Message from the Vice-Chancellor to students - 24/03/20

Dear student,

The Prime Minister’s announcement of even tougher measures to halt the spread of coronavirus signals a fundamental shift in the way we live our lives. However difficult this is, it does mean a temporary halt to the freedoms we all enjoy. I must stress that we all have a duty to follow and observe these stringent new rules. It’s tough, I know, but I urge you and us all as a University community to do so.

I understand that the announcement may have prompted you to make new plans, and we want to be able to support you.  Any students who no longer wish to continue staying in Cardiff University accommodation for the remainder of the Spring Semester (after Easter) will be released from their Residences Agreements.  This means that students not staying in Cardiff do not need to pay the third instalment of their Residences Fees which would have been due on 22 April 2020.

In order to process this though we do need clarity from students as to where they are over Easter. Already around 6,000 of you have responded to our request to let us know whether you will be here or not. Please can I urgently request all of you to tell us whether you are heading home or staying in Cardiff, and whether you have any underlying health conditions or are self-isolating because you are displaying coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms.

As I type I am conscious that many of you are in the process of leaving following the announcement last night. The Department for Education have now issued the following advice:

• Students should only return home if they are able to do so without using public transport. On returning home, the household should begin a period of whole household isolation for 14 days following PHE guidance.
• Anyone who can return home should gain agreement from their university or college before doing this. Students living in privately owned halls should contact the manager of their accommodation to advise them of their plans.

Students can take it that they have University agreement to return home, but we do ask you to fill in the form referenced earlier letting us know of your decision. I wish you well on your journey.

Others of you will already have left, and it is not advisable for you to return and collect your belongings. Please rest assured that we will look after them carefully in your room.

If we do need to make your room available to the NHS we will put your possessions in storage. If you have any concerns around this, please contact residences@cardiff.ac.uk and we will do our best to arrange delivery of any essential items such as medicines.

We will be posting more information on our coronavirus website pages tomorrow with further information.

For those students staying in Cardiff we continue to work hard to look after you. We will try to contact all of you over the coming weeks and have a team of staff volunteers on hand to do this.

Catering will shut down though in this period and advice has already been sent out about take-aways or online services.

Any student staying in Cardiff with financial concerns please make an application to the Financial Assistance Programme administered by Money Advice in Student Support and Wellbeing and we will do our best to support you.

The FCO has also called on all British nationals to return to the UK immediately. We do still have a small number of students abroad. If you are one of these students, please contact the Global Opportunities Team at GO@cardiff.ac.uk so we can support you.

I am talking to Heads of Schools and academic staff about our shift to remote teaching and learning and assessment. Further advice went out on this yesterday and on our new policy on extenuating circumstances. In case you missed it, you can read it here

Read all of our guidance to students about the coronavirus pandemic

I will be in touch with further updates and in the meantime I wish you all well in what is an extremely difficult time.

With best wishes,

Colin Riordan

Vice-Chancellor