Welcome to Coventry University by Coventry University Recruitment and Admissions Office

Welcome to Coventry University

Get to know your new city

Hello and welcome Normally at this time of year we would be writing to our new students to tell you all about what you can look forward to as you start your new life as a Coventry University student. Obviously this is not a normal year, and a lot of the things we would describe in this guide are not happening in the usual way. However, we still want to congratulate you on gaining your place here and commend you on the excellent choice you’ve made. We think that Coventry University is a great place to be a student, no matter what that currently looks like, and we hope you’re looking forward to joining us soon. We know you’ve got a lot to organise before you arrive, and that everyone has different questions about what to expect in their first few weeks. So, in this guide, we want to give you information on what this new academic year might look like, what you can see and do in the city when things do start to fully reopen, and who to contact if you’re unsure about anything. For the latest news and updates, check our website at www.coventry.ac.uk/ coronavirus-info/our-response-to-covid-19 and our social media channels. You can also join our closed Facebook groups if you are a new student or you hold an offer from us. So, whether you’re going to be with us living in halls, commuting from home or studying with us online, we hope the Coventry University community will feel like your natural home in no time at all.

Arriving in Coventry

Student activities, sports and leisure

Fargo Village

Living at home and commuting in

Getting to know your (new) city

Sport

Induction and enrolment

Food and drink

In the local area

How we will deliver courses while prioritising health and safety

Music and nightlife

Information Points

Choosing your Add+vantage Scheme module

Arts and culture

Further information on the Covid-19 situation

With all best wishes, The Recruitment and Admissions team

Arriving in Coventry

Living at home and commuting in Those of you who plan to live at home and commute to campus will benefit from getting to know the local bus, train and cycle routes, as well as the student parking options. Coventry railway station is just a 10-minute walk from campus, with regular services from Birmingham, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Rugby and many other local stations in between, including the other Coventry stations at Tile Hill, Canley and Arena Park.

All Coventry University undergraduate courses for the September 2020 entry begin on Monday 14 September. If you’re going to be living on campus, you’ll need to arrive a couple of days earlier to give yourself a chance to settle in. Most of our university accommodation contracts begin on Tuesday 1 September, but please check your contract to make sure. In order to maintain social distancing in our halls, we will be staggering the arrivals over two weeks. You will need to book your arrival time slot in advance, and you will only be charged rent from the day you arrive. Before you arrive in university-owned accommodation, you’ll be taken through an online welcome module, guiding you through what to expect in your accommodation. This will be accessible through the accommodation application portal. You can sign back into this module at any time after you arrive, so don’t worry about taking it all in the first time you read it. We know that for many of you, this will be the first time you have lived away from home, and we understand that this might make you feel excited, nervous, a bit unsure of what to expect, or a mixture of all of those emotions.

Additional health and safety measures will be in place and each on-campus accommodation block will receive a regular deep clean with anti-viral disinfectant for all high-traffic common areas. Cleaning during the day will focus on touch points. Hand sanitiser points and anti-viral wipes will also be available in all on-campus blocks, while social distancing measures and one-way systems will be introduced. We appreciate you may have concerns about your accommodation agreement if we were forced to close the campus for an extended period of time. We have amended our ‘Licence to Occupy’ agreement, meaning you would be able to surrender your Licence to Occupy (if you wish), and the financial commitment that goes with it, if the campus has to close for a period of 21 consecutive days or more. FutureLets have given us their top tips to make your first few days in student accommodation as simple and stress-free as possible and they are also making preparations so that you will be able to move into university-owned accommodation with additional health and safety measures in place.

The main bus station, Pool Meadow, is only five-minutes’ walk from TheHub and serves destinations all over the Midlands and beyond. If you’re thinking of cycling in, there are plenty of sheltered bike-locking areas on campus. For those driving to campus, there is a student-only car park that charges just £1 for four hours and £2 to park all day*. *Prices correct at the time of printing

The team will let you know about parking and arrival at your accommodation by email before arrivals weekend, so keep an eye on your inbox. Take photos of your accommodation as soon as you move in and complete your e-inventory online form. Remember to check what your accommodation insurance policy covers, and make sure you buy extra cover for those items not included in the policy. Please don’t bring cube adaptors for your plugs – they are not allowed in university accommodation, so bring bar adaptors instead. Know your accommodation address – there’s nothing worse than having your post lost because the address is wrong. Drying your clothes in your room makes the air damp and encourages the growth of mould. There are tumble dryers in the halls, so please use these instead. Set up a payment plan for your accommodation fees so you don’t have to worry about missing your payments – the last thing you want is a phone call saying your rent is late.

Induction and enrolment Your course will be split into two semesters in the first year, with a study break at the end of each one. Based on current government guidelines, teaching for all students at Coventry University commences on Monday 14 September 2020. Access to online induction will be available from mid-August as soon as places are confirmed. As long as your place has been confirmed, you should receive an email from us from which will guide you through the enrolment process. Once complete, you will be able to access your online induction. If you have any queries about enrolment, you can email engagement@coventry.ac.uk.

The online induction module takes six-to-eight hours to complete and covers things like an introduction to the university, hints and tips about city life and information about our Flying Start scheme, which provides students with essential course materials at no extra cost. This is also where you will find your course and module learning materials. A member of our Student Engagement Centre Team should then contact you to check everything’s OK ahead of the start of term. Save 024 7765 6565 to your phone so you know who it is when they call. If you want to talk to one of the team, they are available Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm.

Start of semester

Study break

Exams

End of semester

Semester 1

14 September 2020

13 December 2020 – 17 January 2021

5 December 2020 – 12 December 2020

12 December 2020

Semester 2

18 January 2021

18 April 2021 – 16 May 2021

10 April 2021 – 17 April 2021

17 April 2021

How we will deliver courses while prioritising health and safety We are fully committed to delivering as much on-campus learning and the widest university experience possible from September 2020, but we also know how important it is that you have all the information you need to plan for September. We are committed to following UK Government and Public Health England advice and recommendations regarding COVID-19. We will keep you regularly updated as the situation progresses. The plans for the 2020/2021 academic year may change if there are any changes in UK Government policy, advice or guidance. Subject to there being any changes in government advice, we will be offering a blend of on-campus learning and online learning to ensure you have a consistent and high-quality experience.

We are currently working course by course to determine how your timetable will look from September. On most courses, we hope to provide at least five hours of on-campus timetabled learning per student each week during each semester/block, with the remainder delivered online. Our approach is based on four key principles: The safety and wellbeing of all students and colleagues is paramount Maintaining the integrity and depth of the educational experience Our flexibility in responding to changing circumstances Assurance of the quality of our offer. There are a number of elements to our approach.

Blended learning

Campus management

Blended learning means that courses will be delivered via a mix of on-campus and online activity. Our on-campus teaching will be carried out in line with government advice and instruction, including the appropriate social distancing requirements. It is your choice whether to attend on-campus teaching initially or not.

We are putting in place a number of additional health and safety measures across all our campuses, which include the below.

If you are unable to join us on campus at the start of your course, we offer a fully online route for the vast majority of our courses, as long as there are no specific requirements for on-campus activity (e.g. laboratory, workshop or simulation sessions) that cannot be managed online. Our timetabling will be managed to avoid large gatherings of students. We will also minimise the number of days a week that commuting students will need to travel onto campus. You will be taught in the same small groups (pods) for any on-campus activities – e.g. tutorials, laboratories, studios, practical assessments, etc. – while assessments will normally be completed and submitted online. All of our courses and modules will be delivered on the Aula learning experience platform from September 2020. This mobile-first teaching and learning platform is simple to use and will allow you to have online conversations with your lecturers and fellow students more easily. Hundreds of our students have already used and liked it, and we were the first UK university of our size to use Aula.

Enhanced building hygiene High-traffic common areas in university buildings on campus will receive a regular deep clean with anti-viral disinfectant. Day cleaning staff will focus on cleaning touch points using anti-viral disinfectant. Hand sanitiser points and anti-viral wipes will be available in all university buildings. Mobile sanitising stations will be installed in all university building main entrances and on each floor. Alterations will be made to increase ventilation within university buildings where reasonably practicable. Social distancing Social distancing signage, markers and advice will be present on campus. Restricted numbers will be permitted in buildings to encourage social distancing. Student numbers will also be managed in other areas, including the library, social and other informal campus areas. We will instigate a booking system for spaces that are popular, such as the library, to make sure all students have the opportunity to access them. Catering A queue management system, distancing markings on the floor, and clear signposting will be set up in all designated catering outlets from September. Tables and seating capacity will be reduced, with recommended spacing for socially distanced seating areas. All food and beverages will be served using disposable boxes, cups, cutlery and napkins. We will endeavour to use recyclable materials wherever possible. You will be able to eat your own food in all our designated eating areas. Sanitising stations will be available in all catering outlets. All surfaces within the catering areas will be regularly cleaned with anti-viral disinfectant. A cashless payment system, across all catering and retail outlets, will commence September 2020. Multiple kiosk-style catering facilities will be introduced to reduce queuing and to distribute demand.

Welfare and mental health support We are committed to providing you with a high-level of wellbeing support and, as a new student, your induction will introduce you to all of the support available and how to access it. From the start of the first semester, all of our normal services will be available, whether online or in person (at a safe distance). These include access to: our counselling and mental health service our dedicated team of disability advisors providing advice and support our suite of Connections Matter resources, designed to help you stay connected and healthy, both mentally and physically the Big White Wall, a completely anonymous digital mental health support service, available online 24/7 for students and staff to express themselves freely and openly support with registering for NHS health services (GP) a medical centre in TheHub, and you can register with them at www.covunigp.co.uk. There is lots of information available to all students around self-care, but if you find you are still struggling, you can contact the Health and Wellbeing team on 024 7765 8029 and they’ll be ready to listen. Often, it’s a case of realising that it’s normal to feel homesick, and even a bit lonely when you first arrive here. It’s very common to feel stressed when you have deadlines and exams approaching. We also recommend you download the Coventry University Health and Wellbeing app from your app store so that you have instant access to university emergency numbers, other useful contacts and information.

Choosing your Add+vantage Scheme module What is the Add+vantage scheme? Coventry University has developed the Add+vantage Scheme to help you gain work-related knowledge, skills, qualifications and experience. Most full-time undergraduate courses include one mandatory Add+vantage module that students must engage with each academic year. There are some courses excluded from this – please check online at www.coventry.ac.uk/addvantage. You must register, attend and pass your Add+vantage module each year to be awarded your degree. Module themes include global experience, work-related skills, global languages and professional accreditations.

What do I do next? After you have enrolled, you can explore each of the modules to choose from on the Student Portal Add+vantage Scheme webpage. Attend your mandatory Add+vantage Scheme presentation during your first week for information about the scheme and module registration processes. Check your Coventry University email account as you’ll be sent more information, including an e-leaflet, detailing the full range of available modules. Register for your Add+vantage module from 17 September 2020 (1pm) to 23 September 2020 (5pm). Module registration works on a first-come, first-served basis, so please register as soon as module registration opens to avoid any disappointment.

Student activities, sports and leisure As with all of our facilities, the health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We are following government advice to ensure a carefully planned, phased approach to our reopening when we are able to do so. All of our sports and fitness activities have been risk assessed and we will continue to review and update to follow health and safety best practice. Coventry University Students’ Union (CUSU) is planning its Welcome Week activities to ensure that there is a good mix of digital and on-campus contact, which follows the latest social distancing guidance. They are developing risk assessments with their societies to ensure that their events and any volunteering opportunities have appropriate measures in place.

With over 200 societies and sports clubs, not to mention the numerous events, campaigns, and opportunities to gain skills and try new experiences, CUSU has something for everyone to get involved with. They work closely with the university to improve the quality of teaching and learning through the Rep System, where nominated student reps share your views and feedback with university staff.

CUSU is a democratic organisation and consists of six student-elected Sabbatical Officers and a President, all of whom are current or former Coventry University students. They work on the ideas and issues that matter to you and are your main point of contact with CUSU. Please visit www.cusu.org for more details.

CUSU also runs a free and independent advice centre to help you if you have any problems with housing, debt or academic issues. On top of this, there are plenty of opportunities to meet new people, enhance your employability or just try something new. For instance, budding journalists can get involved in our student radio station, and there’s a volunteering service where you can give something back and work for the local community.

Getting to know your city We know that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here to study and gain that all-important degree, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re guessing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also planning to enjoy the city and all it has to offer along the way. While things may remain a little out of the ordinary when you first arrive, we hope that normal life will resume soon and you can start to take full advantage of your new city home and all it has to offer. In the meantime, take a look at the next few pages for our top tips on where to eat, drink and be entertained in and around Coventry.

Music and nightlife

Food and drink One of the best things about coming to Coventry has to be the chance to try out all the cafés, bars and restaurants on offer, and with the wide range available across the city, you’re not going to be short of options. At the time of writing, we can’t confirm that all of the places mentioned here will still be open and available, but fingers crossed. If some have disappeared, the spirit of Coventry will mean that new and exciting places are bound to spring up to replace them. If you want to venture into the city centre for lunch, then don’t miss out on a trip to Noodle Bar in the Bull Yard to try their authentic Chinese food and extra-large portions. Or check out Wagamama and Cosy Club for an early evening meal in Broadgate. Make sure you visit Pizza Express, Las Iguanas and Zizzi, all just a short walk from campus, to take advantage of their student discounts. Nando’s is also located very close to campus. Other student favourites are Basement Browns and Chi Bar on the High Street and Falafel Corner just off Broadgate.

For a vegan alternative, head to The Pod Café on Far Gosford Street and try their ethically sourced, home-grown food. Or cross over the road to find Habibi and enjoy their Middle Eastern halal cuisine served in an exotic Bedouin tent. To satisfy those sweet tooth cravings, try Creams Café, five minutes’ walk from campus on Swanswell Street, and choose from an array of crêpes, ice creams and milkshakes. Or take a short trip to Sprinkles on Hales Street where you can work your way through their mouth-watering selection of waffles, sundaes and sorbets.

If you’re into your music, then you’re not going to be disappointed with the range of options for a night out in Coventry. In Earlsdon, you’ll find Millsy’s, a fancy bar with fancy food and well known for its DJs, local acts and a weekly open mic night. Just a few streets away is the Nursery Tavern, an award-winning pub and small music venue that hosts folk and acoustic acts. Back in the city centre is The Tin Music and Arts in the Canal Basin, where you’ll find music

of all types, film nights and other arty events, and at The Big Comfy Bookshop in Fargo Village you can drop in to regular folk and acoustic sessions, poetry nights and games evenings.

For those who can’t get enough of their traditional student type events, try Teezers for crazy golf, clubhouse cocktails and street food or JJ’s on Fridays and Saturdays at the Skydome.

If you’re after big name bands in a cool, urban vibe setting then head for The Empire on Hertford Street, or to the more commercial Kasbah, just outside the city centre. Recent acts to have graced the stages there are Sean Kingston, Twenty One Pilots and Charlie Sloth.

Fargo Village holistic hippy goods and doubling up as a popup yoga studio; Just Dropped In…Records for new and used vinyl across a variety of genres; and Auntie Olive’s Attic, where you’ll find 50s, 60s and 70s fashion, furniture and homeware.

Arts and culture

Twisted Barrel Ale run loads of events – from brewery tours to pilot beer weekends – and they’re all held inside the brewery, meaning you can enjoy a pint in the building it was created in. Once you’ve tried and tested all of the cool shops, beer and eateries at Fargo, try your luck at Escape Live, Coventry’s premier themed escape game where you have 60 minutes to make your way out of a locked room by solving puzzles, cracking codes and working together.

Get your culture fix by visiting Coventry’s selection of theatres and museums. Or kick back and catch a film at one of the city’s cinemas. Theatre Warwick Arts Centre, which is a short bus ride away on the outskirts of Coventry, is a major local arts attraction with top notch live comedy, music for all tastes as well as theatre, film and talks. Or take in a show at the city-centre Belgrade Theatre, which offers an eclectic programme of produced, visiting and community shows together with discounts for students. In nearby Earlsdon, you’ll find The Albany Theatre, an Art Deco theatre that hosts local and national comedy acts, live music and an annual pantomime. Or venture down to the bottom of City Arcade and find the Shop Front Theatre, a former fish and chip restaurant now offering a small performance space where sets and lighting are minimal, leaving storylines to speak for themselves. Cinema As well as the university’s own Square One cinema on campus, there’s an Odeon in the Skydome and a Showcase Cinema in Walsgrave, which is a short walk from the 8 and 8A bus routes. All three offer discounted tickets for students.

Museums As the birthplace of the British motor industry, Coventry is home to the recently redeveloped Transport Museum. This city centre museum features the fastest car in the world, a 4D Land Speed Record Simulator and also showcases Coventry’s rich manufacturing history. Explore Coventry’s most famous contribution to music at the 2-Tone Village on Walsgrave Road, just outside the city centre. Created to celebrate our 2-tone heritage, this area includes a café, the Simmer Down Caribbean restaurant, vintage and memorabilia stores and The Coventry Music Museum. Back on campus you’ll find The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum on Bayley Lane near University Square. The galleries include art, natural history and touring exhibitions, and there are lots of events to get involved in.

City of Culture Coventry will be the UK City of Culture 2021, a year-long event that is set to transform the arts and culture scene in the city, with the programme of activities and events now due to begin in May 2021. Coventry also holds a Biennial of Contemporary Art, which brings high quality contemporary visual art to the city and surrounding area, with the next one due to be held in the autumn of 2021.

Fargo Village provides a Shoreditch-style hub of art, music and food in Coventry’s cultural quarter. Just down the road from campus, you can find artists and artisans showcasing their creativity and talent. As you walk through the village you’ll find shipping containers that have been transformed into artists’ workspaces, galleries and shops. The Indoor Market is where you can find an eclectic mix of independent shops – but by its very nature, shops come and go, so we can’t say for sure what will be open in the future. As a taster, some of Fargo’s more unusual offerings include Buddha Boutique, offering

Sport Keeping fit and looking after yourself helps to keep your mind alert and well-motivated for study. Here on campus we’ve got a Sport and Recreation Centre with a number of sports halls, studios and a fitness suite, all available for you to use. However, if watching sport is more up your street, then take a look at what’s on offer in the local area. Our premiership rugby team, Wasps, plays at the Ricoh Arena along with Wasps Netball, our local Netball Superleague team. You can watch Coventry RFC, our Greene King IPA Championship side, which plays at the Butts Park Arena, a few minutes’ walk from the city centre. Coventry and North Warwickshire Hockey Club fields four men’s and two ladies’ sides. Training and matches take place at the Coventry University Sports Ground at Westwood Heath, with new players and volunteers always welcome. If you prefer the rink to the pitch, head to the Skydome Arena to support local Elite League ice hockey team, Coventry Blaze. If you really want to make a splash, you could try out the new Olympic-sized pool at The Alan Higgs Centre on the outskirts of Coventry or the UK’s newest indoor water park, The Wave, located on New Union Street in the city centre.

In the local area Had your fill of the well-known coffee chains? Then take a short trip to Earlsdon to find a range of independent shops and a pavement café culture. There’s also an annual Earlsdon Festival, which takes place around the May Day bank holiday with live music, workshops, pub games and stalls to enjoy. The War Memorial Park in Earlsdon is Coventry’s largest city park. It hosts the city’s Saturday morning 5k Park Run, the Godiva Festival every summer and lots of other events. Many students head down to this park on sunny afternoons.

If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, then consider checking out the leafy, castle towns of Kenilworth (15 mins by car) and Warwick (25 mins). For a full-on tourist fix, head to Stratford-upon-Avon (35 mins) and catch a show at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, while away your afternoon on a riverboat or take a tour around one of Shakespeare’s family homes.

The Skydome has a cinema, ice rink, restaurants and bars, so there’s always something to do. It’s next to historic Spon Street, where you’ll find even more places to eat and go out. 18

Information Points If you have any questions or problems, contact an Information Point. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a one-stop service who deal with all enquiries from beginning to end. When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on campus, there is an Information Point in all faculty buildings, TheHub and Lanchester Library, and you can contact them by telephone or email from anywhere. T: 024 7765 6565 E: infopoint.ss@coventry.ac.uk

Other useful numbers: Main university number T: 024 7765 7688

Academic Registry T: 024 7765 2200

Accommodation (FutureLets) T: 024 7715 8158

Protection Service T: 024 7765 7363

Funding T: 024 7765 2040

Faculty of Arts and Humanities T: 024 7765 8248

Fees T: 024 7765 2277

Faculty of Business and Law T: 024 7765 8410

Medical Centre T: 024 7659 2012

Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing T: 024 7765 8888

Health and Wellbeing T: 024 7765 8029

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences T: 024 7765 5800

Further information on the Covid-19 situation We have a set of FAQ answers available for all our students to access, and these will be kept up to date during the weeks leading up to the start of the academic year. These include FAQs on plans for September 2020, our online teaching and learning plans, campus access and general information. You can find them at www.coventry.ac.uk/ coronavirus-info/our-response-to-covid-19/ Please take the time to check them on a regular basis as the situation is ever changing.

The contents of this guide are correct at the time of writing. However, please consult our website at www.coventry.ac.uk to check any changes to the facilities and services described here. Where there is a difference between the contents of this guide and our website, the contents of the website take precedence and represent the basis on which we intend to deliver our services to you. If you are not able to access information online, please contact CU Recruitment and Admissions Ltd on 024 7765 2222 or email ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk for the most up-to-date information concerning university services. CU Recruitment and Admissions Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coventry University that manages recruitment and admissions for and on behalf of Coventry University Group.

Coventry University Priory Street Coventry CV1 5FB www.coventry.ac.uk

@covcampus @covuni

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