COVID-19: Advice for Students, Staff & Community

As we continue to respond to the pandemic, our university’s delivery of learning and teaching will be guided by five principles. We will prioritise:

• The safety and mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of all our students and staff.
• Securing the confidence of staff, students and their families based on evidence and information so that they can plan for the session ahead.
• Consistency with the Scottish Government’s framework for decision making and measures in place such as distancing, managing attendance and wider protective actions.
• The ability to prioritise learners including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Alignment with the national effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.

UPDATE 17 FEBRUARY 2021

Since the start of the semester, the University has been working to ensure the return to teaching and learning is as safe as possible.

For the rest of Term 2 (Friday 30 April) the vast majority of its teaching will continue to be delivered online. This decision has been made to provide some certainty to both students and staff to enable them to plan their activities in the face of an uncertain external environment. This decision has not been made lightly and considers evidence from Public Health clinicians and discussions between universities and the Scottish Government.

We will regularly update our FAQ pages on our teaching arrangements, accommodation facilities, support services and other pertinent information as our planning progresses.

Keep up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 public health measures and guidance from NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government:

UPDATE 12 FEBRUARY 2021

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BY THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL, WHICH MAY AFFECT STUDENTS ENGAGING IN STUDIES OUTSIDE THE UK

The Scottish Government has announced strict measures which require anyone arriving in Scotland from outside the UK, from Monday 15 February, to quarantine in a designated hotel for 10 days and at a cost of £1,750, at present paid by the traveller.

Although these new restrictions are stringent, they are for the safety of the wider community. The health and wellbeing of our students will always remain our number one priority.

In light of this, we are advising all students who were scheduled to commence in-person teaching at RGU to very carefully consider the Scottish Government guidelines, the public health considerations and the financial implications associated with travel at the current time. We would recommend that students, not currently in the UK, strongly consider continuing your learning through our comprehensive online provision.  

For any students who were due to join RGU-owned accommodation on 15 February or after and had hoped to be able to quarantine there on arrival, you will no longer be able to do so with the current restrictions. Those students who have already paid for self-isolation accommodation with RGU and are no longer able to do so, will be given a full refund or can have this transferred to their tuition fee account. 

While this is not the news any of us have been looking for, we want to remind you of the University’s and the Student Union support services, from study skills to dedicated student counselling, will continue to be delivered online.  

We will keep you up-to-date as the situation develops. Our support services continue to be available online.