University Updates

Welcome to your regular update

This week in University Updates...

There's more information on the current travel window and the return to campus in January and lots of events, including one for postgraduate students next term.

Student Travel Window

The government’s ‘travel window’ for students lasts until this Wednesday 9 December, with the majority of our teaching now online. Mass-testing for students with the government-provided Lateral Flow Device tests (LFD) will continue until midday on 9 December and we are increasing capacity where we can. Slots can be booked via the Winter Break web pages. 

It has been an extraordinary effort and if you have not yet booked or you’re interested in the process, then we have created a few short films on what you need to know, what happens if you test positive or negative and why testing matters. Those without symptoms who wish to get a test can book a slot using the links on our Winter Break web pages.

Our HALO test service will continue until Friday 18 December and this will be available for Postgraduate Research students (who are allowed to travel after the student travel window closes), and for anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or needs to get a test certificate for international travel. 

Cases on our campuses remain very low, but please continue to be vigilant and observe the COVID-19 safety guidance. If you have tested negative for COVID-19 for travel purposes you should self-isolate between your test and your departure to minimise the risk.

How can I get tested to enable me to travel internationally?

We will support students who need to get tested in order to travel internationally. If you require a test to travel, you should review the travel advice for your country carefully before booking a test. Some countries may need you to get tested within a certain time period of travelling, so check this requirement and request a test at a time that fits with your travel plans. You can book a test via the Rapid Response Hub. Please make sure you let them know that you need the test for international travel. 

The Lateral Flow Devices used for the government mass testing programme cannot be used as clearance for international travel in all countries so we will provide a HALO test for those wishing to travel overseas. These tests are recognised for purposes of international travel (PCR test) and you will receive a communication from HALO certifying that you have tested negative for COVID-19, thereby enabling you to travel. Our HALO testing site will continue to be open until Friday 18 December.

Please remember to bring your Student ID with you to the test centre when taking a test.

You may wish to make your own arrangements to acquire a private test before travelling. The Arora Hotel Group offer a ‘Test and Rest’ service, which allows students to book a PCR test and hotel stay at a number of major UK airports. Upon arrival at the airport, students can get tested and are then booked overnight into an airport hotel to relax until they receive their test results on the following day. On receipt of a negative test result, students can then proceed to take their flight. Costs and further details of this service can be found in this flyer. This service may be of particular interest to anyone travelling after the University of Exeter have ceased offering on site testing on Friday 18 December or for anyone who would prefer to travel to the airport before being tested. 

Returning in January

We have received the Department for Education (DfE) guidance on students returning from January 2021. We are finalising our plans and will keep you informed throughout next week and the winter break, so please make sure you check your email regularly. The key points of the government’s guidance for January are centred around a staggered start to in-person teaching next term, alongside testing for students as they return to campus.

Truro students take part in COVID-19 vaccine study

50 students studying to be doctors on our BMBS Medicine course at the Knowledge Spa in Truro are volunteering to help run a COVID-19 vaccine study with the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. In thanking all those involved, Doctor Duncan Browne said, “We are particularly grateful to the medical students, junior doctors, volunteers and vaccinators who helped the research team in ensuring this study was a success.” Medicine students have also been invited to take part in running the mass vaccination programme in the New Year. This is just one of the many ways our students and staff are supporting the COVID-19 response efforts.

Penryn Welfare team 

The Penryn Welfare team are here to support students whose health or welfare may be impacting on their studies or whose studies may be impacting upon their health and welfare. We are seeing students in person, via Teams and can do telephone appointments also - we can fit around your needs. Additionally on Wednesday afternoons 2pm - 4pm we offer confidential online chats with students. To find out more please see our webpage. 

Happy Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish colleagues and students! The Festival of Lights will be celebrated from 10 – 18 December this year. For any information on Hanukkah celebrations and other online services at the Exeter Synagogue, please contact Tony Reese (University Jewish Chaplain): A.J.Reese@exeter.ac.uk for Zoom codes.

Anti-racism project fund - deadline soon

Following engagement with students who championed the idea, we have committed £25,000 for you to develop innovative ideas and approaches to enhance the anti-racism agenda within the University community and beyond. The Education Incubator will offer project support to students to help ensure that these projects make a real difference.

Please see here to read five top tips to help write a successful project application. The initial deadline for project submission is 9 December at 5pm, with the decision panel consisting of student and staff representatives. You can find more information and an application form here. If you have any questions about applying, please get in touch with us at educationincubator@exeter.ac.uk.

Be safe, be seen 

As we approach the winter solstice, remember to be seen and stay safe. If you're walking, consider your walking route home; you are safest in well-lit and busy areas. To stay safe when riding your bike during dark winter evenings, it’s a good idea to check your lights, to ensure you can be seen. For more information on staying safe, check out our webpage.

Virtual Desktop Service

Our new virtual desktop service is now available. It allows you to remotely access a huge range of learning resources that you may need for your course.

With an internet connection and suitable device (including Windows, Mac and Chromebook) you can access:

1. A software directory with download links for you to install software on your own devices.
2. Windows Virtual Desktop, providing secure access to a suite of applications to support your study.*
3. LabStats Remote Desktop, providing secure access to graphic-intensive software.*

*The software available remotely will depend on the college in which you are studying.

To find out more visit the virtual desktops webpage. If you need more detailed guidance, the Digital Hub can help. 

We recommend using OneDrive for Business to store your work, however to remotely access files saved on University servers we recommend referring to this guidance.

If you encounter issues, please contact SID or email virtualdesktop@exeter.ac.uk

Digital Support 

The Digital Hub allows students to discover how to use and master the digital tools that support study and research at university. From January you’ll be able to find the Hub located between the Students’ Union and the Masters Suite, offering a socially distanced space to ask questions and receive training. 

In the meantime, if you need support over the winter break you can access a wide range of support from the Digital Hub online. Content ranges from quick drop-in ‘Espresso Sessions’ to bookable one-to-one surgery sessions with an expert. Find out more on our webpage. 

Your feedback on teaching in Term 1 

Many thanks to everyone who completed the online feedback form on the delivery of teaching in Term 1. We have received some really positive feedback about the support our students are providing each other with online learning, as well as a wide range of suggestions on possible improvements across themes including the provision of online teaching, library resources, study spaces, IT systems, welfare, workload and exams. We are continuing to collate and work through your feedback and this will be shared in detail with the senior team and college executive groups as soon as possible.

Think locally this Christmas

FX Plus’s Head of Sustainability, Oliver Milliner, is asking us all to think local this festive season. He has five reasons we should think and shop locally this Christmas, and you can find out more online.

Five ways to be more sustainable this Christmas

1) Did you know 227,000 miles of wrapping paper is used in the UK. Metallic paper and paper with glitter cannot be recycled. Why not use recyclable wrapping paper or alternatives such as fabric, newspaper, magazines or decorate cardboard boxes, which can then be recycled.

2) Waste not! – find a tasty freeze-able recipe to use up any food leftovers – defrost and enjoy later. 

3) Last year across Europe, over 12 million tonnes of electronic waste was generated, and less than half of this was recycled. 

Consider buying electronics second-hand, and dispose of broken or unwanted items correctly. Try getting items repaired at a local repair café or by asking for help on your community Facebook page! If unrepairable, recycle appropriately at a recycling centre. 

4) The Carbon Trust estimates that a two metre artificial tree has more than 10 times the carbon footprint of a natural one, if both are incinerated. You’d have to use an artificial tree for nearly 12 years for an impact lower than buying a real tree each year. But the best option is to have an actively growing, carbon-sequestering tree. 

5) The best thing you can do is give someone a sustainable present. A sustainable gift is kinder to the Planet, will support businesses moving towards sustainability, and importantly, encourages the recipient to consider sustainability, making them more likely to act in a more conscious way beyond Christmas. 

New EP release for Semi-Toned 

The University’s all-male a cappella group, Semi-Toned, known for winning BBC2’s primetime TV show The Choir: Gareth’s Best in Britain and reaching the final of Sky 1’s Sing: Ultimate A Cappella, has just released a new album featuring hits from David Bowie, Shawn Mendes, The White Stripes, and more! The group has previously performed around the UK and US, including a sell-out comedy music show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This year, the group has decided to put some of their favourite tracks onto an album, especially since they cannot currently perform due to the pandemic. It is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, iTunes and YouTube. 

Family Christmas Lecture - Solar Orbiter, Building an Instrument to Study the Sun 

Join us for the annual family-friendly Christmas themed lecture from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the University. This will be an evening of fun, facts and physics about how our star creates and controls the giant bubble of plasma that surrounds the whole Solar System and influences the planets within it. The guest speaker is Chris Brockley-Blatt, BEng(Hons) CEng FIMechE, Project Manager of the Solar Wind Analyser instrument on Solar Orbiter. The event will take place on Tuesday 8 December between 6:50 – 8 pm. More details and event registration can be found here.

Postgraduate students - book on to our special event

Please join us on Thursday 14 January for our special online welcome event for the postgraduate community. Hosted by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lisa Roberts, with senior colleagues from the University and your Students' Union, you will be able to ask any questions you may have. The event is free, but please book your ticket here.

Check your contacts 

Did you know that you can view, update and add your emergency contacts and home and term-time address online via the Student Record System (SRS)? Please take a minute to check that your personal information is correct by logging in to iExeter through your mobile app or the website. Click on the Student Record & Registration (SRS) tile; then select the ‘Edit Emergency Contact information’ and 'Edit address' sections in the facilities box. 

Entrecomp - Your Careers Competency Framework

While at Exeter you’ll have the opportunity to not only further your academic knowledge and understanding, but also to develop your employability skills and competencies. We’ve adopted Entrecomp, a widely used European framework which aims to establish a bridge between education and the world of work. Each of our careers activities have been labelled with the relevant Entrecomp area. You can see which area of the framework each activity will help you to develop, so that you can target your engagement accordingly. Find out more about how Entrecomp can help you to transform ideas and opportunities into action.

The following events will be held online:

Tuesday 8 December, 6:50pm-8pm, Family Christmas Lecture - Solar Orbiter, Building an Instrument to Study the Sun. Find out more and register here. 

Thursday 10 December, 4:30pm, Hazel Carby (Yale University): ‘Imperial Sexual Economies’. Find out more and book here. 

Thursday 14 January, 3pm-4pm - Postgraduate welcome event, online with the Vice-Chancellor Professor Lisa Roberts and representatives from the Students' Union. Book your place here

Keep an eye on the Students’ Union Website to keep up to date with upcoming events.

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