eNews extra: coronavirus (#32)
Read issue 32 of eNews extra: coronavirus - sent to all staff on Friday 20 November.
- End of term arrangements for teaching and asymptomatic testing centres
- Face coverings on campus
- Flu vaccinations
- Inside Track | Professor Neil Morris: Freeing up our time with digital technologies
- Updated data | Coronavirus cases among staff and students
- In case you missed it last week...
- Useful information and links...
- Keeping up to date...
New this week…
End of term arrangements for teaching and asymptomatic testing centres
Further to the Government’s recently published guidance, colleagues were emailed on Thursday 19 November with the latest information and arrangements at Leeds:
- Face-to-face teaching will now end on Wednesday 9 December, two days before the end of term (Friday 11 December). Online teaching will continue as planned until the end of term.
- Asymptomatic testing centres for students will be available in the Refectory and in The Edge between 30 November and 9 December to enable students that wish to leave their term time address, for the winter break, in the designated ‘Student Travel Window’.
Please read the staff email, End of term arrangements for teaching and asymptomatic testing centres, for the full detail.
You can also view the email sent to students outlining these arrangements. If you are interacting with students, please ask if they have seen this information and point them towards the FAQs on the coronavirus website for more information.
Face coverings on campus
Please remember, when on campus, face coverings must be worn all the time (including when seated) in the following areas:
- Teaching space (providing the use of face coverings does not impact teaching and learning);
- Libraries and study spaces;
- The Refectory and all other University catering outlets;
- Main internal communal areas on campus (e.g. corridors, social spaces);
- All main, public indoor areas in University residences (e.g. reception, corridors, stairs, lifts and toilets) but not inside the flats themselves. If there is an exception for a social space, signage will tell you so;
- All places of worship on campus;
- NHS settings, including hospitals and primary or community care settings such as GP surgeries.
Read our full guidance on face coverings
Flu vaccinations
Winter flu virus season is here and we’re encouraging and supporting all colleagues to get vaccinated. If you’re not eligible for a free NHS flu jab, you can still protect yourself by booking a private vaccination and the University will reimburse you up to £14.
Inside Track | Professor Neil Morris: Freeing up our time with digital technologies
As part of a new series of Inside Track features, Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Digital Transformation, Professor Neil Morris, looks at how we can improve our ways of working by using digital technologies
Updated data | Coronavirus cases among staff and students
The health and safety of our students and staff is our absolute priority. To support this and to ensure transparency, we are publishing a weekly update on the numbers of positive covid-19 test results along with a graph that shows the number of active cases during the past two weeks.
In case you missed it last week…
Arrangements for our students next term
Students have now been contacted about the teaching arrangements for next term. You can read a copy of the student email (sent on Tuesday 10 November) or revisit the email sent to all colleagues on Friday 6 November outlining the details.
Need to advise students on self-isolating?
You can now access a range of useful information, links and guidance to help you support students with covid reporting and self-isolation
Useful information and links…
If you receive a positive covid-19 test result, please self-isolate, advise your line manager as soon as possible and report your result to the University.
Read our full guidance on how to report and what to do if you experience covid-19 symptoms, test positive or need to self-isolate.
Absence not related to coronavirus should continue to be reported in the normal way.
Key advice and info:
- Coronavirus website – staff advice
- Working on campus
- Commuting and travel to campus
- Report queries, concerns or suggestions related to covid-19 control on campus (e.g. activities where queues form, or issues about buildings or cleaning etc.) via email to the Estates Helpdesk or call 0113 343 5555. Email Wellbeing, Safety & Health for issues relating to safety on campus.
- How to protect your devices and information at home
- How to access HR Self-Service and your M: and N: drives from home
Teaching and research
- The Digital Practice website has support, development opportunities and resources for online teaching, working and study.
- In the event that a digital student education or assessment system goes down or is experiencing a problem, read this guidance on resolving issues and alternative solutions
- If you’re using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra for online teaching, follow the Collaborate Ultra guidance to ensure all sessions are secure.
- Access support for online teaching, learning and pedagogy through the Digital Education Service helpdesk
- Access coronavirus UK research funding resources, including funder guidance, links to covid-19 specific funding opportunities and a list of frequently asked questions on awards.
Keeping up to date...
Keep checking our coronavirus website for the latest information and advice as we get it. We’ll also alert you to key changes each week via eNews extra.
No need to trawl your inbox!
You can find our previous staff email communications on coronavirus and student and postgraduate email communications on the coronavirus website.