As lockdown restrictions start to ease across Scotland, South Lanarkshire College is preparing to welcome back a limited number of students to campus for critical teaching, assessments and practical work, all within the terms of Scottish Government guidance.
The college is currently planning to bring less than 5% of its student population back on to campus prior to the Spring break, with a careful increase in student numbers being planned as lockdown restrictions ease in the weeks and months ahead. This will allow students to gain onsite and face-to-face support, training and practical learning, whilst undertaking assessments that cannot be completed online.
This means that the majority of students will continue to learn remotely, with a slow increase in a blended model, of online and on-site learning, up until the end of term, to ensure only limited numbers are on campus at any one time.
There are a number of changes that have taken place over the past few months to ensure the campus is as safe as possible for students, staff and visitors. This includes building modifications; daily fogging of classrooms and workspaces; limited numbers of students in each classroom and strict limits on people on campus; 2m distancing between desks and separation screens for additional protection; touchless door entry; increased cleaning; one-way systems; and sanitising stations throughout the campus.
Aileen McKechnie, Principal, said:
“I am delighted that we are starting to see some students returning to campus, albeit in limited numbers, in a careful and restricted way.
This is a real sign of hope for all of our students, staff and the wider community. We have missed having the students on campus since Christmas, so it is great to see a bit of buzz returning to campus in a careful and socially distanced manner.
Our two key priorities during this period have been to secure the health and safety of everyone on our campus and that we support our students to complete their qualifications and move onto the next stage of their lives.
We are working closely with our college partners and the Scottish Government to ensure we are doing everything we can to support our students, whilst minimising the risk of Covid transmission. Our staff have been outstanding over the past year - adapting quickly to remote and blended teaching and support to ensure our students have the best possible student experience, despite the Covid restrictions. Our facilities team has worked tirelessly over the past year to introduce building modifications and new hygiene practices to keep the building as safe as possible.
We are proud that our campus is Covid-secure and we continue to go above and beyond the guidance set out by the Scottish Government to ensure everyone on our campus not only is kept safe but feels confident whilst at the college. We will continue to do everything we can to support all of our students and applicants to achieve their career ambitions during this difficult period and to ensure our staff are fully supported in their transition back to campus.”
To find out more about the measures in place across the college visit: www.slc.ac.uk/covid-19-update/
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