Coronavirus Covid-19 – latest update on Kingston University's response

Posted Wednesday 19 August 2020

The health, wellbeing and safety of all our students and staff remains our top priority. We will keep all our students, staff and external partners fully informed of our plans as we continue to emerge from lockdown and gradually return to campus.

Arrangements for September

When does the University open?

The University has been available to staff and students since the start of lockdown through online access to all our services. For the start of term in September:

Our campuses will be open, with measures in place to ensure everyone's safety, such as social distancing, controlled access to buildings and increased cleaning.
Lectures are expected to remain online for some time, but there will be access to campus for smaller group learning, practical working – such as studio and laboratory-based work – and using the libraries.
Students' learning will be enhanced with digital provision, giving a blended approach to course programmes.
Students will continue to get personal support from their lecturers and will be able to access a range of other University support, such as finance, healthcare and faith services.

Start of term

Induction week for new students runs from Monday 14 September to Friday 18 September 2020.
Teaching block 1 begins on Monday 21 September 2020.

We are working hard to ensure our students receive the supportive, inclusive and high quality learning experience that Kingston University is proud to deliver and we are putting a number of measures in place to make sure they can get the most out of their studies. The whole University is focused on making sure our students receive an excellent education and a fulfilling experience.

Safety measures to protect students and staff on campus

Keeping our University community safe and well has been our absolute priority since Covid-19 first emerged and will continue to be as we start the new academic year.

Our campuses will have measures in place to ensure everyone's safety, such as social distancing, controlled access to buildings and increased cleaning.

We will be working hard to ensure a safe study and work environment.

Libraries

Postgraduate students can now access library services on some campuses by prior arrangement. We will share further details about when our libraries will reopen to the wider community as soon as these become available. In the meantime, please email library@kingston.ac.uk with any queries.

Our library staff have also been operating the Ask a Librarian live chat facility and offering appointments over Skype to continue to support students with their course work. Students can click on the 'Chat now' box on iCat to access this support.

General information

We will continue to closely monitor developments and take necessary action in line with the latest government advice, along with guidance from public health experts.

Summer graduation ceremonies postponed

As a result of government limits on gatherings during the coronavirus public health emergency, the University postponed summer graduation ceremonies that had been due to take place in July. We are exploring possible options for replacement ceremonies as government restrictions continue to lift.

We will be sure to keep all our graduating students fully updated as soon as we have more details about alternative arrangements. We look forward to coming together as a community at a later date to celebrate our students' achievements and the important contributions their families, friends and our staff have made to their academic success.

Halls of residence

Our halls of residence remain open for those student residents still remaining in Kingston. Special support will be provided for any students who might need to self-isolate.

Students with queries about halls of residence or other accommodation can get in touch through the University's StudentHub. They should log on with their usual Kingston University username and password.

Health precautions

We are encouraging all members of our University community to remember to follow the advice from the Department for Health and Social Care to tackle the spread of the virus in the United Kingdom.

It is urging everyone to wash their hands more often than usual with soap and water or to use hand sanitiser. This is particularly important if people have to go out at any point, blow their noses, sneeze or cough, or are preparing to eat or handle food. Following these simple steps will help protect all of us and the other people we might come in to contact with.

Wellbeing

The government is advising anyone who has a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or has lost their sense of taste or smell to stay at home for at least 10 days from when their symptoms started. The other people in a shared household should also stay at home for 14 days in such instances. This will help protect the whole community.‎

Should you need to call it, the NHS 111 helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be accessed by anyone currently in the United Kingdom, whether or not they are registered with a GP. Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should arrange a test by visiting NHS.UK or contacting 119 by telephone if unable to access the internet.

Students who would like to speak to one of the University's specialist health and wellbeing advisers or counsellors should get in touch through the StudentHub. They should log on with their usual Kingston University username and password.

Support for self-isolation

There is more information available to help any students or staff who need to self-isolate on government advice. Students can contact their tutors by email or telephone to discuss their situation further.

The University has developed a policy for members of staff who need to self-isolate because they are suffering from specific symptoms or live with someone who does. The policy also provides guidance for staff members balancing family or other caring responsibilities with working from home.

Any students or staff who are self-isolating either now or in the coming weeks should let the University know by emailing alert@kingston.ac.uk.

Underlying health conditions

Any students or staff members who have an underlying health condition, are pregnant or have any other health concerns which they believe might put them at higher risk, should discuss these with their GP in the first instance or call NHS 111 for further advice.

More information

Regular health and travel updates are being posted on our My Kingston and StaffSpace intranets. The University is also emailing students and staff about any significant changes and we encourage all our campus community to check these messages regularly for the latest advice.

We will keep all our students, staff and external partners fully informed as the situation continues to unfold and we continue to plan our gradual return to campus.