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As we move through Term 1, it’s been great to see campus with more of a buzz than it has had for a long while, with more staff and students able to go about their work and study in person.

There’s no doubt that Covid-19 is still something for us all to be aware of, and measures such as wearing face coverings and regular testing are helping us all to be mindful of that and to take care of each other.

Vaccination protection

We’re seeing high vaccination rates among our student community. At the start of term, students told us that 84% of them were double-vaccinated against Covid-19, rising to a projected rate of 97% by the end of November.

Staff vaccination rates are also high. Over 3,700 of you responded to our staff survey in October, with over 97% double-vaccinated against Covid-19. Many of you have taken up our free seasonal flu vaccinations for staff as well, and we’ve added extra sessions.

Thank you to all of you who have taken up the Covid-19 and seasonal flu vaccinations: we would encourage everyone to participate in the NHS vaccination programmes.

Students and staff can get NHS Covid-19 vaccinations on campus at the Junction vaccination clinics, or see the dates and times of in Coventry and ¹û¶³´«Ã½shire.

Case numbers

The high level of protection against Covid-19 in our campus community is reflected in the numbers, and it’s encouraging to see that the active cases on campus remain low.

Looking ahead

In the context of this high level of protection amongst our campus community, and continuing measures such as face coverings and testing, we’re removing the 1.5m social distancing restrictions in teaching spaces effective from term 2. This will provide the opportunity for more face-to-face learning and interaction, which feedback tells us the majority of our students would value.

Of course, we’ll continue to monitor the situation both in our ¹û¶³´«Ã½ community and nationally, and we’re well prepared to adapt our approach in the event of the Government’s ‘plan B’ or other changes if needed.

Staying vigilant

All other Covid 19 risk control measures, including the use of face coverings, regular asymptomatic testing and enhanced hand sanitisation, continue to be important to help us protect ourselves and each other and we still strongly encourage everyone to follow these measures, as detailed in Covid 19 risk assessments.

Professor Lawrence Young from WMS has recorded a video we’re sharing, particularly with our student community, reminding us all of the important role face coverings and vaccinations have to play. .

Thank you for continuing to respect safety measures and protect our campus and local communities. Although things may not feel quite ‘normal’ yet, we’re heading in the right direction.

Staff experiences: returning to campus

How has it felt being back on campus this term? Hear from some colleagues below.

Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor

Chris Ennew, Provost

Hendrik Pontson, Project Officer, IDG