensure that nobody is disadvantaged. Your department will contact you directly about any changes.

Access to technology

If you are concerned about your access to resources such as IT hardware, software or an internet connection for your online assessments please contact us at computing-support@brunel.ac.uk as soon as possible to let us know so that we can support you.

Access to study facilities

The following facilities are available:

The library will remain open for pre-booked individual study, but with reduced opening hours (Monday to Friday 10am - 6pm, Saturday & Sunday 12 noon - 7pm)
Access to materials will be on a request basis using Click & Collect
Click & Collect service for print stock will be available for staff, in-Library users and for students living in campus accommodation only
Click & Post service will be available for Brunel users living off-site
Face-to-face enquiry support will be replaced by virtual enquiry support (including enquiries to our Records, Archives and Special Collections team) – please see our Contact us page
Scan & Send electronic document delivery service will be available to the Brunel community from w/c 11 January

Detailed information on library services is available here.

Review of term dates

We are currently looking at options, potentially including small changes to the term 3 start and finish dates, to make sure that we can provide appropriate access to on-campus teaching and facilities. Our priority is to ensure students get the teaching they need to meet the requirements of their programmes and also to maintain standards so that your qualification is a true reflection of your ability and is recognised as such by your future employers. We will share more information about future term dates as soon as it is available.

Student support

Our student support services will remain available, primarily delivered remotely:

Student Centre & Immigration: In-person services will be open on campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am – 2pm. Virtual appointments are available via phone, email or chat from 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 4.30pm on Friday.
Support and Welfare: Virtual appointments are available via email, phone and chat. If needed, in-person appointments can be arranged
Wellbeing: The Assistive Technology Centre will be closed until further notice. Assistive technology can be accessed remotely through Horizon.
Meeting House/Chaplaincy: The Meeting House is closed and online, virtual, phone and support will be available. The Prayer rooms in Isambard Amenities building will remain open, with COVID restrictions, as a place of worship
Medical Centre: If you are living on campus you should register with the Medical Centre so you can access appointments with a doctor or nurse when needed. The Medical Centre is using e-Consult which allows you to book phone or online appointments. Please do not go to the Medical Centre in person unless advised to do so by them.

Further information on the support available and how to access it is available here.

Testing for students who meet the criteria under the section ‘Returning to / remaining on campus’ above
The Government expects any student who has to return to, or remain on, campus to take a Covid-19 lateral flow test (unless you have already had a positive Covid test in the past 90 days). You can book your test on campus here and more information about our asymptomatic testing site is available here.

Testing will help us to avoid bringing cases of Covid onto campus so that the risk of students having to self-isolate will be greatly reduced.

There is no need to book a test if you are learning remotely for now, and we will ensure that you have sufficient warning to arrange for your tests when you are permitted to return.

If for any reason you do not take the tests before or when you return to campus, you will be asked to self-isolate for 10 days. If you self-isolate on campus, please let us know so that we can support you.

Next steps

We have and continue to do our best to provide as much learning and as many campus activities as the Government restrictions will allow. The Government has made it clear that a further period of lockdown is necessary and requires all universities to implement further restrictions.

We know that these changes are disruptive for everyone at what is already a very difficult time, and we recognise the position you are in. We shall do our very best, within the law, to provide you with a return to campus and opportunities to continue your studies and keep in regular contact with you over the coming weeks.

If you haven’t already, please take a look at our Covid-19 support portal, which includes information about our wellbeing support, alongside details of how and when you should self-isolate and how to access our range of support services. Or if you have any further queries, please contact us at 2020support@brunel.ac.uk.

Thank you for your support and patience in these challenging times.

Important information on the national lockdown