Dear all,

I hope everyone’s well. We made it to the end of term! I’m so grateful to you all for bearing with us during a really difficult term, and for continuing to come to seminars, listen to lectures, and keep going with your work. I hope you’ve got some kind of break planned over the Easter vacation. But I also know your thoughts will still be on next term and what will be on offer.

Easter Vacation

For information on the Easter vacation—what’s open to campus and available support—please do go to the University’s Easter website: https://warwick.ac.uk/students/news/easter

The website includes information on library opening times and study spaces on campus: https://warwick.ac.uk/students/news/easter/openingtimes

And key information on Wellbeing Support Services: https://warwick.ac.uk/students/news/easter/wellbeing.

Term 3

The last Government announcement on Higher Education was 22 February, during which we learned that teaching would have to remain online for term 2. Students are allowed to travel to the local area and campus if they don’t have access to study space, need to return for health or wellbeing reasons, or require access to university facilities to access online learning. Otherwise the Government has asked students not to travel back and forth between campus. For those of you who do need to come back, the University is offering asymptomatic (lateral flow) testing to everyone living, studying, or working on campus. You can book a test here: https://warwick.ac.uk/coronavirus/term2/bookings/

We are expecting the next Government announcement in early April and to be able to send you some information the week commencing 12 April. As you’ll know from the University’s central communications, we desperately want to invite as many students as possible to return to campus from 26 April as long as this is compliant with Government guidance.

The department is working on several co- and extra-curricular activities for term 3, including a series of Decolonising the Curriculum lectures, an enhanced Academic Enrichment program for first years, and a number of workshops on staff specialisms. If it’s possible, we’ll offer some of this material in person on campus. Our plans are subject to approval by the University, and as soon as we know what we’re allowed to offer we’ll be in touch.

I’m so sorry we can’t confirm anything yet—we’re as frustrated as you are not knowing what we’ll be able to do in term 3. But we’ll make sure to keep you informed as plans develop.

You can rest assured that all your usual contact hours will be in place online. We’re mindful of students who won’t be able to come back to campus in term 3, and module tutors and personal tutors will continue to be available online.

More as soon as we have it, but until then take care of yourselves and each other and have a great break.

Best wishes,

Emma

Professor Emma Mason

Head of Department, English and Comparative Literary Studies

University of Warwick

emma.mason@warwick.ac.uk