Universities in Sheffield give re-opening update following lockdown 'roadmap' announcement - and this is what they have said

As part of the ‘roadmap’ outlined by Boris Johnson, university students on practical courses that need ‘specialist facilities and equipment’ could return to face-to-face teaching in as early as two weeks.

The students returning to Sheffield’s universities will also be asked to take tests, and there will be testing available on both campus’ – but plans for their return will be outlined in ‘more detail in the next few days’.

The Gov.uk website states that any university students on practical courses who need to access specialist facilities and equipment can return to in-person teaching and learning from March 8, and twice weekly testing will continue to be available.

The definition of ‘practical courses’ has not been directly defined, and students from a number of courses at both Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield could fall into this bracket.

Medicine, dentistry, other science courses, and engineering students all have considerable ‘practical’ elements to their courses, and specific university buildings focused on their equipment and needs.

What have the universities said?

A spokesperson from the University of Sheffield said: "The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority and we are reviewing what the government’s announcement means for our University. We will update our staff and students as soon as we are able to.

“We are confident that the health and safety measures in place across campus will enable us to safely provide practical teaching as set out in the latest guidance and are grateful for our staff and students’ efforts to keep our University community as safe as possible."

Although it remains inconclusive which subjects will return, both universities ‘welcome’ the decision.

A Sheffield Hallam University spokesperson added: “We welcome the government’s announcement of its roadmap to enable the easing of lockdown restrictions, including the opportunity to begin to resume on campus activity for certain categories of students.

“We realise what a challenging year this has been for our students, and we will be setting out more detailed plans over the next few days.

“Further resumption of any on campus activity will need to take place in a careful and phased way, which ensures that we maintain a safe environment for our students and staff. We will continue to consult with the Students’ Union, Trade Unions and public health partners on our proposed approach.”

The Government will review the return of all other university courses at the end of April, and students and university staff will be given a week’s notice to return to face-to-face teaching.

Professor Julia Buckingham, president of Universities UK, said: “Universities look forward to welcoming these students back to Covid-secure campuses from March 8, where safety measures including serial asymptomatic testing and social distancing will be in place to ensure the risk of transmission remains low.

“While today’s news is positive for some students, it will be disappointing for others that had hoped the Government would have allowed them to return.

“There will also need to be a further focus on supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing in the weeks ahead.”