The Teaching and Learning website is in place to ensure you have clarity about:

• How you can best prepare teaching materials
• Shape of the academic year
• Assessment principles
• Student experience principles

Everyone should now be using these resources to adapt and develop their teaching and learning material for online lectures, and the face-to-face elements of your programme.

Your new material for week one of teaching needs to be complete and ready for review by your Department by 7 September.

 Plans are still being developed and your Director of Teaching and Learning or Head of Department will be in touch about this in due course.

We don’t expect you to do this on your own – advice and guidance about how you do this is available on the eLearning website. We strongly encourage staff to make use of the online training, drop-in sessions and learning design consultations, tools and guidance on how to deliver online teaching.

You can also speak to your Directors of Teaching and Learning and School-based eLearning leads, and Champions for further support. Read more about T&L support here.

Synchronous teaching is online/blended education that happens in real time (ie, ‘live’), whereas asynchronous learning occurs through online channels without real-time interaction (ie, pre-recorded).

We are recommending asynchronous lectures to ensure the highest quality experience for our students who may be learning across different time zones.

In order to add more interaction with students a live Q&A could be added at the end of the lecture.

Colleagues looking for guidance and technical support, can use any of the following routes: contact the eLearning team via the support centre, via online drop-in room http://www.gotomeet.me/elearningteam (Monday to Friday, 10am-2pm) or if urgently via the IT services on: 0161 306 5544. (telephone support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/humteachlearn/elearning-support/

A great deal of work is taking place to ensure a safe return to campus for us all and, as part of that, we will be providing our staff and students with washable face masks and clear guidance on how our teaching spaces, libraries, study spaces and labs will operate to ensure everyone stays safe.

Deep cleaning is being undertaken regularly and we are assessing all our buildings ensuring they are appropriate for social distancing purposes. Hand sanitiser will be available across campus and we are looking to extend teaching hours to allow for staggered entry and exits to our buildings.

The University has a dedicated COVID-19 website, including links to the NHS and government resources which are guiding our approach.

Further detailed plans and information will be announced later in August.

You will be given as much notice as possible – usually this will be at least one week. Your line manager will speak with you to inform you, outline what this involves and when you will be expected to return.

Once you have been given notice to return to work, you will be asked to complete a Self Declaration Form where you can highlight your personal circumstances (including if you are currently shielding) and any concerns you may have.

BAME colleagues may be at higher risk from COVID-19, so we have included a check box to our self-declaration form for you to highlight this.

If this box is checked then we will carry out an additional risk assessment for you, which will be the same for all people in a vulnerable category.

We are awaiting further guidance on this and we will update you as soon as possible.

If you are required to return to work on campus, you will need to consider your options for travelling to and from work. The Government is advising that people should walk, cycle or drive wherever possible. Find more information in our FAQs and check guidance from your local transport operator such as Transport for Greater Manchester.

If you have any questions, or concerns about returning to work, you should raise them with your line manager or HR partner.

Please see the Guidance for CV Infection on Campus document for information.

We want to help student make the most of studying at Manchester. We have extended our Welcome period to two weeks for new undergraduate students and three weeks for new postgraduate taught students. You will benefit from at least one week of University-led events, and one week of School and Programme-led events.

Read more here https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/news/display/?id=24684

To help co-ordinate Welcome activities across different areas the University and the Students’ Union, and to ensure that Welcome is as comprehensive as possible without being overwhelming, we have agreed a thematic approach for both undergraduate and postgraduate taught students:

• Monday – Welcome / Welcome Back to Manchester
• Tuesday – Uni Essentials
• Wednesday – Wellbeing Wednesday
• Thursday – Make the Most of Your Time
• Friday – Social Justice Challenge

Read more here https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/news/display/?id=24684

UG School activity will take place w/c 28 September for welcome activity and building learning communities. For Masters students, School activity will take place 19 October.

In addition, Schools have been allocated the Monday of each University-led Welcome week for undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, to deliver a general welcome and induction agenda.

Where live activities are taking place on campus, they will finish at 45 minutes past the hour (rather than the usual 50 mins) to allow additional time for students and staff to safely exit the building.  Students will be told not to arrive into buildings more than 5 minutes before a lecture is due to begin.

We’re looking forward to welcoming you to be part of our Manchester community – bringing together your classmates, tutors and looking to the future our alumni network.

Manchester’s nightlife is beginning to get back to a ‘new normal’.

Our new Welcome Week will make sure you hear about opportunities on campus – from clubs and societies to sport.

Student Societies will be running online and on campus activity and will be another great way to get to know classmates and interact with the Manchester community.

Our Student’s Union will be working to ensure that you can still access its facilities through the next academic year.

Over lockdown The Student Union has delivered a range of over 350 activities, such as bake along, quizzes to socially distanced choirs. The plan will be for this activity to continue for Semester 1 – so whether you are in Manchester or studying remotely – you will be part of the Manchester community.

It’s fair to say that the start of the new academic year will be different for all of us.  We will ensure that you always have someone to ask for help and guidance when you need it.

Our aim is to give you certainty where we can, and enough flexibility to accommodate individual situations where possible.

It’s ok to feel nervous. To help you adjust, our support services are open and accessible remotely. Visit support.manchester.ac.uk

We are following all government guidelines to the letter. 

Deep cleaning will be undertaken regularly, face masks and sanitiser will be available across campus and we will allow for staggered entry and exits to our buildings.

In our on-campus teaching, we are putting measures in place to help you stay safe.  We will maintain the 2m (rather than 1m plus) rule which allows us to deliver this teaching in the safest way possible.  

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/key-dates/

We want to help you make the most of studying at Manchester.

We have extended our Welcome period to two weeks for new undergraduate students and three weeks for new Masters Students.

You will benefit from at least one week of University-led events, and one week of School and Programme-led events.

To help co-ordinate Welcome activities across the University and the Students’ Union – this is what you can expect:

• Monday – Welcome / Welcome Back to Manchester
• Tuesday – Uni Essentials
• Wednesday – Wellbeing Wednesday
• Thursday – Make the Most of Your Time
• Friday – Social Justice Challenge

You’ll receive more information in your Welcome packs to help you plan what you want to get involved with in advance.

Undergraduate: Yes, School/ subject activity will take place w/c 28 September.

Masters: Yes, School/subject activity will take place 19 October.

You’ll receive more information in your Welcome packs to help you plan what you want to get involved with in advance.

To help co-ordinate Welcome activities across the University and the Students’ Union – this is what you can expect:

• Monday – Welcome / Welcome Back to Manchester
• Tuesday – Uni Essentials
• Wednesday – Wellbeing Wednesday
• Thursday – Make the Most of Your Time
• Friday – Social Justice Challenge

You’ll receive more information in your Welcome packs to help you plan what you want to get involved with in advance.

Your safety is paramount, and we have taken every measure to ensure that our campus and halls of residence comply with all safety regulations around social distancing.

Where it is safe to do so, we are planning on delivering teaching face-to-face, but we will also provide alternatives to on campus teaching for students who are unable to attend in person for the next few months. 

Of course, we are also preparing for changes to the current government guidance. 
Should there be any changes, we will be ready to either increase our on-campus provision or switch to more online only delivery in order to maintain your safety. 

In parallel, there will be a fully online option for any student who wants to take advantage of this, even if you opt to switch to it part way through a semester.

We have decided that the safest option is for all lectures to be online and for all other teaching to be face-to-face and on campus, wherever possible.

This means small group teaching (usually groups of around 30) such as seminars, practicals and academic advising will take place face-to-face.

We are committed to having as many opportunities as possible to meet face-to-face with you, either on campus or online, over the next few months. 

This blended approach to learning, combining on campus and online or digital, is well established and used by many prestigious universities around the world. 

Manchester was an early adopter through our Global MBA and we already teach up to 800 students within our Faculty every year using blended learning methods.

This means we have lots of experience teaching in this way, so you will benefit from learning from some of the leading academics in this space.

Blended learning combines on campus teaching with online learning.

It is designed to give you flexibility to learn at a time that suits you.

Manchester was an early adopter through our Global MBA and we already teach 800 students within our faculty every year using blended learning methods.

Your online lecture sessions will be an active way to learn.

In addition to hearing from course leaders, you will have ‘bite-size’ videos, text to read and activities to complete including online discussions during the sessions.

There will be lots of opportunities for interaction with your lecturers and other students in these online classes.

You will still be able to ask questions and contribute to discussions even though the material is being delivered online.

Seminars, tutorials, practicals and lab work will be face-to-face, in small, socially distanced groups. In our on-campus teaching, we are putting measures in place to help you stay safe.

We will maintain the 2m (rather than 1m plus) rule which allows us to deliver this teaching in the safest way possible.  

Deep cleaning will be undertaken regularly, face masks and sanitiser will be available across campus and we will allow for staggered entry and exits to our buildings.

In these sessions, you will have ‘live classes’ during which you will have lots of opportunities to explore texts, do projects etc.

On many courses, you will be encouraged to work with other students on assignments and projects outside of lectures and seminars.

This will help you to get to know other students and to develop a sense of community within your programme.

Whether you’re shielding, isolating or unable to travel, you’ll still be able to access small group teaching online (as well as lectures).

We’ve sped up our investment in technology to give you the right tools – from Microsoft Teams to a new version of Blackboard, plus a multimillion-pound commitment to significantly upgrade My Manchester (the online site where you’ll find everything you need to get the most from studying with us.)

In addition to learning from Manchester experts, you’ll develop lots of valuable digital skills through online learning.

Our teams have developed resources to support teaching and learning for the new academic year to ensure that you have an exceptional student experience.

We will primarily use established systems such as our Virtual Learning Environment Blackboard, Zoom and Microsoft Teams to deliver online teaching. 

To supplement these systems, we have invested in additional software this summer that will facilitate your learning during the new academic year.

Our IT services team will provide you with technical support, either online or in-person, throughout your time at the University.  

Students who want to come onto campus to use WiFi will be able to do so and rooms will be available to book for independent or group study.

Yes, you will be allocated an academic advisor who will be available online or on campus to offer you all the academic support you need.

Our student support teams will be on hand to support your learning and you’ll be able to access reading materials from the library. 

At the start of the year, you will be given a timetable which will have all the information you need to keep your learning on track week by week.

We’ve sped up our investment in technology to give you the right tools – from Microsoft Teams to a new version of Blackboard, plus a multimillion-pound commitment to significantly upgrade My Manchester (the online site where you’ll find everything you need to get the most from studying with us.)

In addition to learning from Manchester experts, you’ll develop lots of valuable digital skills through online learning.

Our teams have developed resources to support teaching and learning for the new academic year to ensure that you have an exceptional student experience.

We will primarily use established systems such as our Virtual Learning Environment Blackboard, Zoom and Microsoft Teams to deliver online teaching. 

To supplement these systems, we have invested in additional software this summer that will facilitate your learning during the new academic year.

Our IT services team will provide you with technical support, either online or in-person, throughout your time at the University.  

Students who want to come onto campus to use WiFi will be able to do so and rooms will be available to book for independent or group study.

Careers Consultants from the Careers Service will continue to support you either online or on-campus.

You’ll continue to benefit from practical help with CVs, applications and preparing for interviews -through to helping you decide what you want to do after graduation and help with getting work experience/placements along the way.

You’ll be able to access the full range of services including an extensive programme of webinar workshops/lunchtime live sessions with employers.

Stellify is our package of activities that guides you to develop the 5 distinctive attributes of a University of Manchester graduate:

1. Learn without boundaries
2. Understand the issues that matter
3. Make a difference
4. Step up and lead
5. Create your future

You will:

Take part in academic and extracurricular activities to help you stand out and improve your employability prospects with this award.

Complete three Ethical Grand Challenges and take course units outside of your degree.

Make a difference and learn from local and global communities through volunteering and gain confidence and experience by taking on a leadership role.

Yes, our libraries have the largest academic digital collection in Britain. 

Over 11 million full text articles are accessed each year alongside 5.5 million e-book sections.  As in any other year, you will have access to more digital materials than those at any other British University.  

We are also working with publishers who are currently providing access to additional e-resources, on a rolling trial basis to increase your access to materials.

For those who prefer print, you will still be able to access over 2 million books.  Access is currently via Click and Collect for books held at Main Library and the Library is working towards enabling access to books at other site libraries. 

The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons currently has a number of bookable study spaces available where you can plug in a personal laptop, or use one of the PCs provided.

Our Library offers online support through My Learning Essentials to support your academic and personal development and is working towards restarting face to face interactive training sessions.

Yes, computer clusters across campus will be open for students to study and access University and externally hosted software.

Will there be learning/ study spaces for me to meet up with classmates?

You will also have access to learning spaces on campus where you can meet classmates to discuss course material and undertake group work.  

All these spaces will adhere to government social distancing and safety guidelines, to keep you and your classmates as safe as possible.

Between teaching sessions, you will be able to collect books and other reading from the library.

Bookable rooms will be available for you to study either alone or in small groups. 

The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons will be open for independent study.

There will also be a range of other less formal spaces available for study and discussion such as bars and cafes.

Online lecture material can be viewed at any time that suits you.  You won’t be constrained to watching your lectures in allocated time slots.

This means that you can watch, pause, rewind or watch again at any time that suits you.   

You will be assessed at various points during the year to ensure your learning is on track. 

All exams and assessments for semester 1 will be online.

Where you would normally have had an end-of-semester one exam, you will have an online exam rather than an on-campus exam.  In most cases, this will be an open book exam in which you can use your notes and reading.

Some programmes have field courses, and it remains our intention to try to deliver these aspects of the programme if we can do so in safe way. 

We may have to make some adjustments to the timing or nature of field courses for your safety.

We will work with international study and placement providers to ensure that we can deliver our programmes with international study or a placement if it is safe to do so.

If it is not possible to deliver, or if you change your mind about taking up your placement, we will be as flexible as possible in offering you an alternative.

We very much value listening to your views – it’s one of the most important ways we continue to improve your learning experience.

Each programme has student reps who feed your views to the Programme Director.

You’ll also be able to share your views with Student Support Teams and Academic Advisors.

DASS will continue to run its usual service for students (for more information see their website – http://www.dso.manchester.ac.uk/). This will primarily be remotely via phone and video appointments.

Bookable rooms will be available for you to study either alone or in small groups. The rooms will be bookable via https://resourcebooker.manchester.ac.uk/; students will be able to access this link ahead of the semester starting.

There will be spaces on campus where you can access computers and/or university internet services. Students who cannot come onto campus or do not have access to broadband or IT hardware can apply to the IT access scheme for a laptop loan and request support with Wi-Fi access. Priority will be given to students who do not have the funding buy their own laptops.

We are doing everything possible to ensure your residence abroad can take place. Of course, your safety is our priority. If it is not possible for you to take up your residence abroad placement for part or all of the year, we will offer you an online language and cultural engagement programme to ensure that you can meet the intended learning outcomes of your programme.