National Bank Holiday, Monday 19 September
A national bank holiday has been declared for the day of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, Monday 19 September. This is the start of Welcome Week at Marjon, and the day when most first years were due to travel to campus for essential inductions. We have therefore made some amends to the planned activity.
Key headlines
No change to moving in dates. Those moving to campus can continue to move in according to the previous schedule.
Essential inductions delayed by one day for first years, to Tuesday 20 September.
Monday 19 September: social and informal activities will take place for students who have just moved to campus, or those who wish to come, rather than essential inductions.
Second year Welcome Back sessions, previously planned for Tuesday 20 September, will move to Wednesday 21 September.
The Queen’s funeral
We recognise that all individuals in our community will have different priorities for the day of the Queen’s funeral. Some may wish to spend the Bank Holiday with their family or their friends. Many students with children may be unable to attend university on that day as they won’t have childcare. Some may have trouble travelling on public transport on a Bank Holiday. And students who have just arrived on campus, particularly those living away for the first time, will want informal activities with the ability to access essential services.
We have therefore made the decision to amend the schedule for Monday 19 September to focus on social and informal connections, rather than essential inductions. This means that those who are already on campus can spend a day getting their bearings and meeting people, and those who are not living on campus do not have to get here on a Bank Holiday. This will include a free lunch for students and staff, and free access to sport activities throughout the day.
We will move essential inductions for first years to Tuesday 20 September instead, to enable as many students as possible to attend. (We do appreciate the change of day may also bring some complexity for some students, but we hope this will be accessible to more of our first years overall.)
Our second year Welcome Back sessions will be moved to Wednesday 21 September, instead of Tuesday, to be run with the Year 3 and 4 Welcome Back sessions.
Monday 19 September: Timetable Changes
09:30 - First year undergraduates: informal welcome from Professor Rob Warner, Vice-Chancellor, in the Quad Theatre. (Not essential but all welcome)
13:00 - Free lunch in the Hub Restaurant for all students and staff who are on campus on that day: all welcome.
14:00 - Craft in the Quad
15:00 - Wheelchair basketball
19:30 - Chocolate and Bingo night, Chaplaincy
21:00 - Theme night, Walkabout Plymouth, Student Union
The change will be reflected in timetables.
On Campus
There will be no formal teaching on Monday 19 September.
The Queen’s Funeral will be streamed in the Chaplaincy, part of The Octagon building, where all are welcome. The service is due to begin at 11am but we will start showing earlier in line with TV schedules. Tea and coffee are available from the kitchen in the Snug next door.
Marjon Sport and Health Centre will be open to students between 10am and 4pm (but closed to members of the public), with a short break between 1 – 1:30pm. All students can make use of the sports hall, 3G pitch, gymnasium and hockey pitches free of charge with free equipment.
Essential campus services will be open (eg shop, restaurant, library) though with some slightly reduced hours.
Second, Third and Fourth Years
Year 2 students
The Welcome Back within your academic schools will now take place one day later than planned, on Wednesday 21 September, joined with other returning students. This change has been made in your timetables
There will be no formal teaching on the 19 September.
Year 3 / 4 students
There are no changes to the planned induction activity on Wednesday 21 September, except for second years will join your Welcome Back sessions.
There will be no formal teaching on the 19 September.