No images? Click here
University Updates
Welcome to your first edition of University Updates. We'll be sending this newsletter out on a regular basis to keep you updated and informed during your time with us.
In University Updates...
There's information on an upcoming COVID-19 vaccination talk and walk-in clinics. You can also find out about digital support services and the SafeZone app. Look out for our new-look version of University Updates, which is coming soon. It'll still be packed with tons of info and events for you.
COVID-19 case numbers
The daily numbers of confirmed positive cases for students and staff can be found on our COVID-19 statistics web page. The data shown uses a 7 day rolling average and provides the last date for which case numbers have been collated.
The overall rate of positive results on our campuses remains low - to ensure we continue to protect our University community, we must all continue to follow Government advice – test regularly, wash hands, wear a face covering and use the NHS test and trace app. Alongside the vaccination programme, following this advice will help us to keep case numbers low and keep our University life moving.
If you have COVID-19 symptoms, the test you need is different
If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms – cough, loss of taste or smell, high temperature – you need a PCR/HALO test. This is different to the regular LFD testing we encourage everyone to take part in. If you are symptomatic, you must self-isolate and take a PCR/HALO test – you can order a free test via the Government website, or book a test via our Rapid Response Hub Please do not travel to our LFD test centres or try and collect an LFD home test kit. If you have any questions, contact our Rapid Response Hub.
Face coverings
Please continue to wear your face covering in our indoor spaces, unless you are exempt. This will help protect yourself and others and keep University life moving. Don’t forget to read and respect our ‘Safe Community Charter’ which sets out the personal commitments we must all make, alongside our commitment to managing the risk presented to us all by COVID-19.
Your COVID-19 vaccine questions and concerns answered
Have questions or concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine? If so, join our online COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A with experts from the University and NHS - from 17:00-18:00 on Monday 27 September.
Students’ Guild President, Lily Margaroli will host the event and to join the session, all you need to do is click on this link using your University email address. You’ll have the opportunity to put questions to the panellists.
The event will be recorded, so if you’re not able to join us on Monday 27 September, you’ll be able to access the recording by clicking on the event link (above) a few days after the live session has ended.
Get vaccinated! Grab your jab
We’re hosting more drop-in vaccination clinics on our Streatham and St Luke’s Campuses. They’ll offer the Pfizer vaccine and be open from 10am – 5pm at both locations. There is no need to book. You can get your first or second dose at the clinic – please remember, if receiving your second dose, your first must have been Pfizer and must have been at least 8 weeks ago.
Monday 27 to Wednesday 29 September - Innovation Centre, Streatham Campus
Thursday 30 September - Exeter Medical School, St Luke's
For students on health programmes, please note that NHS requirements may differ. Your programme will keep you informed of any actions you need to take.
Do you need a Flu jab?
More people are likely to get flu this winter as fewer people will have built up natural immunity to it during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re encouraging all those eligible to get their flu vaccination, alongside the COVID-19 jab, as soon as you are able. This will provide the strongest possible protection over the colder months.
If you’re eligible for the free NHS flu vaccine (see the NHS web pages), your doctor will contact you to arrange an appointment. You can also book a flu jab via your local chemist or supermarket and a quick online search will show your nearest provider. Find out more on the NHS website.
Look after your Wellbeing in Term 1
If you need a break from the hustle and bustle of campus life, why not check out Exehale, our quiet Wellbeing space? Exehale can be found on the first floor of Devonshire House and provides a welcome respite and a space to breathe. See our web page for more information.
To help you think about keeping yourself well in the busy term ahead, Wellbeing Services are running a series of talks and activities in conjunction with Mind over Natter and Residence Life. For more details, go to the Wellbeing Services website.
Wellbeing activities
The following Wellbeing activities will be taking place this week:
- Residence Life: Together Tuesdays. Tuesday 21 September, 5 -7pm at Duryard Lawn.
- Residence Life: Wednesday Crafternoons. Wednesday 22 September, 1pm in Residence Life room, Mardon Hall.
- LEGO Serious Play: Resilience. Wednesday 22 September, 11:30am-12:30pm in Harrison 106 and Friday 24 September, 1-2pm in Baring Court 114. Please book your place here.
- Come and see us in our campervan to find out more about Wellbeing Services. Thursday 23 September, 3 – 4:30pm at Birks Grange.
Students' community guide
We’ve put together a guide to help you settle into life in Exeter, filled with advice which will be useful throughout the year. At the back of the guide you’ll also find a list of useful contacts for the University and beyond.
Postgraduate Welcome: An evening with the Vice- Chancellor
We invite postgraduate students to join us in the Forum Alumni Auditorium on Wednesday 29 September at 6pm for a welcome from the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lisa Roberts, and Students' Guild President, Lily Margaroli. Following the welcome and an opportunity to ask questions, a drinks reception will be held in Forum Street.
We hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know a bit more about your University and network with other postgraduates. Tickets are free, but places must be pre-booked here. Bookings close noon, Friday 24 September.
Financial support for IT equipment
Our library and study spaces allow you to work flexibly in a way that suits you. To help you learn where and when you want to, you should bring your own device or laptop to campus wherever possible. You can access computers on campus by booking a desk with a computer here. If getting your own device is financially difficult, you can apply for funds to buy computer equipment through the University's Success for All fund. We may also be able to help if your circumstances mean that you need assistance to purchase specialist equipment.
IT and Digital Support Services
Exeter IT has published a list of IT and digital support services available for students at the start of term, you can find this within the Digital Hub SharePoint site.
Campus Study Spaces
Our study spaces have a range of bookable and drop-in spaces to allow you to study in a way that suits you. To use these spaces, please book your desk here. You can also check out our library map to help find your reserved desk if needed. If you prefer drop-in spaces, you can find out where these are here.
Student Check-In
During some or all of your sessions, your lecturer may share a One Time Code for engagement monitoring. At the moment, each course chooses whether or not to monitor your engagement this way, so don’t worry if your modules don’t all follow the same procedure.
How does it work?
Your lecturer will share the code with you during your session - you’ll need to log into iExeter, input this code and register your attendance. If you don’t have a device for accessing iExeter or you have difficulty using the system, don’t worry, try refreshing your sessions or let your lecturer know so they can log in on your behalf.
We recommend you read the full guidance on student check-in, including troubleshooting advice and screenshots, within the Digital Hub SharePoint.
Check-in information allows us to review engagement for welfare purposes and helps ensure Tier 4 visa holders meet their attendance requirements.
New tool available to help you with referencing
You have access to Cite Them Right online. This provides guidance on:
• Plagiarism and how to avoid it
• How to correctly reference a range of sources
• How to correctly reference using Harvard, APA, Chicago, IEEE, MHRA, MLA, OSCOLA, and Vancouver styles
Most University referencing styles have been replaced with those in Cite Them Right online. Please take a look at our updated referencing guide to check the guidelines for your department. If you have any questions contact the Library. For support with referencing, visit the referencing guide or contact Study Zone.
Welcome to all Freshers' from the Library team
Here are some key messages for you about libraries and study spaces.
•See the online library induction and quiz to make the most of your library services.
•'Request' books on the library catalogue if they are on loan or at another library or campus.
•Please bring your own laptop whenever possible. The libraries have increased the number of study spaces with power. There are bookable PCs in other buildings.
•Most study desks are 'drop in' but some rooms and silent study desks are bookable online.
Please get in touch on live chat (soon to be 24/7) or email library@exeter.ac.uk
English Language Skills
Want to improve your English for your studies and everyday life? We offer a wide range of courses, workshops and 1 to 1 learning, which covers everything from academic writing, seminar skills, presentation skills, pronunciation and conversational English. It’s all part of our Insessional English Language Skills Development programme.
Courses and workshops can be booked throughout the academic year; you can find out more here. Independent study materials can also be found on the Guided Independent Learning site here.
Disability Network meeting dates
The Disability Network meetings will be the last Wednesday of the month:
• 29 September, 1-2pm
• 24 November, 1-2pm
• 15 December, 1-2pm
For accessibility information & the meeting links, please email disabilitynetwork@exeter.ac.uk All are welcome to attend, including allies, and it will be an open discussion.
Mind Over Natter
In January 2016 Laura Penhaul crossed the pacific in a 29ft rowing boat. For 253 days she lived and worked with her three teammates. Nine months after setting sail from San Francisco the team arrived in Australia having rowed 9,000nm and earned 2 World Records.
Laura joins us for the first Mind Over Natter of term to share her experiences and offer tips on looking after your wellbeing while facing the unknown. Are you feeling apprehensive about starting a new year? Or perhaps you’re moving in with some new flat mates and looking for advice on keeping your relationships ship shape? Come along to Mind Over Natter on Wednesday 29 September, 12:45pm for some of Laura's top tips gleaned from life on the pacific. Sign up here.
Register with your local doctor
While you're at University we strongly recommend you register with the Student Health Centre or a doctor's surgery near to where you live. You can find out more about the Student Health Centre here.
FREE drink spiking test kits and personal alarm
While our campuses are generally safe places to live and socialise, for those who would like them we have free personal alarms and drink spiking test kits. They’re available from the Estate Patrol office (in University reception at the top of the Great Hall piazza), the Ram Bar and across accommodation receptions.
Drink spiking is the act of adding unwanted chemicals or alcohol to someone’s drink. Remember - don’t leave your drink unattended and never accept a drink if you haven’t seen it being poured/opened, or accept a drink from someone you don’t know or trust. If you think your drink’s been spiked, get help straight away. Drink spiking carries a maximum 10 year prison sentence - adding something to a friend’s drink may seem like a bit of fun, but it can be very dangerous and could result in criminal charges. Find out more here.
Emergency numbers
If there is an immediate emergency call 999 and ask for the police, ambulance, fire service or coastguard (for emergencies on the coast/at sea). If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can use their textphone service 18000 or text 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergency SMS service. You can find more information on our safety webpages here.
For support on campus, you can also contact Estate Patrol on their routine number: 01392 723999, emergency number: 01392 722222 or find out more information here.
For emergency mental health contacts visit our urgent support webpage.
To call the police for non-emergency enquires, use 101. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use their textphone service on 18001 101. You can also call the NHS for non-emergency health issues on 111 or visit their website here.
Download the SafeZone app
SafeZone is an app that helps us to help you whilst on campus, if you request it.
In the event of an emergency, we’ll be able to keep you updated, via text messages, should you need to be aware of any vital location-based information. Once installed, if you press Emergency, Help or First aid, your location will be sent to relevant staff on campus and allows us to keep you updated, via text message or notifications.
To download the app please go to: www.safezoneapp.com and follow the instructions for your device. You will need to register with your University of Exeter email address. Find out more information about the SafeZone app online.
Night bus
We’ve worked with Stagecoach to put on a new Night Bus service. It runs three evenings a week on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, between the Streatham and St Luke’s campuses and the city centre, and will continue until 4am. Its aim is to support you as you return from the city centre. You can see the timetable and find out more here.
Please drink responsibly
If you chose to drink alcohol, please do so responsibly to avoid any damaging effects on your physical and mental health. To learn more about the risks of drinking too much, see the NHS alcohol support webpages. Tips on how to cut down and consume alcohol more safely:
- Keep count; record how many drinks you have using a drink diary. This may help reduce or slow down your drinking.
- Pace yourself; try to sip drinks slowly and make sure you only have one drink per hour.
- Don’t forget to eat; eating food can help reduce cravings for alcohol.
- Do something else; take up a hobby, begin an exercise programme. Find something that will occupy the time in which you would normally drink.
- Avoid drinking near bedtime; give your body time to process the alcohol you’ve drunk before you sleep – on average it takes an hour to process one unit.
If you need support with cutting down on drinking, please contact our wellbeing services.
Pitch up and Play Sessions
Pitch up and play is a great way to get involved with non-competitive sports sessions with no weekly commitment. Each session has an activator to welcome you, answer any questions and help you get involved. Pitch up and play is a great way to try something different and meet new people whilst getting active!
Places are limited; please pre-book here.
'Learn About Weather' with a free online course
Have you ever wanted to learn a bit more about the weather? Would you like a better understanding of the forecast information or climate change data that you see on TV or online?
The University, Met Office and Royal Meteorological Society are offering a free four-week MOOC (open online course) on weather. It opens on Monday 27 September, but don't worry if you miss this date, you can join after this point (although the later you leave it the less you will be able to take advantage of the discussion and guidance available).
You can sign up or see more information on the course here.
Win £100 for signing up to Green Rewards
Join our sustainability programme for your chance to win vouchers for taking positive environmental action.
Green Rewards is our way of rewarding you for caring about our planet. Sign up via our web platform or app, then take part in sustainable actions to earn ‘Green Points’. Each month, the four top Green Points earners win a £20 voucher to say thanks for their efforts!
Sign up by Thursday 30 September, to earn a bonus 2,000 Green Points and be entered into a draw for 1 x £100 voucher.
Work on new Food Court starts in October
Construction work will begin in early October 2021 to create a new Food Court on the South Piazza of the Forum on Streatham Campus, next to Pret A Manger and below Costa. The new food and drink social area will offer a street market atmosphere where students, staff and visitors can eat in or takeaway. It will offer longer opening hours and a unique space for gatherings and events. We expect the Food Court to be complete and open in February 2022. To find out more, visit our webpage.
From Monday 4 October the Old Library car park will close to create a compound for the construction company completing the Food Court project, please follow footpath diversions in the area to enter the Old Library from the main entrance. Please take care when in the South Piazza area. We apologise for any disruption the construction work may cause.
Road safety on campus
As Streatham Campus gets busier over the next few weeks with more people and vehicles, please remember to take care on Campus roads and footpaths. For your safety, when on foot please use the appropriate road crossings, avoid walking in the road and follow footpath diversions.
Too Good to Go
Great news for food waste – the Market Place Forum is listed on the Too Good to Go app, which lets you buy and collect food at a great price so that it gets eaten instead of wasted. Grab a magic bag for just £3.50 consisting of food that hasn’t sold in time. You won’t know what you are going to get until you pick it up. Download the app, and you can hopefully grab a bargain. For more info, see the Eat and Shop website.
Welcome From Your Career Zone Team
So, what does the Career Zone do and how can we help? We can support you with anything related to your career. That includes part-time jobs, internships, vacation work, placements, graduate jobs, postgraduate study, CV and cover letters, application forms, interviews and aptitude tests.
If you ever need to speak to us, the Career Zone is available online or in person. You can chat with us in the Exchange, live chat with us via our webpages, email us at careers@exeter.ac.uk or give us a call on +44 (0)1392 724493.
Virtual Careers Fairs 2021
The Career Zone has three dates for your diary:
- Casual Jobs and Internships Fair, Tuesday 5 October, 11am - 2pm
- Virtual Careers and Opportunities Fair, Wednesday 20 October, 11:30am – 3:30pm
- Law Virtual Careers Fair, Wednesday 10 November, 11:30am – 3:30pm
All the fairs are taking place through Handshake so make sure you have claimed your account to book your space and take advantage of group sessions and 1:1s with top employers.
We also have a range of events with employers or our graduates (alumni), as well as lots of skills sessions happening this term that will also be listed and bookable through Handshake – don’t miss out, log in now!
Monday 27 September, 1-2pm, ESI Talk, “Small but Might; how Microbes change the Earth”, with Dr Laura Newsome.
Monday 27 September, 5pm-6pm, online – COVID-19 Vaccine Q&As. A chance to ask questions about the COVID-19 vaccines with academics and a panel member from the NHS.
Wednesday 29 September, 11:30am-1pm, online event, Catalysing Institutional Reform: Creating an inclusive learning environment for British Muslim students, with Dr Zain Sardar.
Wednesday 29 September, 12:45-1:30pm, Mind Over Natter: How to cross your own pacific with Laura Penhaul.
Don't forget to also keep your eye out on events and activities run by your Students’ Guild.
Tell us what you think of this newsletter:
Get in touch with your feedback or news stories at: studentcomms@exeter.ac.uk
