Newsletter sent to all students December 11 2020

Welcome to the latest edition of your student newsletter. 

We know this term was very different from what any of us would have predicted last year. We’re proud of how you have adapted and made significant steps in moving forward in creative and imaginative ways. The skills and techniques that all of you have shown, not just academically but with meeting people, making connections and trying new things are invaluable, and will be hugely important in the future.  

We’ll be in touch again next week with more information about returning to Leeds and a roundup of info you’ll need for the holidays, In the meantime, whether you’re in Leeds (or surrounding areas) or have/will be travelling to see family and friends elsewhere during the holidays, remember that you have got so much to be proud of this term....and so much to look forward to in 2021.  


If you’re staying in the Leeds City Region over the holidays… 

…then there’s plenty going on, and with activities, events and support. Check out the following pages to find out about: 

If you’re arriving in Leeds for the first time over the holidays, welcome along! Check out your school induction site to find out about your school's induction activities, things you should do before the start of term and other school specific useful information. 


If you’re leaving for the holidays… 

…you’ll already know that additional booking slots have been available at our asymptomatic (lateral flow) testing facility which finishes on Monday. A huge thanks to those of you who have used this, and those of you have volunteered and helped with this huge operation, we couldn’t do this without you!

Need a PCR test before you travel? You can apply for financial help to cover the cost of this from LUU’s Emergency Hardship Fund. For more information, and to apply, contact LUU’s Help and Support and request an application from: advice@luu.ac.uk or 0113 380 1420. 

If you’re leaving, we’ve put together some helpful top tips to help you get organised.  

Don’t forget, you can donate food to local food bank collection points


Returning to Leeds in the new year  

The Government has asked universities to stagger the return of students in the spring term over the five-week period from 4 January to 5 February. This aims to minimise the risk of transmitting covid-19 by reducing the number of you who are travelling or arriving at the same time. You’ll have received an email with returning to Leeds information on Wednesday, please read this if you haven’t already as it provides details on dates we expect you to return and information about asymptomatic (lateral flow) testing available when you arrive back in Leeds. 

Of course, we do understand that it may be better for you to return to Leeds sooner – Government guidelines allow for this and our campus remains open for you to access for study and for your health and wellbeing.  

Find more details and answers to any questions you may have on our returning to Leeds webpage.   

Need to book a covid-19 test once you arrive back in Leeds? Book a test now  


Travelling over the holidays 

Our Brexit pages have been updated with important information for EU/EEA/Swiss students: 

  • http://leeds.ac.uk/brexit - this includes links to information about visa applications and the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) for different groups of students and PGRs 

  • https://students.leeds.ac.uk/brexit - this includes more detail for students who can apply to the EUSS as well as advice for current EU/EEA/Swiss students travelling home for winter break 

If you are a EU/EEA/Swiss students, please read this information as soon as possible, as it may affect your travel plans. 

You can keep an eye out on the latest guidance from the UK government


Assessment 

For many of you, the assessment process in January will be a new way of doing things. Don’t worry, we’ve got lots of information to help you plan, understand the way things will work and feel supported during this time.  

We’ll be sharing much more about assessments in January, including top revision tips, support on campus and library information. 


 Have your say and get involved 

Recently, we asked you to share your views of online learning at Leeds with our JISC survey. This was to help us understand what we’re doing well and where we need to improve. We’re already putting plans in place to make changes based on your feedback. Here’s five ways to get involved in 2021: 

  1. Take part in our digital learning student surveys, which are issued twice a year  

  1. Get involved with the many student partnership forums  

  1. Share any immediate concerns or suggestions with your lecturers, academic personal tutor or student support officer 

  1. Do you have an idea that could help improve the University and the experience of other students? Apply for both funding and support and turn your idea into a reality with the Student Ideas Fund. 

  1. Do you want to develop your leadership skills, help support your fellow students and stay in University accommodation for free during 2021/22 academic year? Apply to become a Residence life assistant now. 


Improve your employability 

The festive break is a great time to gain new skills, focus on your health and wellbeing and improve your employability skills with your free LinkedIn Learning account. Discover over 15,000 courses anytime, anywhere and learn on the go with the LinkedIn Learning app, available for your phone or tablet from Google Play or the Apple Store.   


Leeds COVID-19 Vaccination Programme 

Do you live in Leeds? Do you want to help your local NHS and your local community? If so, the NHS are currently working with the universities around the city to give you a direct opportunity to get involved with the Leeds COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. 

The NHS are currently recruiting for a variety of paid roles including vaccinators, health care assistants and administrators, as well as a bank of volunteers who can support vaccine services to help us deliver the Leeds COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. Find out more. 


We’ll be in touch again next week. Please keep checking your University emails for the latest updates. We’ll add them to our student communications webpage too, and post them in our current students Facebook group and on our student Twitter account. 

Best wishes from the student communications team!