Hello Student
We hope you’re having a fantastic break and are enjoying time with your friends and family whether you’re meeting in masks, out in the fresh and summery air or in a busy bar! We’re already looking ahead to the new academic year and we’ll outline some highlights below.
New to campus – your spaces
We have not one but two new spaces opening on campus in the new term.
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Our new, sustainably built Faculty of Arts Building is a modern and flexible space that will enable collaboration, creativity and innovation to flourish. It’s a building for the whole University, with teaching, study, café and exhibition spaces open to all. Check out blogger Archie and blogger Louis’ tours of the building which will be completed in the autumn term.
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Your feedback
Earlier this year, over 3,000 final year students completed the National Student Survey, and despite the challenges of this year, Warwick has moved up to 3rd in the Russell Group for overall satisfaction and to 13th in the entire Higher Education sector. We are ranked first for Assessment and Feedback within the Russell Group and in the top two for Academic Support, Organisation & Management, Learning Resources and Student Voice. Find out more about NSS 2021.
Thank you to the 2,000 students who filled in our Term 3 survey. Although online teaching presented some challenges, it was positive to see that online assessments were well received; most of you who took the survey said you had appropriate equipment, internet connection and a quiet space for online assessments.
The results of these surveys have given us a lot to think about and each department is working through responses to the survey, including the helpful comments on what is working well and what needs to change on your course. They will be sharing the results with Course Reps for the year ahead and agreeing on the action to take in response. Why not share your ideas with your Course Rep or Students’ Union officers, or put yourself forward to fill one of those roles over the next year?
Changes you’ve inspired
You fed back that we need to do more to help students feel part of a community of staff and students, so we’ll be putting on more Warwick Presents events open to all in the new academic year. We hope the lifting of restrictions will mean we can come together as a community for Welcome Week, events on the Piazza Big Screen and winter festivals in the autumn. Warwick Arts Centre and the Faculty of Arts Building will provide new community spaces to share. We’d love to know what you think when they open.
The importance of face-to-face teaching was a common theme in your feedback, so the maximum group size for teaching will be raised from 25 to 50, where rooms can safely accommodate the increased numbers with appropriate social distancing. Departments will look for every opportunity to maximise face-to-face opportunities.
You said we need to communicate changes to courses more effectively so modifications are now to be approved through the University’s module approval system once information is accurate and up to date, and in advance of the course start date. Any changes after this date will only be on an exceptional basis.
You found that studying across departments, whether through a joint degree or taking optional modules, needed to be more straightforward, and our new, single system to be used across departments and keeping everything you need to access in one place will improve the organisation and administration of courses. We’ve developed Moodle and a new module catalogue in conjunction with student testers and SSLCs in departments.
You also commented that reading lists and e-books needed improving and expanding. Last year 67% of modules had a reading list in Talis Aspire and additional e-books were acquired to support you in remote learning – this will be improved on in the new academic year.
Teaching, learning and assessment
In October we will continue to offer both face-to-face and online teaching – this means that most small group teaching will be in person and most large group teaching (typically 50+ people) will be online. This model will enable you to develop a flexible skillset and mind-set, to both engage in study and succeed in the agile and increasingly digital-first environment you’ll encounter after graduation.
Online assessment will continue to be the preferred approach and will be reviewed as part of the next Institutional Teaching and Learning Review. Find out more.
Keeping safe on campus
The safety and wellbeing of all members of our community and our neighbours continue to be our utmost priority into the next academic year.
Whilst changes since 19 July have given more freedom, we must take personal responsibility to continue to behave responsibly to protect ourselves, and to protect our wider community. We will take a safe and gradual approach to the lifting of all safety measures on campus, and we’ll work closely with our community and local public health authorities on the best approach. Find out more what that means for the next few months.
Vaccinations
The national vaccination programme is an important step in overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic. You can now book a Covid-19 vaccination whether you’re registered with a GP or not. You can book a first dose through your GP and a second dose in a different location through the National Booking Service if you're travelling round the country (or hoping to get the second dose when you're back at Warwick) - and you can even re-book if you do change location. Read our helpful FAQs and find out how to book your vaccine.
Bye for now
Look out for a newsletter next week with vacation events and opportunities, and campus news to give you your Warwick fix! |
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Best wishes,
Warwick Student Communications Team
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