Term 3
Welcome back, everyone! As you know, there are still restrictions in place and it is expected that we will not be permitted to offer in-person teaching and assessment until the third phase of the Government roadmap – on or around 17 May – is confirmed.
The University will, however, open facilities such as study spaces and the library, dwell spaces, sports, retail and Warwick Presents to welcome you back safely if you wish to return now travel restrictions have been lifted. We recognise the benefits this offers in terms of wellbeing, networking and face to face interaction.
Please continue to keep up to date with the University's Stay Safe at Warwick pages.
How will teaching be organised in term 3?
Your teaching for term 3, weeks 1-3 will remain online as in term 2. We hope to offer some in-person co-curricular sessions following 17 May but need to have these approved by the University. We have proposed some outdoor lectures on Decolonising the Curriculum, some workshops related to module-material from this year, outdoor literary walks, and one-to-one meetings with some tutors in their offices. As soon as these are confirmed, we will post details on this page and also email you.
Will there be any help with assessment deadlines?
Yes. We've offered a number of blanket extensions this year, and you can continue to request extensions through Tabula: the relevant Director of Undergraduate Studies will assess your request. Please remember that because of exam boards and other end-of-year requirements to formalise marks, no extensions can be granted beyond the end of week 5, term 3 (28th May).
Duration of extensions
The duration of an extension is usually up to a maximum of 14 days, as stated in the UG Handbook. To help you further, for the remainder of this academic year we are allowing those with exceptional reasons to claim a further 3 days on top of this. Furthermore, you may also add ONE of your two 5-working-day self-certification periods (see below) on top of this: so, if under exceptional circumstances you felt you needed it, you could claim a maximum of 14 days + 3 days + 5-working-day self-certification for an assignment. If you still require more time beyond this, your case will need to be moved to mitigating circumstances: this means you will need to register your mitigating circumstances with the department, and any late penalties for your work will be reviewed by the Mitigating Circumstances Panels in the final weeks of term 3.
Self-certification
Self-certification allows you to claim an additional 5 working days without the requirement for any detail or evidence. You can apply for self-certification twice in the course of one academic year through Tabula as we outline in the UG Handbook: please submit your request for a self-certification via the Personal Circumstances tab.
Mitigating Circumstances
If you have used your two available self-certification requests or you would like a longer extension, then you can still apply for further time through Tabula via the 'Request an extension' button on the individual assignment. We understand all of you have Mitigating Circumstances this year and we encourage you to apply and let us know what's been going on for you. You will need to submit evidence in the form of screenshots of doctor's or hospital appointments, medication records, counselling or therapy, or other evidence of unexpected problems or emergencies. However, you should not compromise your safety or the safety of others in order to obtain evidence. If you don't have access to evidence please explain why in as much detail as possible by linking dates and periods affected to specific assignments you feel have been affected. It is also important that you speak to your personal tutor about your situation or the Senior Tutor, Dr Liz Barry.
Support
Your personal tutor will meet you at the start of term 3. You can also contact the Senior Tutor, Liz Barry, who will help if you have any issues with personal tutoring or need more information about pastoral care and wellbeing.
Library resources
We expect the Library to open this term. More details will appear here soon.
We realise that restrictions on access to library materials can make it harder to conduct research. The Library has extensive access to online archives and resources, and you can view the list here. It may be reassuring to know that more than 50% of the Library's books, and 75% of its journals, are available digitally.
If you have any questions about the library's collections or provision you can contact the English Academic Support Librarian, Kate Courage, for advice and guidance.
What happens if there is a change in national restrictions?
Please look out for communications from Emma Mason, the Head of Department, who will update you on the implications for your course as the national situation develops.
What happens if I have to self-isolate?
Please contact your personal tutor if you're unwell so we can support you. If you miss any work because you're self-isolating we'll do our best to help you catch up.
Just as when you fall ill under normal circumstances, you can put forward evidence on the mitigating circumstances portal explaining how you have been affected and apply for extensions to your assessments.
What about safety on campus?
The university is continually revising its plans for safety on campus. Some buildings are already open and detailed risk assessments have been carried out to ensure the campus is safe. For full details, see the Safety on Campus pages. You can also read the Risk Assessment documents for the buildings in which in-person meetings will take place.