Latest Information for Students

Study Block 2 is currently scheduled to start on 25 January 2021 as planned.

All teaching will be online. As per the latest UK Government advice and in response to the national lockdown announced on Monday 4 January, this is expected to continue to at least mid-February.

Before Christmas, course teams were preparing to continue to provide blended learning. Following the announcement of the national lockdown we have been working to revise our plans, so that we can deliver your course wholly online until we are permitted to return to campus. We will publish these changes for each module in the first week of term (w/c 25 January).

We are using a very similar approach to the one we used during the last national lockdown to ensure you are not disadvantaged in Study Block 2 with a number of additions:

- Like last time we have reviewed your assessment to make sure you can achieve the learning outcomes of your award.

- Recognising that many of you will be working in difficult circumstances, all assessments will have a two-week deadline extension. This time is in addition to any adjusted deadlines you may have and will be applied to published deadlines over the coming weeks. If you (or your group) choose to, you may submit before the deadline.

- Like last summer we will check the marks of students against those from cohorts who were not affected by Covid-19. This helps to ensure that the outcome you get is equivalent to earlier students regardless of the current situation.

- We are timetabling in four week blocks to ensure we can respond quickly when the Government says we can bring you back on to campus.

The Government has announced a national lockdown to minimise the movement of people and limit the spread of the virus. You should not travel back to Falmouth until the Government has announced that this is allowed.

We will open these as soon as we are allowed to do so and have implemented any revised guidance on their safe operation. Subject to government guidance, to give you more time with our industry standard kit, we are increasing access to workshops, studios and stores in early summer. All current and graduating students will be able to practice their practical skills and receive advice from our technical teams until the end of June and the campus, stores and many facilities will continue to be available over the whole summer.

We understand your frustration – we want you to be able to work on campus and access our facilities, as much as you want to be there. We will facilitate your safe return to campus as soon as the Government permits us to do so. We believe that for most people it will be beneficial to keep moving through their course as planned.

However, if you do not want to study online, or want to find out more about the support available for studying your course online, you can contact your student advisor to find out more about your options. You may choose to pause your studies (intermit) and start again this time next year or if you need to, withdraw entirely. Both of these options may have a significant impact on your student funding, but your advisor will direct you to the relevant information and specialists for your circumstances.

No. We have had to invest significantly to safely and effectively deliver both blended and online learning this academic year and we still have all the costs of running the campus and employing staff to support your learning.

We are disappointed that we have had to switch to online learning, but we have had to comply with the Government's instruction to cease face to face teaching for our courses. We are confident that the teaching, learning and assessment we are providing is appropriate to allow you to progress in your discipline and your studies and is in line with the Government's request.

If you do not wish to continue with the alternative teaching, learning and assessment arrangements we have put in place, you can choose to pause your studies (intermit) and start again this time next year or if you need to, withdraw entirely. Both of these options may have a significant impact on your student funding but talk to your student advisor to find out more information.

We will allow any student who does not want to be on-campus during Study Block 2 to study remotely, even when we re-start blended learning. However, when we can welcome you back, we recommend that you do return as this will give you the best possible experience.

Additional support will only be provided for students studying remotely where they cannot attend campus (e.g. they are clinically vulnerable or impacted by travel bans).

We will also not be able to refund rent due for university owned and managed accommodation if you choose not to attend campus when we re-open.

If you hold a Tier 4 student visa and wish to study online for the remainder of this academic year, please speak to your course team and ensure you understand and consider the implications of not returning.

Given the continued uncertainty and the length of time we need to book activities in advance, there will be no University organised off-campus activity for the remainder of the 2020/21 academic year. We expect to be able to offer these again from the start of the next academic year.

You should discuss with your course team whether, as a result of the revised move to online only delivery, you still need access to the same equipment as you did before the Christmas break.

Government guidance allows for travel where you cannot reasonably study from your current location. If you consider yourself to be in this position, then you would be permitted to return in order for you to study. It would not be appropriate for you to travel to collect personal possessions.

Please note that specialist and technical facilities and equipment stores are closed until the Government permits us to restart face to face teaching.

The University will not issue letters for students planning on travelling to the Falmouth area. You will need to assess for yourself whether you can reasonably engage with online learning in your current location.

If you do change where you are based during or after lockdown, you will be required to follow all relevant guidelines on self-isolation to minimise the spread of disease.

Under government guidance the University is permitted to allow students, who cannot engage in online learning from their current location, on to campus.

Space provided on campus is only provided to facilitate online study. We can provide a socially distanced workspace with a desk and internet connection and, if necessary, a computer. No stores, specialist facilities, workshops or studios are open until the Government restrictions are lifted.

Only students who have discussed their circumstances with, and received the approval of, their Head of Subject may access campus.

No one can attend campus without taking two Covid-19 tests three days apart. See the Covid-19 testing FAQs for more information on how to book a test.

The national lockdown has been put in place to limit the spread of Covid-19. The University has responded to this by moving learning online and adjusting your assessment accordingly so you should not need specialist equipment in order to demonstrate the learning outcomes for your course. As a result, it would not comply with the guidelines prohibiting unnecessary travel.

In the first instance you should discuss your concerns with your course leader. If they are unable to help to find a resolution then you can use step two of the University's complaint procedure and process, more information is available on our website

We know the pandemic is affecting students financially in many ways. Additional funding has been provided to the University's existing Hardship Fund, this offers support to students who are facing hardship and particularly those who need support for the continuation and completion of their studies.

The University has announced if you rent University owned and managed accommodation and are currently unable to occupy your room as a consequence of the Government's lockdown you will not be charged rent for the first seven weeks of 2020/21 Study Block 2 and we are supporting the Students' Union campaign to ask private landlords to do the same.

The SU's Advice Service can help you make sense of what funding is available to you. This includes regarding student loans, bursaries, grants, tuition fees, welfare benefits, income tax, council tax, financial hardship, debt problems, debt management and budgeting.

There are some helpful resources available to you on StudentSpace, Togetherall, or via our UniWellBeing app.

You can access wellbeing support, whether you are on or off campus by contacting Living Support by email or by calling 01326 255341. Their opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm.

Outside of these times, Glasney Lodge can offer support - call 01326 253503

The SU has also relaunched their successful campaign, Together, Wherever, to support students. Any student struggling during the lockdown can also request a phone call with any of the SU Presidents.

Students on accelerated degrees will benefit from the same measures put in place for other students and there will be a clear two week break between the last date of assessment and the start of Study Block 3. Student results will be two weeks later than they would have been, and this means that students on accelerated awards will be allowed to continue into Study Block 3 with incomplete results and your student status updated after the assessment boards.

We have a diverse range of partners both in the UK and overseas and we are working with them to ensure the measures we’re putting in place for students studying with Falmouth also work for our students elsewhere, where applicable. Please check with your teaching provider how this will work for you. In particular if you are studying with an international partner, please note that they may be subject to different local government restrictions.   

We're currently working through our plans for graduation and we will update you, and this FAQ when we have been able to finalise arrangements.

From the start of Study Block 2 on 25 January 2021, students will no longer be required to manually register their attendance in online timetabled sessions. Your attendance at online sessions will automatically be fed into the attendance system and can be viewed on your attendance dashboard. You will still need to notify us of any absences through the attendance tile on the MyFalmouth app, more information is available within the Attendance Monitoring guidance

We know that the pandemic is affecting people's daily lives no matter where they are or how they choose to study. As a result, the measures we are putting place for Study Block 2 for students who would normally be based on campus will apply to our online students too.

Student support services continue to be available to all students and you can access wellbeing support, whether you are on or off campus by contacting Living Support:

• Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm, 01326 255341 or livingsupport@fxplus.ac.uk
• Evenings and weekends, Glasney Lodge, 01326 253503

See further details on our support services page

The on-campus testing centre will be in the Penryn Campus Sports Centre.
It will be open from 5 January - until 5 February 2021, 9am – 1pm, Tuesday and Friday.

Bookings are now open. You must book a test in advance.

Book a test

You must book a test in advance.

Students should take two lateral flow tests 3 days apart, as soon as possible after arriving back at university. You don't have to self-isolate between tests and the process is simple and straightforward.

1. You must book a test via the booking system before you arrive at the test site
2. Attend the Sports Centre at the time allocated to you
3. You should bring with you: a face covering, your mobile phone, laptop or tablet, and a pen

What to expect when you arrive:

1. When you arrive, you'll need to follow social distancing guidelines by staying at least two metres from other people at the test site, including staff
2. Once on site, you'll need to register your test online before you take the test. If you need help with this, please ask the site staff. They'll help you while maintaining social distancing
3. The entire process should take no more than 15 minutes

Receiving your results:

1. You should leave the test site as soon as you have taken the test
2. You'll receive a text message from the NHS within 24 hours of taking the test

After your first negative test, you should book another test for three days later, so you can be confident of the result.

If you test positive, you should contact the Rapid Response Team to arrange a confirmatory PCR test. This is to make sure it's not a 'false' positive result and you don't unnecessarily self-isolate.

You should self-isolate for 10 days from your first positive test or until you return a negative PCR test through the Rapid Response Team.

Any Falmouth University students who do not have symptoms can get a test.

If you have symptoms, you should not book one of these tests, but should contact the Rapid Response Team, who will support you to self-isolate and get a different type of test.

You should get a test before accessing campus facilities when you return to university after the holiday.

It means you can be confident that you do not have Covid-19 and will not pass it on to any of your friends, housemates, academic team or our local community.

If you have spent the holiday outside of Cornwall and do not book a test, you should self-isolate for 10 days after your arrival back at university.

The Lateral Flow Device is a rapid antigen test. These tests:

- Do not require a lab
- Provide results in 20-30 minutes
- Are safe and free

Anyone who is a close contact of someone who has covid-19, but does not show any symptoms and has two negative test results, can go home safely and continue their self-isolation at home (10 days in total).

If you have spent the holiday outside of Cornwall and do not book a test, you should self-isolate for 10 days after your arrival back at university.