This is what uni life will look like in September
SWANSEA UNIVERSITY EXPLAINS THE MEASURES PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS ARE SAFE
UNIVERSITIES have announced the academic year will go ahead as planned in September, but what will the experience be like?
Although it will vary across universities, Swansea University is keen to reassure students, parents and guardians that going to university in September is still a good idea. Consequently, the university held a Facebook Live on WalesOnline’s Facebook page on Thursday, July 30 and invited questions from those watching.
The event was chaired by WalesOnline’s education editor, Abbie Wightwick and she was joined by Mark Garratt, interim director of marketing, recruitment and international, Rebecca Lever, associate director of recruitment and marketing and Lanvell Blake, a student at the university studying public health and public promotion. CREATING A BUBBLE ENVIRONMENT
The university has been busy preparing the campus and facilities so that it can welcome students at the end of the summer. This was understandably an area that people wanted to know more about, and Swansea University was more than happy to explain how it plans to keep everyone safe.
Mark said: “The estates team have been on campus throughout the past few months and the level of detail they have gone into to ensure cleanliness is amazing. They have cleaned every area thoroughly, marked out one way systems and every member of staff and students will get hand sanitizers and face masks free of charge so they feel safe and secure.
“We are also minimizing the number of people who are on campus and implementing social distancing rules throughout the university. We are creating a bubble environment in the student accommodation, so students can live on the campus with peace of mind. Safety and security is our number one priority.” ADAPTING TO BLENDED LEARNING
As well as making changes in its facilities, the university has looked at how teaching can be adapted to suit government guidelines. Lectures with a large number of students might not be possible now, but that doesn’t mean face-to-face lessons won’t be available, especially for subjects that are normally based in labs.
“Yes, we can still offer lab-based sessions,” said Rebecca. “We will make sure students watch videos before going into the lab so they understand the health and safety involved, and sessions will only take place in small groups.”
“In essence, we are going to focus on blended learning,” added Mark. “It will be a combination of online lectures and face-to-face engagement that abides by government guidelines. It’s going to be flexible, as when you have a crisis like Covid-19 it gives you an opportunity to look at how we do things and assess what works best. This might be the way we approach teaching forever.”
Student Lanvell has been experiencing blended learning for the past few months, and although he prefers face-to-face teaching, he has found his lecturers are more accessible than ever before.
He said: “I have found that my lecturers have always been there when I needed them. I have also formed dissertation support groups on WhatsApp with my classmates and the student union team have been working really hard to maintain the student experience.” FOCUSING ON STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Swansea University was recently ranked sixth for overall student satisfaction in the 2020 National Student Survey (NSS), so it will continue to keep this high standard in September.
“I think we have always been proud of our pastoral care,” said Rebbeca. “We have a good reputation for supporting our students and we have a whole range of support services that can continue to be accessed in September.”
Freshers’ Week will also remain and the university is planning to have face-to-face social events alongside virtual events.
So, if you are a student preparing for university in September although it might be a little different, Swansea University is making sure students have the best experience possible.
“This is a new, flexible way of learning and living,” added Mark. “The world is going to change, so why not go to university and try it out in a learning environment that will enrich your life?”