University of Leeds campus to re-open in September

The University of Leeds has announced that campus will re-open in September, and we’re so excited!

An email sent to all students from Deputy Vice-Chancellor Tom Ward details how teaching will begin on 28th September as planned.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t come without restrictions.

Just some freshers being freshers in halls

The COVID19 page on the uni’s website advises students to still social distance on campus and self- isolate if you have any of the common symptoms.

While seminars, tutorials, practicals and FYP supervision will be done face-face-to-face wherever social distancing can be implemented, any teaching that includes large numbers of people such as lectures will be digitally taught in “interactive and engaging” ways.

According to Tom Ward, more information from each academic school will be provided in July.

The man himself speaking in a video on the Leeds Uni website

Watching lectures online in bed and only rocking up to uni for seminars, what’s new? As long as we can still get a potato stack from Old Bar what’s the problem?

The email is somewhat vague in that it does not tell us whether libraries or the SU will reopen. It’s hinted that we will find out more in September.

Tom Ward’s email adds that timetables will be created in a way that helps everyone to move safely around campus and that further information on practical sessions will be distributed ASAP.

Plans for the year will be frequently reviewed in line with the state of the pandemic and changes to study plans may be altered throughout the academic year.

Reassuringly, the email explains that extra help will be provided to students who are unable to return to campus by September.

Accommodation will re-open for those planning on living in halls with extra, more severe cleaning, and contactless arrivals.

The COVID19 help page provides info that while most home post-grad students (PGTs) will likely begin their courses in September, most international PGTs will begin in January.

More info will be revealed soon depending on each individual’s chosen course.

Just some wavy bacon baby

The email also provides a link to a short video explaining its details in simpler terms, and in true Leeds style, the video begins with a photo montage repping all of our fave uni spots.

So, following the announcements by the University of Manchester, Nottingham University and Cambridge claiming to move all teaching online, this news is certainly exciting.

Of course Leeds wouldn’t let us down. Don’t worry, it’s not long now until we’ll all be walking past our beloved wavy bacons and sitting in mutual awkward silences among peers in “that” seminar.