Dear student,
I hope you are keeping well as we move towards the latter part of the semester.
As you may have seen in Ping! this week, South Australia’s Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier has written an open letter to all students.
In the letter she explained that given “the very low levels of COVID-19 in South Australia and our State’s effective response, I am encouraging universities and TAFE to begin to return to face-to-face education in small groups, such as tutorials, workshops, laboratory and field studies”.
This is wonderful news for South Australia, and I am also aware that Northern Territory is also able to recommence many activities which were not possible only a few weeks ago.
On campus activity
Staff have returned back to our campuses this week to ensure our work/study spaces and activities are COVID-Safe and ready for a greater return to campus-based activity for you.
As many of you are aware, for those teaching activities which could not be transitioned online, face-to-face teaching has been re-starting for those who are able to return to campus. In doing so, the University is following appropriate health advice in terms of the numbers of individuals who may be in a room at any time, and how the activity can be conducted.
Please keep in touch with your teaching staff if you are unsure about what this means in your topic and course.
Services and amenities
With appropriate hygiene and distancing measures in place, most of our student services and facilities will again be open for you to use in person on campus from Monday 25 May. These include:\
Access to, and opening hours for some services might be changed. For example, students must call ahead and make an appointment to see a doctor, counsellor, disability advisor or learning advisor in person.
Some of our facilities are unable to open due to government limitations or health guidelines. Unfortunately, this means that Flinders Sport and Fitness, OASIS and our prayer rooms remain closed for now.
Our food outlets are following Government requirements relating to how many people they can seat, and take-away is still available.
Ongoing support and advice
We are continuing to offer our services online for the foreseeable future for those who cannot come to campus, or simply prefer to access a service online or remotely. This is part of our ‘New Normal’.
Ping! and our Flinders Online Hub have details of each service and will be kept up to date as services change.
If you are unsure about what services or support is available, or how you can access them, then you can contact the Flinders Support Network during business hours on (08) 8201 5500 for advice.
Stay at home if you are unwell
In her letter, Professor Spurrier also all reminded everyone to “not attend university if you are unwell, even with only very mild symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (cough, sore throat, blocked or runny nose, fever).”
Please remember this and practice good hygiene and social distancing as you come back to campus.
Thank you for your perseverance over the past two months, and on behalf of the staff at Flinders University we look forward to seeing you back again on campus!
Take care,
Clare
Professor Clare Pollock
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students)