No images? Click here University Updates Welcome back to your regular University Updates. This week in University Updates...There's information on accessing your learning materials while self-isolating, and an update about the health services available to you. You can also find out about the next Mind Over Natter event. COVID-19Exceptional circumstances - COVID-19 and online teachingWe’ve had some cases where our teaching staff have had to self-isolate because they have COVID-19, or where they may be unable to provide in-person teaching because someone they care for is self-isolating. In these exceptional circumstances, teaching colleagues may still be able to teach online and wherever possible we’ll try to ensure online teaching takes place rather than cancelling your session. We try to give as much notice as possible if this is required but it can happen quickly, if a positive test has just come through. Please check your timetables regularly, as well as emails and texts. Thank you for your patience. Wearing your face covering can help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Please keep wearing yours in all University buildings and indoor spaces. Remember, if you are unable to attend your in-person lectures because you are self-isolating, you should report this via iExeter using the 'teaching and learning tools' tile. You should also speak to your tutor for advice on how to catch up on any missed sessions. Accessing learning materials while self-isolatingIf you’re self-isolating because you have tested positive for COVID-19, you can access some learning content through your module ELE pages. This may include lecture capture recordings of lectures and whole-module sessions. For most programmes, we have returned to our pre-pandemic way of in-person teaching, so unfortunately aren’t able to provide full remote learning opportunities. Please attend the on-campus teaching in your timetable as soon as your quarantine ends. Have concerns? Contact your tutor, module convenor, or Hub/Info point. Alternatively, you can talk to our Student Welfare advisors here or your Students’ Union advice unit (please don’t attend in person during your isolation period but contact them via email). If your academic needs to self-isolate, they will provide online learning materials to cover any in-person teaching sessions that they cannot attend. Check out the online support if you’re self-isolating’We’ve updated the self-isolation and quarantine information on our student pages with everything you need to know about when you need to self-isolate and what support is available to you during this time. We’ve also created a guide with activities to keep you busy whilst you’re isolating, and ideas on how to keep connected with your friends and University community. Remember, if you have symptoms you must book a test via our Rapid Response Hub. More Pfizer vaccination clinicsWe are holding additional COVID-19 Pfizer vaccination clinics, for anyone who has not yet had their first or second jabs, and for anyone eligible for a booster jab. Dates, times and locations below – please book online. Penryn and Falmouth, all clinics, 10am-3pm
If it is your second dose, your first dose must have been Pfizer, and must have taken place at least eight weeks ago. Please ensure you bring your NHS number and details of previous vaccinations. SafetyAlcohol Awareness WeekThis week is Alcohol Awareness Week; the theme this year is alcohol and relationships. Many of us drink alcohol for various reasons, including to relax, socialise and de-stress. But drinking too much or too often can lead to problems for our mental and physical health, including damaging relationships with loved ones. It’s important to drink responsibly and be aware of the effects of alcohol on yourself and others. Here are a few tips when it comes to drinking more responsibly:
If you need support with cutting down on drinking, please contact Student Support. Alcohol PoisoningIt is important to be aware of the signs of alcohol poisoning and what to do if you or someone you know is experiencing them. Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning are:
If you suspect alcohol poisoning, call 999. Drink spikingIf you think your drink has been spiked (or you think someone else’s has) please let staff in the venue you’re in, know. Many clubs and venues have a plan in place and will be able to help you. It’s important to also report it to the police as this provides vital intelligence and helps arrests to be made. All police patrol cars have testing kits on board. You can read advice from the Students’ Union on what to do if you, or a friend, has been spiked. Remember you can collect your own spiking detection kits and personal alarms from Glasney Lodge, the Compass Helpdesk, Students' Union Office, the Security Information Building and the Stannary Bar. Police Safety GuideCornwall is generally a safe place to live, study and work. This Devon and Cornwall police student safety guide contains helpful information about making the most of your time studying here safely. HealthFeeling unwell? Who to contactIf you are feeling unwell, please be aware there are a range of local health services available to you. The one you use should be dependent on the seriousness of your symptoms. Choosing the right service means you could get help faster and avoids putting extra pressure on our local health services:
If you have an accident or medical emergency while on campus, please call the FX Plus Emergency Line 01326 254444. Protect yourself against infectionsMake sure you are protected against infections while you are at Uni: Measles Mumps and Rubella: Check you have had the two Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccinations. These are offered free at Penryn Surgery or contact your doctor. Flu (influenza) vaccinations are also free on the NHS for patients with certain chronic health conditions - please check the NHS website for eligibility and speak to your health centre about how to book an appointment. HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) vaccinations: Women aged 25 years and under are eligible for the HPV vaccination - if you have missed any or all of the doses which protect against genital cancers and genital warts, contact your doctor. Meningitis: be aware of the symptomsMeningitis is a life-threatening condition, so it’s important to make sure you’re vaccinated and know the signs and symptoms. Symptoms can appear in any order. Some may not appear at all. Early symptoms can include: fever with cold hands and feet, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pain and stomach cramps. If you think you or someone you know has these symptoms call NHS 111 or your doctor straight away. If you or the person concerned becomes seriously ill, then dial 999. The MenACWY jab protects against four types of meningitis and it is free for students from Penryn Surgery or from your local doctor - if you’re unsure if you have already had the vaccine, please contact the health centre. Your learningJanuary examsTimetable Your January exam timetable is due to be released via MyTimetable during the week commencing 22 November. If any of your exams are missing from your timetable, or you see one listed that you are not due to take, please contact Penryn info point immediately. All times listed are Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). If you are in a different time zone during an online exam, make sure you allow for the time difference. If in doubt, use a website like the time zone converter. Handbook Please remember to read the updated Student Handbook for Exams to learn more about how the different exam formats operate, submitting an online exam paper, and the support available to you during the January assessment period. Festival of Compassion – book up now!Our Festival of Compassion runs from 19-28 November 2021, with activities online and on campus. You’re invited to engage with the brilliant resources to experience and help shape a future in which compassion is celebrated. Will you join us? There is an official opening event with our Vice-Chancellor, Lisa Roberts, on Monday 22 November at 12:30 pm live on Teams. Project lead Maarten Koeners will share the story behind the festival, how it came about and give you some highlights to look forward to. You can book here. Update on recent University and College Union (UCU) ballotsUCU members were asked if they would be willing to take industrial action over the USS pension and pay and conditions. At Exeter, the turnout for the USS pension ballot was 47% and the turnout for the pay and conditions ballot was 47.2% - both are below the legally required 50% minimum threshold needed to support strike action and/or action short of a strike. On the basis of this outcome, no industrial action will be taken at Exeter in relation to either the USS pension or the pay and conditions ballots, however, we will keep you informed of any further developments. Your WellbeingRevision and your wellbeing - Mind over NatterPreparing for exams and developing good revision practices can be difficult, particularly when you’re balancing exam prep with coursework and the winter holidays. But there are strategies that you can use to make it all feel less daunting. Join Study Zone’s Jennie Fox and Claire Davey-Potts for Mind Over Natter on Wednesday 24 November at 12:45pm, as they provide tips on looking after your wellbeing whilst balancing coursework, revision and Christmas. Sign up here. Fika: Mental FitnessFika is a Mental Fitness platform designed to help you improve your Seven Skills of Mental Fitness. In the Fika app, or web platform, you can work through the extensive library of exercises across all skills. All of the exercises are delivered in a 5-minute format, making it easier for you to fit it in to your day. If you want some extra guidance with the exercises, the Fika trainers put on livestreams via the app, where you can tune in and hear from experts and other users. As you work your way though, you can also earn endorsed certificates, which you can add to your CV, LinkedIn profile and other places. Fika is accessible for free by searching 'Fika' and downloading the app from the App Store/Google Play Store, and registering using your university email address. Together this MovemberThis Movember, whether you grow a moustache, get moving, or simply check in with someone you care about, share the Movember message. If you need a safe place to share how you’re feeling, togetherall is an anonymous online community with self-help resources. International Students DayJoin us as we celebrate our diverse international community on campus on International Students Day, Wednesday 17 November. We will be hosting an informal and relaxed social event in the café bar in The Stannary (downstairs) between 5-7pm, open to all ‘international’ students. Please bring your friends or come and meet other overseas students whilst enjoying a free drink and a pasty on us. Please register your interest to get a free ticket here. Interfaith Week 2021This interfaith week, the Multifaith Chaplaincy team invites you to spend the week helping create a cultural calendar of events, which will increase awareness of faith communities and celebrate the contribution their members make to society. The team would like you to include whatever makes you feel connected to your beliefs – this might be a religious/spiritual festival, a local event from home, or an awareness day/week/month about an important issue. They’d like to capture greetings that are appropriate to give on that day, clothing, food that is eaten - all those little details that bring these events alive. The result will be a resource that our community can use to mark special occasions and plan events during the year. You’ll find the interactive calendar by the bridge near the main entrance to Penryn Campus library and online. More information about the interfaith week is available online. Big Student SurveyFill out The Big Student Survey (open now until Friday 26 November) and tell your Students' Union what you think of them. By submitting your responses, you'll be entered into a prize draw to win a top prize of £300, plus runner-up prizes of £100 and £50. Divest, Invest, EngageWe’d like to remind you that everybody is invited to attend an open session on how the University invests responsibly. The session will provide a brief overview of how we have implemented our policy from Andrew Connolly, Chief Financial Officer, and an opportunity to hear from Rathbones Greenbank on their ethical investment approach. There will also be a Q&A session following these presentations. The session takes place on Wednesday 17 November, will be streamed live using this Teams link. If you have any questions or wish to submit a question before the event, please contact Finance Services (adfm-admin@exeter.ac.uk). Student CallersAre you looking for a paid job next term? Why not join our Telethon team of students who call our graduates? We begin calling on Monday 7 February 2022, and the campaign will run for a total of six weeks. Over the past 15 years, graduates have donated more than £4 million to our Annual Fund through the work of the Telethon teams of students. You’ll be given full training and matched with alumni you have something in common with (e.g. similar course). Check out the webpage for further details. Applications close on 1 December 2021. The robots are comingJoin this talk and robot demonstration from Engineered Arts who is a world-renowned Falmouth based robotics company. You'll see their latest state of the art Mesmer humanoid robots in action and discover more about their ground breaking work in humanoid entertainment robots and software for film & TV, theatre and corporate events. If you are interested in: robotics, electronics, software development, artificial intelligence, animation, film, engineering, prosthetics or product design, this is the event for you - Thursday 18 November at 5pm, Exchange Lecture Theatre. Places are limited to 75 due to COVID restrictions. The event will also be streamed live. To guarantee a place, book here. Emergency Alert System – testingThe UK Government has set up and developed a mobile Emergency Alerting System to warn you of any emergencies within your area. They are due to test nationally later this month. The alert notification sent will sound an audible alarm on your phone and vibrate for approximately 10 secs. This will be a test, and NO ACTION is to be taken, but it may startle you if you are not expecting it. Virtual Aspiring Educators FairThe Virtual Aspiring Educators Fair, taking place Wednesday 17 November 2021, is a fantastic opportunity to find out about the different routes into teaching and training opportunities available from a diverse range of organisations. This fair is open to everyone, regardless of study year and subject. Exhibitors include Ark Teacher Training, Explore Learning, and Devon Primary SCITT. Book your place now to avoid missing out. There will also be a Teaching Alumni event after the fair at 5pm with Exeter alumni in the education sector. Fortnightly on Tuesdays, 6 - 7.30pm, in the Chaplaincy. Georgia’s Voice confidential support groups for young women with mental health concerns. Find out more here. Tuesday 16 November, online, Postgraduate Open Day. Book your place and find out more information about all levels of postgraduate study on our website. Wednesday 17 November, 10am - 3pm, in the Exchange on the ground floor, in the street area, COVID-19 vaccine clinic, please book here. Wednesday 17 November, 2:30-3:30pm, Wellbeing Webinar: Overcoming Panic attacks. Please book here. Wednesday 17 November, 4pm, How we invest responsibly. The event will take place in the Alumni Auditorium, Streatham Campus, and online using this Teams link. Wednesday 17 November, Virtual Aspiring Educators Fair. Don’t miss out – register now! Thursday 18 November, 5pm, Exchange Lecture Theatre, the robots are coming. Places are limited, book here. Monday 22 November, 12:30-1pm, Exeter Festival of Compassion Official Opening, via Teams. Book here. Tuesday 23 November, 10 am – 3 pm, outside the Drawing Studio, Falmouth Campus, COVID-19 vaccination clinic, please book here. Wednesday 24 November, 12:45pm - 1:30pm, Mind Over Natter: Getting the balance right, exam revision and coursework. Book here. Tuesday 30 November, 6 - 8pm, Women and Leadership event, please book here. Wednesday 1 December, 12.30 -14.30, The Citizens Assembly on Climate, book here. Wednesday 8 December, 10am – 3pm, ground floor, Exchange building, Penryn Campus, COVID-19 vaccination clinic, please book here. Our Festival of Compassion runs from 19-28 November 2021; please see more information above. Don't forget to also keep your eye out on events and activities run by your Students' Union. Tell us what you think of this newsletter:Get in touch with your feedback or news stories at: studentcomms@exeter.ac.uk |