Dear postgraduate researcher,
When we made the transition to online working last month, we said we would write to staff and students on 17 April to outline the arrangements for the summer term, which is scheduled to begin on Monday 27 April. Although there is in fact not very much new to report, I thought I would write nonetheless to highlight some key points.
1.As you know, the Government has announced that the current ‘lockdown’ restrictions will last for at least another three weeks. The current arrangement – by which only essential services and activities are delivered on campus, with as many staff and postgraduate researchers as possible enabled to work from home – will therefore continue until further notice. We shall issue a further bulletin as soon as the Government announces any relaxation of the current restrictions .
2.We are informing all taught students that teaching and learning activities will continue online until the end of term on 19 June. (Further details of the information about learning and teaching and assessments next term are available on the dedicated coronavirus website: https://coronavirus.leeds.ac.uk/student-advice/ ).
3.Because of the continuing uncertainty about when the campus will become available again, and when large gatherings will be possible, we have, with great regret, decided to postpone the July degree ceremonies. Successful candidates will therefore graduate ‘in absentia’, receiving their degree certificates by post rather than at a ceremony in the Great Hall. However, to ensure that this year’s graduates have the opportunity to celebrate their success properly, graduation celebrations in the Great Hall will be scheduled during the 2020-21 academic year as soon as we can be confident about setting new dates. These graduations celebrations will look and feel like conventional degree ceremonies.
4.For students progressing into Levels 2 and 3, module enrolment would usually take place in the second week of May. This year we have postponed module enrolment to July and will issue a revised date and more precise information as soon as we can – and in any case no later than the end of May.
5.We welcome the recent announcement from UKRI, and Wellcome, on extensions for final-year postgraduate researchers. We are currently considering our approach to support for our postgraduate researchers who are funded from other sources; this is a complicated picture and we will be in touch as soon as possible with more information. For now, postgraduate researchers should follow the guidance that was previously issued by Professor Claire Honess.
6.We understand that the further extension to remote working arrangements will be a challenge for all of us. The newsletter to be circulated on Monday will therefore reiterate advice about remote working and staff support and wellbeing services.
Finally, I hope that you and your family and friends are safe and well and will remain so at this very troubled time.
Kind regards,
Alan Vice-Chancellor