‘Tell us where you are’: Sheffield Uni issues plea to students amid virus crisis

Sheffield University has tonight issued a plea to track down where students are living amid the escalating coronavirus crisis.

The institution has created a webform for students to declare where they are residing, and if they have developed any coronavirus symptoms.

The form asks for their current address, and whether this is their university home or family home.

The uni is closed and it is unclear whether it will fully reopen before September.

“Tell us where you are,” the university’s Covid-19 emergency committee wrote in an email tonight.

“We know that some students have chosen to return home to continue their studies remotely, while others are staying here in Sheffield.

The uni is currently closed

“We are keen to know which students are still in Sheffield – if you are, please tell us where you are living by completing this form.

“Please also let us know via this form if you have coronavirus symptoms and are self-isolating.”

It comes as bosses unveil a set of “significant changes” to university operations. Among the measures outlined today are:

– Extenuating circumstances: Those who feel the pandemic has affected their ability to work can submit requests without the usual medical evidence required

– Academic appeals: Those challenging grades they were given in autumn term have had the deadline extended until April 20, when Spring term resumes

– Leave of absences: The university will be “supportive” of LoA requests due to Covid-19, such as returning next academic year

– No-detriment: Students “must” complete all summative assessments for the new “safety net” policy to apply.

On Tuesday Prof Wyn Morgan, the vice president for education, announced the university was introducing the “safety net” measure which means that final results this academic year cannot fall below the overall average grade to date.

The move was widely welcomed by students, 6,500 of whom had petitioned following similar policies at Edinburgh, Exeter, St Andrews, Southampton and Warwick universities.

You can submit your location to the uni via this form.

Read more:

• Meet the Sheff student who was stranded abroad 

• Why Sheffield now has the third highest corona cases in England

• Sheffield set to become UK’s next virus epicentre, experts say

• Hallam refuses to bring in ‘safety net’ policy despite petition