Prospective student update - July 1 2020
I am delighted that you are considering joining us at the University of Aberdeen, and I wanted to update you on the work ongoing to prepare for your arrival and to support your learning experience.
You may recall our message of Monday June 1 where we outlined our preparations for the academic session 2020/21. To reiterate, we will be open and ready to welcome students to campus in September for the new session for blended learning - involving a mix of face-to-face teaching on campus, wherever that is possible and safe, as well as online learning where teaching cannot yet be in person. If you are considering studying with us at our Qatar campus, you will soon hear separately about plans for the new academic year.
Our plans and procedures are continually evolving in line with the latest national guidance – with your health, safety and wellbeing at the centre of everything we are working towards.
Last week’s announcement by the Scottish Government of moving to the next phase of its easing of lockdown has provided greater clarity that is helping us make essential preparations to welcome you here.
In terms of practical activities, this means that more staff can now be on campus in order to prepare our buildings in readiness for the new academic session, and to prepare teaching materials for online and on-campus delivery.
Scotland and the wider UK continue to make progress in suppressing Covid-19, with our laboratory and research activities resuming with social distancing in place. Indeed, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has indicated that Scotland is ‘not far away’ from eliminating coronavirus.
Everyone beginning their studies with us in September - regardless of whether you are on campus or joining us virtually to begin with - will have access to the services you would expect such as the library, student support and the careers service. Our student accommodation is open and available, adapting to the changes required to keep you safe. We encourage you to apply for accommodation as usual – further information can be found here.
Please be assured that there is a significant amount of work underway to bring our campus back into operation. This includes the preparation of all areas of our estate including teaching spaces, library facilities, student accommodation, research facilities, and key social areas including cafes, food service areas and shops, in line with the latest government guidance on physical distancing and with the provision of enhanced hygiene facilities a key consideration.
For international students coming to Aberdeen, you may be interested in a recent letter from the UK and Scottish Governments that provides reassurances as to the approach being taken to welcome you to the UK, providing advice on various matters including visa applications and quarantine arrangements.
As a University we continue to provide the latest advice and guidance on visa applications, and we are working to support international students who may be required to self-isolate on arrival, if current UK government guidelines requiring a 14-day quarantine period remain in place. We will keep you updated on this.
We hope this email has answered some of your questions, but if you have any further questions please email study@abdn.ac.uk or visit our Covid-19 webpages. The University is currently developing a range of Campus Commitments to help our student community understand the support and procedures we will have in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable campus experience for everyone.
The University of Aberdeen has a long and distinguished history dating back 525 years, and our sense of community has never been stronger. We hope that you choose to study with us, and we look forward to welcoming you here when you are ready to join us. In the meantime, I hope that you, and your families and friends, stay safe and well.
Alan
Professor Alan Speight
Vice-Principal (Student Recruitment)