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Veterinary students are back at the University of Nottingham
UK universities are urged to scrap face-to-face teaching plans until Christmas to prevent a second wave of coronavirus.
The UCU academics union said the move of more than a million students across the country was “a recipe for disaster.”
UCU leader Jo Grady said colleges were unprepared and risking becoming “second wave residences.”
But university heads say they have worked hard to plan for a safe return to all aspects of student life.
What does the union say?
UCU’s Jo Grady says having tens of thousands of students heading to cities across the UK “runs the risk of causing incalculable harm to people’s health and exacerbating the worst public health crisis of our lives” .
She told BBC Breakfast that the mass migration of one million students could cause a “silent avalanche of infections.”
“There is a much greater risk than perhaps the general public has appreciated,” he said.
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Manchester will welcome around 100,000 students when the new university term begins, said Ms Grady
Grady said Manchester would see 100,000 students, Birmingham 80,000 and Leicester 40,000.
“These are all cities that have had some kind of local closure and have either exited it or are about to enter one,” he said.
And he warned that the higher number of students expected in colleges this year would make social distancing more difficult.
What was the answer?
Universities UK, which represents campus leaders, says that many staff members want to return to face-to-face teaching and research “where it is safe and appropriate to do so.”
They are aware of the benefits of in-person teaching and support for the well-being and development of students, said their president, Julia Buckingham.
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More students than expected are heading to college this fall after a U-turn in which many achieved the grades they needed
The government says it is “confident that universities are well prepared for the return of students by taking steps such as introducing social distancing on campus, limiting travel requirements for classes, and staggering teaching over extended days to reduce number on the site “.
He said the guide is “in constant revision” to reflect the latest public health advice, such as a distance of 2m, or 1m more with measures such as covering the face.
What do the experts say?
Professor Carl Heneghan, director of the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford, says it is safe for students to return to universities.
He told Breakfast that “it’s safer now than ever” to get back on campus.
But he suggested that universities could delay face-to-face teaching until the end of the academic year in the spring or summer of 2021, when the threat from the coronavirus may have lessened.
“Can we do something during the summer, can we have a summer school?” he asked, adding: “We need to maximize that [teaching] experience.”
Second wave fears don’t reflect how life has changed
The language used by the unions is very strong. There are many infectious disease and public health experts who would not describe the threat in such extreme terms.
Every time we hear about the risks of a second wave or a sharp spike in cases, we must consider where we came from.
The initial spike occurred because the virus spread virtually undetected for a period of time.
It was certainly more widespread than the UK and other countries realized in February and March.
When the shutdown came, there were an estimated 100,000 new infections a day in the UK.
Today we have more than 1,000 confirmed infections per day, on average.
Of course, some go unnoticed, but it is clear that the virus is currently under control.
As people move more, going back to work, school and college, infections are likely to increase.
But everyday life has been completely transformed from what it was in February – there are many reasons why a second surge in infections like the first can and should be avoided.
What will the university be like during the coronavirus?
Students preparing to move to college can expect changes on campus much like those that have affected other aspects of life since March.
Strict cleaning measures, lots of hand sanitizer, one-way systems, and capacity limits for places like the library and cafeteria will be common.
Closed seminars and office hours with speakers are unlikely to be conducted face-to-face as before.
At the University of Leicester, students and staff will be screened for Covid-19 in October using a new form of mass testing developed by academics at the institution.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagrarajah, told the BBC that Leicester would regularly screen up to 10,000 students and staff for infections throughout the academic year, along with the NHS Test and Trace.
There will also be staggered arrival times to prevent all students from returning to the city at once, he said.
Almost all institutions will make greater use of online teaching methods for students studying non-practical subjects.
And nights out will look different too. The University of Sheffield student union has implemented an ordering app and table service, making its bars less crowded.
In Manchester, a student union is building open-air “greenhouses” for drinkers to book early.
Nightclubs remain closed due to ongoing national restrictions.
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