Last week, we took unprecedented steps to move our whole university to online learning, home studying and homeworking. We want to thank everyone for your continued patience and co-operation during this transition period and for the significant role you’re all playing in protecting public health following the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Here are some more important updates below:
Further campus building closures
As a result of the government’s increasingly stringent measures for ‘social-distancing’ and the wider public mood for people to ‘stay at home’ wherever possible to help the national effort, we will be closing more of our campus buildings and asking all staff not providing essential on-site services to work remotely from 6pm on Wednesday 25 March. These building closures include:
- The Library in Eric Wood building
- Riverside Café
We realise that some of you will have an urgent need for access to computer equipment. From 9am on Tuesday, in Eric Wood, students without access to equipment at their place of residence will be able to borrow a laptop from the university for use until the end of the academic year. Please ensure you bring your student ID card with you. Supplies are limited but we want to be able to assist as many of you as we can.
Please do observe full social distancing guidelines if you are coming to the Eric Wood building.
We want to reassure you that the vast majority of university provision, whether it’s teaching and learning or student support services, remains accessible to all of our students through online and virtual channels.
Please visit the new COVID-19 Advice and Information microsite for what, when and how you can access online and remote support. The student FAQs are also updated daily to answer your most pressing questions and we’ll be adding more useful information on the site. For example, as more businesses close to follow government guidelines on social distancing, we’ll be adding information on where you can go across Leicester for essential items if you’re remaining on campus.
LinkedIn Learning
As promised, LinkedIn Learning will be available for home use to all students from tomorrow, Tuesday 24 March. There is also a full suite of online Library resources available as well as live chat facilities; please check the Library homepage for more details.
Students staying on campus: Facebook group
If you’re a DMU student who won’t be leaving campus during the COVID-19 crisis, you can join our new Facebook group. The group (COVID-19 UPDATES: Students staying on campus) is a place for you to find out all of the latest advice and guidance, along with regular updates from senior DMU staff. It’s also a place for you to chat to other students who remain at DMU, sharing your experiences and tips for dealing with the latest situation. If you don’t have Facebook then you will be able to get in touch with us via email. For more information on this, please see keep an eye on our daily updates later in the week.
Virtual Student Advice Centres (SACs)
All of our faculty SACs will be going virtual from today too so you can continue to get support via BlackBoard, email or phone. Click on the University Services tile on the microsite for more information.
DMU Global, DMU Local, DMU Sport and others moving online
All of our extracurricular student offerings including DMU Global, DMU Sport, DMU Local, DMU Music and DMU for Life are also closing on-campus provision and moving to offer a variety of virtual support services for the rest of the academic year. Click here to find more.
Accommodation
We appreciate many of you are wondering how a return home for the rest of the academic year will impact your accommodation payments. DMU, along with other universities, is examining current government guidance on this and seeking further clarity. We will issue a further update as soon as possible in the next few weeks. In the interim, for any other queries please speak to the Accommodation Office via email accommodation@dmu.ac.uk.
I know many of you have pressing concerns about exams, assessments, and deadlines. We are working on this as quickly as we can and will have more specific information ready for you later this week.
It’s hard to imagine a more stressful period for you as students. I want to thank you for your patience, as well as ready ourselves as a university community for the uncomfortable times ahead. You are being brilliant.
Posted on Tuesday 24 March 2020