Staff update - June 29, 2020
Dear colleagues,
To assess how the delivery of on-campus teaching at the start of the 2020/21 academic year will be affected by Covid-19, Estates & Facilities have been investigating the impact of physical distancing on the capacity of our teaching spaces.
This exercise has assessed how various types of teaching space can be utilised in a variety of physical distancing scenarios. The aim is to support the complex challenge of developing a viable timetable to accommodate the in-person teaching we wish to offer in support of an on-campus student experience this autumn.
In all scenarios, the health and safety of our staff and students is at the forefront of our planning. We are being informed by - and will adapt to - Scottish Government guidance on physical distancing. Any scenario adopted will be fully risk assessed in the context of the University’s own Covid-19 planning.
This presentation has been considered by the Covid-19 Campus Planning Group and the Blended Learning Implementation Task & Finish Group (BLITFG) and the wider views of our community are now being sought.
The illustrative scenarios demonstrate a range of room configurations that comply with either 2m or 1m distancing. Room capacities under the various scenarios are included, with examples of what the different approaches would mean for class sizes.
Your views, comments and suggestions on the scenarios shown would be welcomed. These include your view on how the scenarios will affect your preferred teaching styles and your views on teaching in certain types and configurations of rooms. Given the imperative to begin the complex timetabling exercise, we would greatly appreciate receiving your views via coronavirus@abdn.ac.uk by Monday, 6 July 2020.
Best wishes
Ruth & Angus
Ruth Taylor
Vice-Principal (Education)
Angus Donaldson
Director of Estates & Facilities