*A message from the Chief Operating Officer, Richard Middleton*
Dear Colleagues,
As a new academic year draws closer, I know many of you will have questions about how we are approaching the next few months. As every day passes we have more answers, but as you can imagine, this is a highly complex undertaking involving all aspects of University life. It would not be possible without the extraordinary dedication and hard work from colleagues across the entire University, for which I am extremely grateful.
I’m pleased to provide a further update to you on the completed and on-going work.
Patterns of work
The safety of our community of students and staff is our top priority and in order to help us achieve this, we are carefully assessing how and when we bring staff back in, based on need, as I explained in my last update. For colleagues who teach and support our students and community we are implementing the necessary risk assessments and measures to make your campus working environment ready for your return. For other colleagues who are able to, we will continue to ask you to work remotely for the autumn term. We will be regularly reviewing the working situation in light of national and local guidance, as well as the environment we find ourselves in, to provide a clearer picture of working arrangements in the new year. I know that we would all prefer to know for certain what will happen with our working arrangements over the next year, but we must remain agile and able to respond to the situation as it develops. We know the importance of connecting and collaborating with colleagues in person and not just on TEAMS, and we want to create safe opportunities for doing so as soon as we reasonably can.
Education – how we deliver our teaching.
As the new term approaches, work continues on developing a blended approach to teaching, creating a full and engaging student experience, and also ensuring we can deliver the curriculum in a sustainable way. You can find an outline of these plans in the recent SUSSED post.
We are putting in place safety measures to ensure that the face-to-face teaching experience is both COVID-secure and accessible. This will include Perspex screens in many of our teaching spaces. University guidance, including the use of face coverings and physical distancing, will also apply in teaching spaces. More specific details about these safety requirements will be made available in September and will come into effect on 7 September.
Buildings and facilities
We have already re-opened half of our campus buildings, but with more than 100 in our estate there is much to do. Work is continuing at pace through the summer with the installation of COVID-secure infrastructure in and around our buildings, including one-way systems, signage and hand-sanitiser stations to provide a safer environment for all. As you may have read in our SUSSED article, we have installed temporary structures to increase our available study and circulation space, and will be providing extra toilets and food vans to help supplement our cafés and eateries and make physical distancing easier.
Face coverings
We have procured sufficient re-usable and washable fabric face coverings to provide a starter pack of two each for all of our students and returning staff. We will also be making available face masks with clear panels to aid those who work with or teach individuals with hearing difficulties. We will also have a large supply of disposable masks available. Government guidelines already dictate where face coverings should be used, in addition we will require use inside all communal use University buildings unless the space has been designed for 2m physical distancing.
Test and Trace
We are actively developing a testing programme for students that would link with the appropriate Track and Trace system, based on its recent successful experience jointly-leading a major Government-funded COVID-19 saliva-based testing pilot for the city of Southampton.
Our collective responsibility
I recognise that some of these changes and conditions may feel strange at first, but I know we will soon adapt to them as we have in our lives outside of work. We are all in this together, and we all have a part to play in keeping each other safe, and in trying to create as near a normal a university experience as we can for our students.
I know that as a caring community we will take our collective responsibility to look after ourselves and each other very seriously, and we also need to reassure the people of Southampton that the return of students to the City should be the cause of enthusiasm and not concern.
The expectations we will be asking of all our students and staff will include:
- Taking responsibility for our own behaviours and realising the impact our actions will have on others, especially those who may be feeling more vulnerable
- Abiding by all University and public COVID-19 guidance – which may change at short notice
- Self-isolating if showing symptoms or if asked to due to contact with someone infected
- Practicing physical distancing
- Wearing face coverings when required
- Following directional signage
- Regularly washing hands and use hand sanitiser
- Wiping down surfaces after use
To help embed these expectations throughout our community, particularly as we return to the familiar yet different environment of a COVID-secure campus, we have developed a campaign.
Stay Safe Campaign
Our Stay Safe communications campaign, will start to roll-out across a range of digital channels this week, to help inform staff, students and local residents of the measures our University community will need to follow to keep people safe and make our campuses COVID-secure. Over the next few weeks these messages will be reinforced through physical and digital signage on our campuses and at our halls of residence.
A new set of webpages have also been launched to welcome students and staff onto our campuses. They address questions about how life may look on campus, outline the measures we have taken, clarify key dates and student arrival arrangements and make clear how as individuals we need to work together to keep our community safe. Please do read these webpages and if you have any questions, speak to your line manager or personal academic tutor. We will regularly update our information with your feedback and the latest guidance.
As I mentioned in my last update, I know there are many unanswered questions at this point, and we continue to work quickly and thoughtfully to provide the best decisions we can, and make sure that we share these with you as transparently as possible.
I would like to thank you all again for your work towards delivering the next academic year. It is a truly collegial effort bringing together the many complex strands to make this possible.
Best wishes
Richard Middleton
Chief Operating Officer