The Irish Universities Association (IUA) has committed to the return of in-person teaching for the new academic year.
The Safe Return Plan, published today, sees the IUA commit to “maximising and optimising the on-campus experience for all students” from September.
The plan, which has the support of government, was jointly drawn up by all higher education institutions represented by the IUA, the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Under the plans, institutions will implement sanitation and ventilation measures. They will also be expected to manage larger spaces and implement an upper limit on lecture lengths “depending on local context and risk assessment”.
Masks will be required indoors in accordance with public health guidelines.
In a press statement, Chair of the IUA and President of NUI Galway Prof Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “We are looking forward to welcoming our students back to our campuses. We are determined to put in place all the measures advised by public health to make the return to campus safe and sustainable for our students, our staff and for society.”
“A key element of this determination is personal as well as institutional responsibility and we urge all our students to take up the offer of a vaccination in good time for September.”
Chair of THEA Prof Vincent Cunnane said: “On behalf of the THEA institutions, we are delighted to be bringing back significantly greater numbers of students for the coming Academic Year.”
“Building on the ‘Safe Return Plan’ provides confidence to students and staff. I would urge all students to avail of the opportunity to get vaccinated to add to that level of confidence and to allow for a full student experience for the upcoming term.”
In June, the government announced its reopening plans for the next semester of college.
“It is expected that the majority of the people over 18 in Ireland will have been vaccinated by September 2021, and so planning is proceeding on the basis that full resumption of on-site activity is possible”, the Department of Higher Education said.
Under the government’s reopening plan, higher education institutions must commit to “ensuring that all learners across all areas have a significant scheduled period of on-site learning”.
As well as putting in place “appropriate provisions for vulnerable staff, students and learners who are medically unsuitable for vaccination in accordance with public health advice”.
Vulnerable students will still be able to access online lectures even if students return to in-person teaching in September.
Addressing the Oireachtas education committee last month, Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, the chair of the Irish Universities Association (IUA) said that “we will be using what was learned this year in order to support vulnerable students and students who may not be able to access campus”.
“We will be making lecture material available online for those students”, he said.
