A joint message to students of Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff University and the University of South Wales

Cardiff – the capital city of our great nation. A city with a strong international outlook and long history of innovation and advancement. A city with a friendly atmosphere and a safe environment that encourages you to become a part of it and to immerse yourself in its culture and vibrancy, all wrapped around in a feeling of belonging and togetherness. We are all part of this amazing community and we all have our part to play in keeping ourselves and our city safe.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming you back to our universities across Cardiff in the coming weeks. It is clear this is not the start of term we anticipated but we have worked hard to adapt our campuses to enable you to stay safe while still enjoying a student experience and learning environment that is rewarding. We have introduced a number of measures to our campuses, from enhanced cleaning regimes for high contact areas and revising room occupancies to accommodate social distancing. We have installed safety screens at student-facing receptions and implemented one-way systems across our campuses, as well as working with our respective Student Unions on reimagined social programmes, designed to help you make new friends at a safe distance.

But we recognise that we cannot do this alone. We have a shared responsibility to keep our communities and ourselves safe both on and off campus. So please, as you enjoy student life, follow the guidance around our campuses and accommodation and make sure you adhere to all Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidance and regulations – the regulations differ across the UK. They are constantly changing so we all have a responsibility to keep up to date with the latest rules that are designed to keep us all safe.

We all have a responsibility to self-isolate and get ourselves tested if we are showing symptoms and to play our part in the Welsh Government’s test, trace, protect system by keeping a note of who we interact with.

Our universities are an integral part of our local community. Our students and staff have worked with and in our communities throughout the pandemic and it is vital that we continue to demonstrate this togetherness and respect as we move into the autumn. By choosing to study with us, you have become part of something special and we all need to play our part and do what we can to keep each other safe on and off campus.

We look forward to seeing you soon – this is just the beginning of a great adventure.