Safe Return to NCAD Campus for the Next Academic Year
Students can expect regular and timetabled access to the studios and workshops with face-to-face teaching planned to resume for seminars and classroom settings.
Update from NCAD Director, Professor Sarah Glennie.
Welcome back! Following a year in which NCAD was delighted to be able to support our students to safely be on campus to some of the highest levels of occupancy of any Irish higher education institutions, we are very much looking forward to welcoming you back to NCAD for the new Academic Year. We are extremely proud of the creativity and resilience demonstrated by our students over the last year and would like to thank you all for working with us to keep the NCAD community safe in these difficult times. Thankfully, while we are as a society in a much more optimistic place than at the start of the last academic year, it is important to acknowledge that COVID-19 still presents a very real risk to our students and our society, so things will continue to be slightly different as we start this year.
Students can expect regular and timetabled access to the studios and workshops with face to face teaching planned to resume for seminars and classroom settings. This onsite provision will be complemented by a schedule of remote learning, which was delivered very successfully in all areas of the College over the last year. Your Department will provide you with your detailed timetable but studio based students will be in the studios and workshops a minimum of two days per week with additional time timetabled in line with the needs of the programme.
Our Schools of Visual Culture and Education, including our CEAD programmes, will return to on-campus teaching combined with remote learning, and the Edward Murphy Library will reopen for time-limited browsing and hold-and-collect lending from the 20th Sept. Reading desks can be booked by emailing libraryloans@staff.ncad.ie. (please see Library website for details). Luncheonette will be open for a takeaway service. Students’ Union events will commence on campus in October.
Levels of onsite provision for the start of the year will be set to ensure safe and appropriate occupancy levels on campus and will be reviewed against the changing current public health advice, with provision for changes to be made within the academic year.
It is very important to note that your time in the studios and workshops will be scheduled and we ask that you follow this schedule. This is to ensure that we maintain appropriate occupancy levels in the studios and on campus, minimise the risk of spread of infection and also have a clear record of attendance for contact tracing incase of a suspected case of COVID-19 on Campus.
A guide to help prepare you for your time on the NCAD campus in the coming weeks, will be circulated shortly.
Our overriding principle is that we will continue to be led by Public Health recommendations to minimise the opportunity for COVID-19 to spread, therefore maximising your safety and the safety of the whole NCAD community. Protection against COVID-19 is a mutual responsibility shared by all students and staff to work collectively to ensure a safe working environment for us all.
To help us do this we would ask that you:
- Take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccine if you are able and have not already done so. This is the best protection to ensure a safe return to campus for us all so we are encouraging YOU to avail of the vaccine as soon as it is offered to you.
- Complete the Return to Campus Student Declaration Form at least 3 days before returning to campus.
- Complete the COVID Induction Training listed on the Return to Campus Student Declaration Form.
- Wear a face covering at all times whilst indoors on the NCAD campus.
- Be aware of, and adhere to good hygiene and respiratory etiquette practices and ensure that physical distancing is maintained.
- Make yourself aware of the symptoms of COVID-19 and monitor your own wellbeing.
- Self-isolate at home and contact your GP promptly for further advice if you display any symptoms of COVID-19, and keep the COVID-19 Student Support Manager updated on your status.
FAQ’s:
- Do I need to be vaccinated to attend on-campus classes?
While we are encouraging all NCAD students to get the vaccine as soon as it is offered to you, there is no need for NCAD students to be vaccinated in order to attend the NCAD campus.
- What should I do if I am High Risk or Very High Risk?
If you have indicated High Risk or Very High Risk during the registration process, you will be contacted by the Student COVID Manager, who will advise you on the procedures you need to follow. If there has been a change in your circumstances since registration and you need to declare your High Risk or Very High Risk Status, you should contact the Student COVID Manager at studentcovidmanager@staff.ncad.ie.
- What should I do if I cohabit with someone who is High Risk or Very High Risk?
If you cohabit with someone who is High Risk or Very High Risk, you should still attend campus while abiding by all COVID safety measures strictly. If you cohabit with someone who falls into either of the High Risk categories as defined by the HSE and you have concerns about attending campus, please contact the Student COVID Manager at studentcovidmanager@staff.ncad.ie.
- Can I undertake my course fully remotely if that suits?
To apply for remote-only access to your programme of study for a Trimester or a full academic year due to Covid-19-related extenuating circumstances, you should submit a Remote Study Only Form to the COVID-19 Student Support Officer at studentcovidmanager@staff.ncad.ie who will liaise with the Head of Department or Programme Co-ordinator who is responsible for managing your programme of study and will coordinate the College response to your particular needs. Applications to participate remotely in programmes of study offered by NCAD will be considered in circumstances where there are serious health-related reasons for the request and where the learning outcomes of the programme of study can realistically be achieved while participating remotely.
We look forward to seeing you in person or virtually soon, In the meantime, please do stay safe and well.
Best,
Sarah.
