Important update: Courses online only during spring term

The message below was sent to undergraduate and postgraduate students on Monday 11 January. Foundation students were contacted separately.

Dear students,

I would like to welcome you back to your first term of 2021.

This is not the start to the term any of us would have wished for but I hope, wherever you are, that you are staying safe and well.

The updated guidance for students from the Department for Education aims to limit the movement of students around the country, because of the transmissibility of the new strain of the virus. Although it remains safe to learn in COVID-secure environments, these government restrictions mean a lengthy delay to the start of in-person teaching for all students at UAL and to your return to London, if you are not already in the city.

This email contains vital information about:

• teaching and learning arrangements for spring and summer terms
• access to facilities
• collection of work and belongings
• accommodation charges

We will send you regular updates over the coming days and weeks and, as we have seen, the course of the pandemic means that situations can change very quickly. Please make sure you check your UAL email account regularly so you are always up-to-date with the latest information.

Best wishes and please stay safe,

Sir Nigel Carrington
Vice-Chancellor

Teaching and learning arrangements for spring and summer terms

We are planning that online teaching should continue for all courses at UAL throughout the spring term, with a return to in-person teaching in the summer term subject to government guidance. Students should remain where you are, wherever possible, and continue your studies online.

While we know this is disappointing, we expect government restrictions to continue until close to the end of the spring term. We believe it is better to give you and your course teams some certainty about your learning experience, rather than hope for an early end to restrictions.

Although we expect to deliver all teaching online for the whole of the spring term, we will reopen studios and workshops for self-directed learning as soon as we are able to allow students on campus again. For the summer term, we are committed to your return to the blended-learning model operated during the autumn term, subject to the national situation and government guidance. We know we can do this in COVID-secure environments as soon as travel restrictions lift.

For the moment, our academic buildings must remain closed for face-to-face teaching and self-directed learning. We strongly encourage you to remain at your current location, rather than travel to London. If you are already in London, you must continue to adhere to national lockdown rules. Students should not travel between their home and term-time addresses after returning to London.

Facilities access

The government recognises that some students have remained on campus during the winter vacation and other students may have compelling reasons to return before the start of in-person teaching. This might include to support your wellbeing, or because you do not have alternative accommodation or are unable to study from home.

The Learning Zone at London College of Communication is available to use as study space for students of any college who are already in London with no access to facilities where they live.  This is open from 11 January between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday, subject to advance booking through our online portal.

There is no physical access to UAL libraries but you can access them via our digital collection. Use our ASK online enquiry service to get 1:1 advice from library staff on finding suitable material or to request reservations and access to collections.

For the time being, we are unable to offer access to equipment via loan stores.

Collection of work and belongings

Students are strongly encouraged to avoid returning to university to collect any belongings which you have left at your term-time accommodation over the winter break. However, you are permitted to travel back to collect items required for online learning, if this is essential for the completion of a project for assessment.

We are opening some of our buildings to enable you to collect work and materials which are essential to continue your projects. Sites will be open from 10am - 4pm on 13 and 14 January 2021 and you will receive a separate email from your college on how to access your buildings.

Enhanced health and safety measures in our buildings

The social distancing and safety measures we put in place for you at UAL are extensive and remain robust. Please be aware that some additional changes have been implemented for your safety:

• Unless you are exempt, students attending a UAL building for any purpose will be required to wear a medical face mask in place of a cloth face covering while on site. These will be issued to you on arrival. Students who book into the Learning Zone at LCC at any time during lockdown will be required to wear medical face masks whilst they are using the facility.
• Everyone on site must strictly observe 2-metres social distancing rules, wash their hands frequently and for 20 seconds (and use hand gel) and wear the correct face masks and visors unless they are exempt.
• If you feel ill in any way, you must remain at home and not come onto site. If you think you may have COVID-19, you must get tested and follow the NHS Test and Trace and UAL Report and Trace processes.

Travel restrictions

New regulations in the UK say that anyone arriving by plane, train or boat, including UK nationals, will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in. They will have to test negative for COVID-19 before travelling to the UK. Under the new rules anyone who arrives in the UK and does not have proof of a negative test could face an immediate £500 fine.

London-based students

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, declared a ‘major incident’ due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus across the capital and the increase of COVID-19 cases in hospitals. Students based in London must follow strict COVID-19 restrictions, not leave or be outside their home, or meet with others outside their household, except for legally permitted reasons.

The Metropolitan Police has also announced it will be taking tougher measures, including large on-the-spot fines, against anyone who is part of an illegal gathering or who is not wearing a face-covering (unless they are exempt).

Please familiarise yourself with the current rules and restrictions.

Free COVID-19 tests for all UAL students

We know that many of you are not in London at the moment but for those who are, we have set up a COVID-19 asymptomatic testing centre to offer you free Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests. The UAL asymptomatic testing centre will be open on Tuesday 12 January (10am – 2pm) at London College of Communication.

London College of Communication 
Elephant and Castle
SE1 6SB 
Map

Please book a test before travelling and arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time to complete the registration process. When you attend your test appointment, you will need to register with a mobile number on the UK government testing website. The whole testing process should take no longer than 30 minutes. You are required to wear a face covering when travelling to London College of Communication and inside the building, unless exempt. This includes within the testing booth before and after you take your test.

If travelling via public transport, please read Transport for London’s guidance and information on the measures in place to help protect you and others.

Reporting self-isolation or a positive test result

Remember: if you are self-isolating or receive a positive Lateral Flow Device or PCR test result, it is essential to report this via the university’s Report COVID form.

Accommodation charges

Accommodation charges at the 12 UAL-managed halls of residence will be reduced in the spring term, as long as you are not occupying your room. This is to reflect government restrictions on student movement.

We will waive 7 weeks accommodation fees for any student with a current tenancy agreement for the full year who does not use their room during the period of national lockdown in England. This waiver covers student accommodation contracts at UAL halls of residence and will be applied at the third instalment to accounts which are up-to-date and not in arrears. We will send more information in due course.

We will work with Arts Students’ Union to request that private and third-party accommodation providers extend similar support to students, although the position of those providers is clearly outside our control. They include Unite Students, which has announced a discount.