Our response to coronavirus

Teaching and learning

Firstly, the government has confirmed there are no longer restrictions on how we teach. That means we are expecting to get back to the teaching we are famous for: group discussions, lively debate, hands-on with equipment, practical and active learning. We’ve managed to keep up a good deal of this during 2020-21 – and much more than many other unis - but we expect there to be more in the coming year. Some things from 2020-21 will remain; we’ll keep using Teams and a small proportion of teaching will stay online. That’s not because of restrictions, but because our students have told us some particular parts of the curriculum have worked better that way. We're also asking people to ventilate classrooms regularly to keep fresh air moving. 

Social events, sports and societies

There are a huge variety of activities planned for your Freshers' welcome this September: nights out in Plymouth, open air cinema, trips to Dartmoor and the beach, and theme nights. There is plenty of outside activity, taking advantage of our location on what must be one of the greenest, safest campuses in the country.

Sport will be running fully and our BUCS teams will be back training. We are going to have a new focus on sport for all – relaxed physical activity without the pressure of being in a team.

Testing, vaccinations and covid passes

Most government legal enforcement around covid has now ended. However, organisations are expected to determine through their own risk assessment processes how to keep their communities safe. This statement describes our expectations for the Autumn term 2021-22. This will be reviewed in December 2021.

Our duty of care to students and staff remains. Whilst many people are now double vaccinated, the risks of getting covid remain. With fewer people isolating, and the rates of covid continuing to be high, particularly in the South West, covid remains a significant risk to consider for the Marjon population. 

1. We encourage anyone accessing campus to have a covid pass. This can be done on the NHS app, either by uploading recent negative test results, or by being fully vaccinated. It can take 24 hours to finalise this and we encourage all staff and students to do this as soon as practicable.

2. We expect anyone accessing campus to continue to test twice a week. This is in line with government expectations for universities. It is easy, free and a small request to keep others safe. It is extremely important to recognise that even if you are vaccinated, you should still test twice a week, because you can still pass covid onto others. You should upload your results to the NHS site. You can pick up tests from the test centre on campus, from the Welcome Desk, from most pharmacies, and you can order covid tests online.

3. Vaccinations will help us all to regain freedoms we have missed. We strongly encourage you to get vaccinated and if you are unsure for any reason at all, talk to a healthcare professional such as your GP for professional advice. We will have an NHS vaccination van on campus on Monday 20 September and Friday 24 September, offering first or second jabs which will be fully recorded on your NHS record.

• Read more about the covid pass here.
• Access the national vaccination booking system here.

Other expectations

1. We continue to encourage the wearing of face coverings in inside areas, just as we have done for the last year.

2. We request you to sign in on campus when using catering facilities, using the Microsoft PowerApps app. This will mean that if we have a positive case on campus, in an area you were spending time, we can let you know.

3. If you are in close contact with someone with covid, we encourage you to consider the safety of our community and avoid attending campus or coming into close contact with others.

4. At all times, as national or local guidance changes, we expect you to follow guidance.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let us know. You can contact us on Chatback (link on MyMarjon) or if you have a specific question about covid, on coronavirus@marjon.ac.uk.