All of Warwick’s guidelines so far for returning to campus

Warwick will be welcoming back students onto campus in just under two weeks, with freshers moving in through this week. Government rules on social distancing have become the new normal, but for new students moving into campus accommodation and returning students visiting campus, the university has begun to lay out its plans for ensuring a safe environment at Warwick.

To see our comprehensive guide for freshers, click here.

Indoors on campus

Guidelines for visiting buildings on campus reiterate maintaining 2m social distance wherever possible and minimising your time inside buildings.

The university advice asks that students avoid social and common spaces, open doors and windows, and take breaks and lunch outside when possible.

In corridors and on stairs, guidance suggested students keep left and do not stop to talk.

When moving around, Warwick said, “Stay alert! Avoid distractions such as using your phone.”

For face-to-face studies, there will be guidance specific to the space you are in, including measures around distancing, seating plans and ventilation, though information will be released departmentally.

Face coverings will be optional in “uncrowded, outdoor spaces” but mandatory in all indoor spaces, including when studying or during a teaching activity.

The University will be issuing a free reusable face mask and thermometer to all students. For those living in on-campus accommodation, they can be found in your room upon arrival. For students living off-campus, the items will be available to collect outside Senate House for two weeks beginning 21 September, and then upon request from inside Senate House.

The Library and other study spaces are undergoing a phased reopening approach. The Learning Grids in University House and Rootes are now both open for use.

Travelling to campus

The university official guidance asks students to only travel to campus when they “have been specifically asked to”, as a large proportion of teaching and academic contact has been moved online.

While parking charges were suspended throughout the previous months, Warwick will be reintroducing car parking charges from 1st October.

The system has changed from a pay and display method to a pay by phone method, and parking charges have increased from last year. A full day’s parking is now £7, up from the previous year’s £5.50.

“If you have to use public transport, please think carefully about times and routes of travel to avoid busiest times, and to allow yourself as much space as possible to keep safe” is the advice on using buses and public transport, alongside links to coronavirus advice from the bus services that visit campus.

Students are also advised to ‘demonstrate social distancing to reassure others’, in instances such as when travelling with a large household group where they ‘may be challenged by others’.

Moving around campus

There will be hand sanitiser stations and social distancing signage in multiple locations around campus and residences.

The university website states they are “encouraging you to try to limit the number of people you generally see and meet up with, especially over short periods of time”.

To achieve this, Warwick will be implementing measures to limit the number of people in buildings, laboratories, offices, workshops and lifts, and “staggering work and teaching times to stop too many people being in the same place at the same time”.

To maintain social distancing there will be floor markings, queueing and one-way systems.

Examples of the signage Warwick is using around campus with the hashtag #StaySafeWarwick

Warwick has also added perspex screens and barriers to areas where 2 metres distance is more difficult.

Library Road and University Road have now been pedestrianised to allow for social distancing. To see a full map of changes, click here.

Test and Trace

Warwick have introduced their own Covid-19 Test and Trace service for both students and staff, working with Warwick Medical School to complement the existing NHS provision.

Self-swap tests can be completed on campus, and results aiming to be issued the following day. The university will also use contact tracing to minimise transmission rates. You can book a test here.

Guidance also asks that if students have been tested off-campus and received a positive result, they will need to inform the university Test and Trace service through an online form.

Living on campus

Campus accommodations will be subject to a number of rules which will be enforced by Residential Life Teams. This year, students will only be allocated to single rooms. Within a ‘kitchen group’, students are considered a single household, and will not need to social distance.

Warwick has committed to increased cleaning frequencies of public touchpoints throughout buildings, and in shared bathrooms and residence kitchens. En-suite bathrooms will also be cleaned regularly, but studio residences will be left to students to clean for safety reasons.

A significant change this year is the ban on visiting other residences. Warwick has ruled that there is to be no hosting guests in residences, including people from other kitchens in the same building.

For more information about being a fresher in term one, click here for The Tab’s full breakdown.

For more information from Warwick about staying safe on campus, visit https://warwick.ac.uk/coronavirus/.

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