Top updates from across the University.
1. Semester 2 guidance and on-campus activities
The First Minister provided an update last Tuesday afternoon on the latest easing of Covid restrictions which included guidance around home working, and that from Monday 31 January employers should consider implementing hybrid working.
There is a recognition that for Universities a lot of activities cannot be undertaken at home and that staff will be required on campus. Over the last period we have been maintaining our existing prioritisation of on-campus activities to ensure our learning and teaching, student support and research activities continue as planned, and thank you to all colleagues who have enabled this.
We will be planning with managers and staff for a phased return to the office from February 2022 onwards to align with business needs, revisiting the plans that were in place in the Autumn and utilising the existing hybrid working framework.
Our staff guidance on a phased return to campus that we introduced in the Autumn remains in place: phased return to campus.
We have updated the What You Need To Know SharePoint site for staff to reflect the latest guidance: WYNTK SharePoint site.
2. Industrial action
UCU has announced further industrial action over pensions, pay and working conditions, taking place in February 2022.
Up to ten days of strike action will take place on the following dates:
- Seven full days from Monday 14 to Tuesday 22 February inclusive
- Three full days from Monday 28 February to Wednesday 2 March inclusive
Action Short of a Strike (ASoS) will include working to contractual hours and duties only and not volunteering to do more, not rescheduling classes and lectures cancelled due to strike action, not covering for absent colleagues, removing uploaded materials related to, and/or not sharing materials related to, lectures or classes that will be or have been cancelled as a result of strike action.
The University will enact contingency plans to mitigate significant disruption to the delivery of learning and teaching, and student experience, while maintaining academic standards. The webpages below will shortly be updated with the latest information:
3. Travel guidance
Travel restrictions for Scotland and the rest of the UK will be changing on 11 February. Fully vaccinated travellers and under-18s will no longer be required to take a day two PCR test: International travel | Scottish Government
The field trips and placements guidance has been changed to reflect the latest travel changes: