Teaching and Learning update for the autumn term

With the start of the academic year rapidly approaching, a huge number of colleagues are involved in ensuring that our students receive the best possible experience.

For this academic year, that includes our blended approach to combine face-to-face sessions on campus with online content and learning materials, outlined in our 2021/22 T&L Framework. The academic timetable will be published on 6 September. Students and colleagues who start teaching earlier will receive their timetable before this.

Most of our students are enrolled to study on campus, and almost 83% of their timetabled teaching will take in person, equating to around 31,000 hours of teaching in the autumn term, or approximately 25 hours on campus per module. Additionally, almost 7,000 activities will be delivered online to support students who have been granted permission to study at a distance temporarily this autumn term. These figures are testament to the hard-work, creativity and commitment of colleagues across the institution.

An email has gone to all undergraduate and PGT students this week explaining what they can expect from the teaching and learning experience this term, and a similar message will go in the coming weeks to new students.

Further to our update in July, the Major Recovery Team have reviewed our COVID-19 control measures on campus, and the details of this are currently being finalised. An email update on this will go to all colleagues next week. Contingency plans have been developed to change our position if needed and we are ready to respond quickly if there is a spike in cases.

Welcome Week

After so much disruption, we are looking forward to hosting more in-person events on campus, which will start with this year’s Welcome Week.

In line with the Teaching & Learning Framework described above, we will be taking a blended approach, with the Freshers’ Fayre and RUSU events going ahead in-person, and School induction sessions taking place online. Academic Tutor meetings are encouraged to take place in person.

Returning students will also be encouraged to attend Welcome activities, to help them to settle back in to life on campus.