Union calls for all uni lessons to go online
COVENTRY and Warwick universities are putting students, staff and residents at risk of “serious illness or death” by having face-to-face lessons, a union has said.
The University and College Union (UCU) is urging both of the city’s universities to have lectures and seminars solely online in bid to avoid the spread of coronavirus. The union says that “inperson teaching will not be safe, sustainable or pedagogically sound” and claim that “neither university has the confidence of staff and students to manage the high levels of risk associated with the return to campus”.
Their calls for teaching to take place solely online has been backed by Coventry MP Zarah Sultana. However, the universities say they are following Public Health England and Government advice as they prepare to welcome students back.
A joint statement from the Coventry and Warwick UCU Branches reads: “As the government SAGE report released on Friday indicated, campus outbreaks of Covid-19 are inevitable, and the likely consequences severe – for local communities as well as for the students and staff exposed, and their households. Despite the universities’ promise of risk mitigation, requiring staff and students to undertake in-person teaching will not be safe, sustainable or pedagogically sound.
“While we have continued to support the risk assessment process at both universities, having assessed the evidence we believe that the risks are much higher than acknowledged by our university leadership for our university communities and the city of Coventry at large.
“Neither university has the confidence of staff and students to manage the high levels of risk associated with the return to campus. Poor management of planning, communications and expectations of students will impact further on the existing university mental health crisis. Forcing all but the most vulnerable staff back to campus subjects them and the Coventry community to risks of serious illness and death that are entirely predictable and avoidable.”
Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana called on Warwick and Coventry universities to move teaching online and abandon plans for wider reopening of campuses.
In a letter to the Vice-chancellors of the universities, the MP said “mounting evidence shows that further measures are necessary to protect the health and well-being of students, staff and the wider community”.
She also said she supports the call “for all teaching to be online except in very limited circumstances”. In response, a spokesman for Coventry University said: “Safety has been the starting point for our plans to reopen our campuses and this will continue to be our focus moving forward. We have and will continue to follow all Government and Public Health England advice. “Our return to campus is being done in a planned and co-ordinated way and we have consulted trade unions and staff through our health and safety committee. We are working locally with University of Warwick, the council, public health officials and the students’ union and nationally with other universities and the Department for Education. ”
A spokesman for University of Warwick said: “We will be offering a blend of face-to-face and online learning.
“In term one lectures will take place online. This means any session with a class size above 25 will be delivered digitally.
“We will, at all times, follow the advice and instructions of Public Health England and Government as a whole. We are also drawing directly on the advice of Warwick researchers who work with the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).”
Neither university has the confidence of staff and students to manage the high levels of risk.
Coventry and Warwick UCU Branches
A union fears for the safety of students having face-to-face lessons at Coventry University and the University of Warwick