Today, December 30, the Vice-Chancellor emailed all students. You can read the full email below:
Dear student,
I mentioned in my last email, sent on the 24 December, that I would write again today.
As you know, the UK is experiencing a rise in coronavirus cases and the Government has announced a series of changes today that will affect all universities in England.
The key updates you need to be aware of are:
- Only students studying at Sussex for degrees in Medicine, Teaching and Social Work will be able to return to study next week
- All other students should not return to Sussex – the Government will review this on Monday 18 January and we will let you know the outcome
- Unless you are already living locally or studying Medicine, Teaching or Social Work – you must not travel back to your local University address until we have clearance for you to do so
- The start of Semester Two will likely be online for a lot of students
- Please seek wellbeing support if you need to at this time.
There are some important details and a small number of exemptions so please read the detail on each of these points below:
1. Students studying Medicine, Teaching and Social Work
Only students studying at Sussex for degrees in Medicine, Teaching and Social Work will be able to return to study next week. There may be further exemptions for students studying for particular professional programmes and if this applies to you, your School will be in touch.
You must have two Covid tests from our test centre (details are available on the Student Hub). If you do not have these tests, the Government requires that you quarantine and self-isolate for a period of ten days before returning to your education.
2. All other students should not return to Sussex at this time
At the moment, it is unclear when all other students will be able to return to campus: this will be reviewed by the Government on Monday 18 January.
3. You should not return to your local University address
Unless you already live locally or are studying Medicine, Teaching or Social Work – you must not travel back to your University address until we have clearance for you to do so.
If you have particular challenges staying away from your local University address, such as having no study space to work or because you have mental health problems that are exacerbated by being away, you may return.
4. The start of Semester Two will likely be online for a lot of students
Whilst we hope that all students will be able to return soon, it is likely that the start of Semester Two will be online for many students. Your teaching staff are strongly committed both to ensuring that you receive the highest quality online experience possible and to getting back to normal as soon as possible.
5. Please seek wellbeing support if you need to at this time
I recognise that this has been a really stressful year for many people. If you need it, you can access mental health support in a number of ways.
- If you are here in Brighton, in an emergency, please phone the Brighton & Hove Mental Health Rapid Response Service (MHRRS) or Sussex Mental Health Line. Both are open 24 hrs/day 7 days/week.
- As well as our own Counselling and Chaplaincy services, all students can also get fast and excellent support from Togetherall - a 24/7 online community where you can anonymously access online chat, mutual support, self-assessment, self-guided course, creative tools. Just register here to use the service free of charge.
- Shout is a confidential mental health text support line run by volunteers that is available 24/7. You can text shout at 85258 if you are struggling with low mood, anxiety, relationship difficulties, issues with bullying, are feeling suicidal, or if you just feel overwhelmed and are struggling to cope.
- Finally, the Student Space is a free resource for all students, providing dedicated support services for students, by phone, text, email and webchat in addition to information and tools to help you through the challenges of coronavirus.
We have a large number of students who are still living on campus or in Brighton and Hove and today’s developments will be particularly challenging for many of you. Our services and support for you will remain unchanged in the coming weeks.
What’s next?
We are working closely with the Government on the new guidance and we will be in a position to clarify matters further as soon as possible.
The University’s teams will continue to be in touch with you regularly over the following days as we work through the latest guidance.
Whilst I know these developments are difficult for everyone and there will be challenges ahead, I do feel very encouraged by the promising news today that the ‘Oxford vaccine’ has received regulatory approval and this will allow the vaccination programme to speed up significantly. There is now genuine light at the end of the tunnel.
I do firmly believe we will begin to see brighter skies in 2021.
I do wish you the very best for the rest of the winter break and your studies.
All my best,
Adam Tickell
Vice-Chancellor