Open in September

I wanted to write to you to reassure you that the University of Bolton is now putting in place an ambitious and innovative plan to re-open the campus for all students in September 2020.

The University will teach our excellent Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes on campus from the start of the new academic year in September 2020 and also support your learning using a range of dynamic virtual learning tools.

From September you will be pleased to hear that we will provide a ‘Covid secure’ working and learning environment for you. This will ensure that you will all have access to a fully operational University campus and be able to study and engage in person regularly with other students and staff.

This will mean widespread innovative changes on campus, with measures including, but not limited to:

• Providing regular socially distanced face-to-face tutorials, laboratory experience, access to arts studios and specialist facilities, etc
• Implementing an effective scheduling system, limiting significantly the number of students on campus at any one time to keep you secure
• Dividing sessions for access on campus into set times per day, for example, possibly between 8am-2pm and 2pm-8pm
• Strictly observing recommended social distancing guidelines at all times
• Installing sophisticated airport style walk through temperature scanners at every building entry
• Making bicycles available for loan by students, enabling them to avoid crowded public transport
• Providing on-campus bike parks as well as car parks
• Ensuring there are adequate additional sanitiser stations
• Providing and making the wearing of face coverings on campus compulsory for the foreseeable future to safeguard the safety of those around you. In exceptional circumstances, such as misplacing or forgetting face coverings, students will be issued with replacements
• Carefully managed walking routes including one-way navigation
• Multiple ‘learning zones’ being created across the campus, by identifying and transforming large spaces into areas featuring tables with plastic dividing screens to allow communication between people facing one another. (E.g. The ground floor of the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering will be cleared to become such a zone and other areas will also be repurposed)
• Additional self-service, café-style takeaway food and drink stations to minimise queues
• Instigating a rigorous cleansing programme throughout all university buildings.

To help reinforce this important message, we have produced an animated information video to outline as simply as possible our range of planned safety measures.

Workshops, laboratories, studios etc. will all be adapted over the summer to ensure they can be used, while at the same time observing the correct social distancing requirements.

The University of Bolton prides itself on its student-first approach. Transforming its campus and creating a safe and happy environment to ensure you enjoy #UniAsItShouldBe.

In the meantime, please stay safe and we look forward to welcoming you on campus in September.

Watch the BBC review of the procedures.

Prof. George E Holmes DL
President and Vice Chancellor