Dear Colleagues and students,
It's hard to believe this is Second Week of Trinity Term. The familiar streets are deserted, devoid of posters announcing musical and theatre performances, and students in sub fusc sporting carnations. The work of the University nevertheless continues and I would like to express my appreciation and admiration to those staff and students who have adapted so quickly to teaching and to studying in a strange new environment.
Like most global phenomena, this pandemic has exposed deep inequalities in our society. Some people are more vulnerable to this virus than others, depending on age, on health, on post-code, on occupation. Some people are feeling its effects more keenly than others, due to their living situation and family circumstances. As a community we cannot fix these inequities, but we can help one another in this difficult time.
I am pleased to announce that we have created two hardship funds for those adversely affected by COVID-19, one for staff and one for students. Students can learn how to gain access to the fund on the Oxford Students website and staff on the HR web pages. I encourage all those members of the University who would like to contribute to these funds to do so. You can make a contribution through the Development Office. We will be asking alumni and friends of the University to contribute to these funds but I hope that colleagues across the University will also choose to help.
As a University, our biggest contribution to the management of this global crisis is the work of our researchers. Colleagues are advising the government on modelling the disease, and developing tracing and patient monitoring apps. Our colleagues in Medical Sciences are working in the NHS, they are testing therapeutics to treat the disease, and they are working on developing a vaccine. You will have seen in the media that the University entered a partnership with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to ensure that, if the Oxford vaccine proves effective, it can be manufactured at scale and distributed at cost throughout the world. If you would like to learn more about our research please follow the new series "Covid Conversations" organized by our Public Affairs Directorate.
It is looking increasingly likely that the Government will soon begin to start loosening the restrictions on our movements. I know that this will be welcome news to many of you who are eager to get back to your research. Next week we are starting a pilot program with several departments across the University to facilitate a limited number of colleagues returning to work while adhering to the official guidelines. We will learn from these pilots and the experience of our COVID-19 researchers, who have remained onsite throughout the lockdown, as we gradually facilitate the return to work of more of our colleagues.
Over the next several months we will be planning for Michaelmas term. We intend to open for the next academic year in October, but in a changed world. As far as possible, we will preserve the face-to-face personalized education that is our hallmark. It may be, however, that social distance guidance will require that large group lecture teaching may have to be online, though our online offerings will be more developed than those assembled at short notice this term. In order to ensure the safety of our students and staff we anticipate that we will adopt a policy of test, trace and isolate. A great many details remain to be worked out, but extensive consultation is underway across the collegiate University in order to optimize our ability to operate safely next academic year as we continue to advance our mission of research, teaching and contributing to the world around us.
We haven't had a great many causes to celebrate lately so I hope that, like me, you enjoyed the 2020 iteration of Magdalen College's May Day celebration.
With best wishes to you and your families.
Louise Richardson
Vice-Chancellor