STUDENT GUIDE Term 1 at Abertay University
Student Guide to Term 1 at Abertay University We are looking forward to welcoming all new and returning students to Abertay for the 2021/22 academic year. Term 1 teaching will begin on 20 September and this guide gives an overview of what to expect from student life, including important information about coming to campus. Although most Covid-19 restrictions have now been removed in Scotland, the Scottish Government’s guidelines for universities remain a little tighter than the advice for the general population, recognising that many students won’t have been fully vaccinated by the time Term 1 begins, or will be travelling from other areas to form new households. While the new term will certainly bring a less restricted academic and social experience, we will also continue to protect the Abertay community by keeping the necessary health, safety, and hygiene practices in place. We hope this guide will help you get started this term, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for below, please visit the University’s Covid-19 website pages or contact the Support Enquiry Zone.
Coming to Campus Whether you are new to Abertay or returning for the first time since Covid restrictions have been lifted, here are some key things that you need to be aware of ahead of coming to campus in September. •
All students are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated and take two lateral flow Covid tests per week
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Campus will be open access with more teaching, tutorials, study, research, extra-curricular, social activities and sports than were possible last academic year
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Face coverings will still be required on campus, so please bring one with you
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All students, staff and visitors must use the Campus Check-in to log attendance on campus
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Seating and equipment in classrooms, study spaces and common areas will be set out with plenty of space where possible and we will be keeping pedestrian traffic systems in place for the time being
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Most students will receive between 3-6 hours of timetabled in-person teaching on campus per week in Term 1, in addition to online sessions
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Lectures will remain online in Term 1, and this will be reviewed as the academic year progresses
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New Academic Regulations state that students must engage with teaching (both online and in-person) and virtual learning resources. Failure to do so for 15 working days may result in withdrawal by the University.
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The Library, Café and Gym will all be open
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Student societies and sports teams will be operating and Abertay Students’ Association and Abertay Sport are keen to hear from new and returning members
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We are asking all students to follow the new Abertay Citizen Code which sets out the conduct we expect on campus
Vaccination All students are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and you can register via NHS Inform or attend a local drop-in clinic. We are planning to have vaccination drop-ins on campus in the early weeks of term and will be in touch once this has been confirmed by the local public health team.
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Students from other parts of the UK who want to get vaccinated before coming to Abertay can find their nearest drop-in vaccine clinic at: • • •
NHS UK - England Local health board website - Wales HSC Covid-19 NI - Northern Ireland
International students can also get vaccinated in Scotland and should visit the Student Information Scotland website for details on how to arrange this.
Testing We strongly encourage all students to self-test for Covid-19 twice per week, even if you are fully vaccinated and don’t have symptoms. Free lateral flow tests are available to collect from local pharmacies or test centres across Dundee. If you test positive, you should self-isolate in your accommodation and book a confirmatory PCR test as soon as possible. Both walk-in and drive-in PCR test centres are operating in Dundee and you can visit the Tayside Cares website page for the latest local location information and guidance on how to book. If you test positive you should let us know by emailing the Support Enquiry Zone and inform your tutor if you will be missing classes.
Self-isolation The University will support you if you have to self-isolate any stage, so please don’t hesitate to ask for help by contacting the Support Enquiry Zone. If you are self-isolating you must stay in your accommodation and arrange for food, medicines, learning materials or any other essentials to be delivered to you. Please note that rules around who needs to self-isolate and for how long are subject to change with the vaccine rollout, so please stay up to date via the Scottish Government website ‘who needs to self-isolate’ page. At the time of publication (August 20), if you or anyone in your household (your flatmates) develops symptoms of Covid-19 you must all self-isolate straight away. If the PCR test result for the symptomatic person is negative, and they are not already isolating as a ‘close contact’ of a confirmed case, they can end isolation if they have not had a fever for 48 hours. The rest of the household can end isolation straight away. If the test is positive, the symptomatic person should remain in isolation for 10 days, and here’s how it will affect that person’s close contacts: • • •
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The rest of the household should self-isolate and book a PCR test. If you are a partially or nonvaccinated adult, you will be asked to self-isolate for 10 days, whether or not you have symptoms. If you are a fully vaccinated adult, provided you return a negative PCR test result and remain asymptomatic, you may end self-isolation as a close contact. If you are younger than 18 years and 4 months, or medically unable to get vaccinated, provided you return a negative PCR test result and remain asymptomatic, you may end self-isolation as a close contact. If you return a positive test result, you will need to isolate for 10 days.
Cleaning, ventilation, and hygiene Enhanced cleaning will take place across the campus every day and you will also have access to disinfectant wipes for use on any shared equipment and desks. Cleaning staff will disinfect most classrooms between each use, and classroom and lab ventilation has been adapted to meet national guidance. There will be clear signage in all areas explaining what you need to know. Remember that regular hand washing and good cough and sneeze etiquette are crucial in reducing the risk of transmission and infection. Please wash your hands regularly with soap and water and use the sanitiser stations
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located around campus. It is recommended that you wash your hands: • regularly throughout the day for at least 20 seconds each time • • before eating • after using a toilet • before touching any part of your face or face covering As usual, you should report any areas that may require additional cleaning to our Estates team.
Abertay Citizen Code As members of the Abertay community, students are expected to play their part in creating a safe and welcoming environment. The Abertay Citizen Code is an agreement between us as an institution and our student community to ensure everyone is aware of their responsibilities in creating an inclusive and safe University that treats everyone fairly and with respect. The Code includes following guidance in relation to Covid-19 when on campus or in University-provided accommodation.
Student Support Most student support and advice services will be available on-campus from the beginning of Term 1. Get in touch: •
Support Enquiry Zone (SEZ) – email sez@abertay.ac.uk / Tel: +44 (0)1382 308833 / or pop into the Library Level 1 to speak to an advisor
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Advisory – email advisory@abertay.ac.uk or book an appointment via Abertay Connect
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Counselling and Mental Health – email counselling@abertay.ac.uk to arrange an appointment
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Out of hours support via the Abertay 24/7 Student Support Helpline - 0800 0283766
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Study and Digital Skills – visit https://abertay.co/StudySkills for the latest information on drop-in sessions and online resources.
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Careers – email careers@abertay.ac.uk
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Abertay Students’ Association – visit www.abertaysa.com or email hello@abertaysa.com
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Each Academic School has a School Academic Advisor and Student Success Officer to help you with anything related to continuation of studies, attendance or mitigating circumstances. If you feel like you’re struggling, please get in touch!
Registering with a doctor and reporting health issues All students should register with a local GP (doctor) as soon as possible. There is no charge to register, or for GP consultations or prescriptions in Scotland. You can find a list of Local GPs on the NHS Inform website. If you have underlying medical conditions or health issues, please let us know via the Advisory Service. Our team will work with you to make sure you are supported.
Using the Library The Library will be open from the start of term and updated opening hours will be published on the intranet once finalised. You will be able to book group study rooms on the intranet and the self-service laptop loan service will also be available. With restrictions lifting, an increased number of study spaces and PCs will be available and there are no limits on access to the book collection or on borrowing. Please note that some group study rooms will have reduced capacity in the first weeks of term. You can also search and use our collections of high quality and trusted online resources from on or off campus and your Academic Librarian will be on hand to help you with
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any aspect of finding using library resources to support your studies. The Support Enquiry Zone is in the main entry foyer and our friendly team of staff will be on hand for all enquiries.
Library Cafe
The Library Cafe is next to the main library entrance and will be open from to start of term, providing a great place to eat, study, relax or meet your friends for a coffee or toastie. The cafe sells different delicious fresh soups every day, a great selection of sandwiches/toasties as well as cakes, hot beverages, smoothies, and cold drinks. There are USB plugs if you want to work in the café and access to Wi-Fi. Opening hours are currently 8.45am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Gym and Abertay Sport The Gym will be open from the start of term and can be found in the Graham Building. Kitted out with quality exercise equipment ranging from Olympic platforms and bars (including a safety squat bar and shrug bar) to Eleiko plates and a squat rack, the gym also offers newly installed Matrix based Cardio, pin select machine and functional trainer providing everything needed for both new and experienced users. You can find opening times on the University website and staff will ensure all users are aware of Covid safety protocols. British University and College Sport (BUCS) will be up and running again with a full calendar of competitive fixtures. Check out the University Sports Union pages for more information. And, if competitive sport isn’t your thing, Abertay Sport hosts a number of non-competitive events over the year. Keep an eye on their website and social media for the latest updates.
Students in Halls of Residence If you are staying in Abertay Halls of Residence, our residences team will be in touch directly with details on your moving-in date and times, and information on where and how you will collect your keys. If you are staying in private accommodation, you should contact your provider. A series of enhanced safety measures will be in place across all Abertay-provided residences, including ventilation guidance, and additional cleaning in communal areas. We will also provide you with individual LFD testing kits. Before arrival, all students are asked to take a PCR test at least 48 hours ahead of departure. If you test positive, you must not travel to Dundee. Details on how to arrange this are on our website. On arrival, you will meet your flatmates who will become members of your ‘household’. You don’t need to wear face coverings around them unless you want to. Face coverings should continue to be worn in some communal parts of student accommodation, including corridors and some shared facilities such as laundries and common rooms (this does not include kitchens and bathrooms shared by multiple households). Although national restrictions on social gatherings have been lifted, given the higher risk of Covid-19 transmission in student accommodation, you should be aware of Scottish Government advice to avoid large gatherings indoors where possible and, if mixing is unavoidable, try to maintain distance and ensure rooms are ventilated.
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Advice for international students Students travelling to Dundee from overseas should make sure they are aware of the international travel rules for Scotland and the UK and the Green, Amber and Red system, and international undergraduate students must aim to arrive in Scotland no later than 10 September to ensure any quarantine or self-isolation period is completed before the start of term. The University will reimburse international students for taxi fares to Dundee up to £75. Please get a receipt from your driver and then get in touch with the Advisory service to make a claim. The University will also reimburse the cost of hotel quarantine for the small number of students due to arrive from red-list countries. Students arriving from amber-list countries can quarantine at their termtime address. If you require support accessing food, medicines, or financial support during self-isolation, please let us know at advisory@abertay.ac.uk. All international students should register with a doctor after arrival and you can find out more information on how to do this in our New to Dundee? intranet pages.
Freshers’ Week (13-17 September) There will be online and on-campus welcome talks and activities for Freshers’ Week running from 13-17 September. Kicking off with a welcome from the Principal on the Monday morning, you can tap into a programme packed with information, support, and advice across the week from academic and support staff, as well as social sessions from the Students’ Association. A programme will be made available ahead of time and keep an eye on the Abertay Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for regular updates.
Travelling to campus and car parking Public transport is in operation across Scotland and the city of Dundee. Advice for travelling safely can be found at on the Transport Scotland website. On-campus car parking is restricted to staff, visitors and approved other users only. Students can access the Bell Street multi-story car park adjacent to the Library or others around Dundee city centre.
Stay in touch through Microsoft Teams Most undergraduate and postgraduate students will be placed into Microsoft Teams groups where you can chat online, video call one another and generally keep in touch. There will be a single toplevel Team for each programme (e.g. Computer Arts) which all students studying that subject across the University can access, and within each of these Teams you will be grouped into smaller chat streams based on your year group. If you need any support, contact the IT Service Desk. We hope you enjoy chatting in these informal groups, but please remember they are governed by the same misconduct rules as any other University platform.
Abertay Students’ Association Your Students’ Association is here to represent you and your voice as a student. Their elected officers and staff team are excited to welcome you to Abertay and your student journey, and will ensure that your time as a student at Abertay is the best it can be. To do this, they support elected student representatives in your class, your division, and your communities to make sure your ideas and opinions are heard at all levels of the University. They also support the many and varied student-led societies that students can join and attend. Throughout the year the SA and student societies will run events, campaigns, and activities to allow you to meet new people and try something fun and new - everyone is welcome! You can find out more about the SA and what they do at https://www.abertaysa.com/, drop them an email or join their Discord.
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City of Dundee As with the rest of Scotland, Dundee is opening back up and there’s plenty to see and do. Whether you are new to the city, or just experiencing it for the first time as a student, there will lots to get involved in during your time at Abertay. Check out the Dundee.com website for some inspiration.
Staying in touch We will be in touch with regular updates right up to the start of term and beyond. Please keep an eye on your University email account, as well as the University website, intranet, and social media channels. If you have any questions get in touch with the Support Enquiry Zone. We look forward to welcoming you to Abertay in Term 1.
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Abertay University is a charity registered in Scotland, No: SC016040. 200821