9 Sept 2020
A-level regrading may have prompted a late surge for places, but schools were already busy preparing for a safe return to studies.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Bethany Murray, a student in the University of Nottingham's April cohort, holds corn snake Daisy after lessons restart in June.
Vet schools have insisted providing COVID-secure campuses is their top priority, as students prepare to return to lessons.
Social distancing and precautionary measures to prevent future spread of COVID-19 are being put in place at all UK higher education institutions as students make their way back to class after an enforced, extended break from in-situ lectures. More than usual are expected to join vet schools after A-level result regradings prompted a surge for places.
The University of Edinburgh said today it would be “open and ready to teach at the start of the new academic year”, and did not foresee reason for delays.
A spokesperson for the University of Edinburgh said: “We are aiming to ensure we stay connected as a student community, despite any travel restrictions, wherever our students are in the world. There will be online welcome and induction activities for those who can’t arrive in Edinburgh in September. We have also implemented the Global Buddies peer support programme for incoming international students. The aim of the programme is to support new international students’ transition into a new academic and cultural environment.
“We are carrying out a huge amount of activity to allow us to gradually reopen our campuses fully with all appropriate measures in place to enable us to do this in a safe way. As a result of restrictions, we have had to make some changes, particularly in the way we provide our teaching and learning, as we must do it in a way that prioritises the health and safety of our students and staff.
“From the start of the next academic year, we intend to use a hybrid approach – a blend of on-campus teaching with online elements that allows everyone to continue with their programmes. While a large majority of our lectures will be delivered digitally in semester 1, we intend to offer other elements face-to-face, such as seminars, tutorials and lab work. This means that we will have a number of buildings open for use wherever that is possible, while following the latest physical distancing guidelines.”
The RVC said its plans for combined learning were well in hand at its Hawkshead campus. A spokesman said: “With the safety of all our students and staff as our top priority, we have developed a blended learning approach that will allow students to experience a combination of online and face-to-face teaching that will ensure we maintain social distancing while delivering a world-class education.
“The RVC is further prioritising the safety and well-being of students, staff and the wider community by continuing to follow the latest Government and Public Health England guidance, and introducing a number of safety measures including quarantining as necessary and the strict control of population density on campuses.”
Richard Hammond, head of the University of Bristol Veterinary School, confirmed all steps were being taken to welcome every student back to a safe learning environment.
Prof Hammond said: “Colleagues across the vet school and university have been working closely to ensure we can welcome our students as planned this autumn, with appropriate support and social distancing in place. We are following university guidance measures and the evolving guidance from the Government to ensure our students have a COVID-secure environment.
“This means a number of adaptations and improvements have been put in place, and feedback from students who have already been working under the new model is very positive.”
Prof Hammond added: “Both veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing are hands-on practical subjects, and we have worked hard to ensure our students will get the hands-on experience they need, balanced with a more secure online learning environment for materials that can be taught through enhanced online platforms and facilitated remote working.”
The University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science is also finalising intake for the autumn, but will be starting all students as planned. It is the first vet school in the country operating a dual intake, and welcomed April’s cohort back to face-to-face teaching a few weeks ago.
Among the measures introduced at the vet school’s Sutton Bonington campus were one-way systems, accommodating students in teaching and living bubbles, safety screens and fully available hand sanitiser. The measures enabled face-to-face learning to restart alongside remote lessons.
