Good morning everyone. Welcome to you all. Whether you're joining us on Zoom Conference or watching live on social media or catching up watching and recording, it's good to have you with us today. My name is Gavin Brown and a pro vice chancellor for education here at the University and your host for today's event. Liverpool responds is a series of events looking at how the University of Liverpool and in some cases the city of Liverpool has responded to the global COVID-19 pandemic from the role of our University researchers in the scientific response to tackling the virus to understanding the impact of the virus on communities both here in Liverpool and around the globe. But today we are here to discuss matters that are always to the heart of our University. How, in the context of the pandemic, we're going to ensure our students continue to have the best possible experience studying with us. That means an experience that of course, provides the standard of Education you would expect, but also one that enriches students experience in the broadest sense and begins to open up the world of opportunities that will be available available to them once. They complete their studies. The pandemic has caused worry to us all about University community is no exception. So another key theme for today is how we're making sure our campus is a safe and welcoming place to be despite this very difficult situation. I'm pleased to be joined today by an expert panel who are well placed to explain both that wider support package for our students and the steps we're taking to make our campus covid secure. Each of our panelists is going to speak for a few minutes about their involvement in our plans for next year. And can I ask you, our audience to submit questions to them via the live chat facility during their presentations and throughout the rest of the session? So firstly doctor Paul Redmond, our director, student experience enhancement, will give us an overview of the wide range of sport we're putting in place for our students. Simon Thompson, who is the director of our Center for innovation in education, will then tell you more about how we intend to deliver our teaching and support our students to learn next year. We will then hear from Emma Moore, the university's head of careers and employability. It will be speaking about how we will continue to offer a wealth of opportunities for students to develop their thinking about possible future careers and connect with employers during their time with us. We're also joined by Phil Marsh, our director of facilities, residential and Commercial Services. Who will explain some of the ways in which campus life will change for the foreseeable future to help keep everyone safe? And last but not least, at Nana Hussein president at the Liverpool Guild of students will talk about how the Guild is preparing to give new and returning students a warm welcome and create opportunities to develop their interests outside of the curriculum. First though, before I hand over to Paul, I would like to talk briefly about the universities overall approach to creating an environment that we believe students will continue to flourish in. It's one that focuses on three things, firstly helping students to achieve their academic ambitions. Secondly, providing a range of support and opportunities that enhance the student experience and make it truly rewarding and life changing. And Thirdly, very importantly, keeping everyone safe. I will leave it to the panel to expand on all of these points, but as the lead for education at the University, I'm first going to talk briefly about the academic element. We have a proud of our track record as a University with a global reputation which is built on our mission to give students an educational experience that will transform their lives. And in many cases enable them to go on and transform the lives of other people. Do what they go onto, achieve as a University of Liverpool graduates. New and returning students can expect us to adhere to the same high academic standards as always, although Kovid will for the time being changed the way some of this is achieved. In the new academic year, which will begin in October, we intend to provide every student with a combination of face to face teaching. In smaller classes, laboratories and other environments only where it's safe to do so with social distancing and with new hygiene arrangements in place together with virtual teaching sessions in place of lessons that would normally take place in large groups. As you will be aware, our University as a history of innovation in delivering degrees online, so in many respects the virtual elements of this comes naturally to us. And importantly, we know that it is effective. Indeed, some students will, I'm sure, enjoy the option to access some of their classes online at the time of their choosing as often as they like. Some virtual experiences will be live so that students can interact with their tutors and classmates as and when they take place online. These more innovative ways of learning will complement not only taught study in covid secure spaces, but also private study time in our libraries, where again the necessary safety measures will also be in place. Unconscious that many students or applicants who are thinking of beginning their studies with us this autumn will be watching now. I can reassure you that you will receive an excellent academic course here, despite the impacts of the pandemic. Indeed, it is my priority and that of my colleagues around the University to make sure you do. Whether you will be in your first year or returning to us as a student, you can expect to hear much more about how your course will be delivered in the weeks ahead. Of course, given what I said about face to face, classes were very much looking forward to welcoming students back to Liverpool in the autumn. It hasn't been the same without you were no doubt that being here is the best way to get the full University experience, which is why we're putting in place a very wide range of measures and new innovations to help make sure it is a safe and successful academic year. They start with new arrangements so welcoming students on campus, including our brand new foundation week. Finally, before I hand over to Paul, I just want to say something about the news coverage yesterday and today about how grades will be determined for Scottish higher and a level students. Of course, decisions about exam grades are not within the universities control, but we know how significant these developments will be for some applicants, and they are therefore hugely important to us too. We're keeping a close eye on this and will be working with you casts and the Department for Education to think through what these changes mean for allocating our places. At present, unless we hear differently today, we expect to confirm the majority of our places tomorrow as planned an open clearing for some of our programs. If you are an applicant and believes that your grades will be subject to an appeal, then I would ask you to get in touch and tell us as soon as possible. Once you have received your results. If you wish to study with us. We will put further details on our website as we develop a process to deal with what is a very fast changing and unprecedented situation. But I can assure you that we will do everything we can to treat all our applicants faily and as quickly as we can. I'm now going to hand over to doctor Paul Redmond, our director, student experience enhancement, to tell you more about that and how we will ensure the campus remains this great place to be. Remember, please do leave your questions to for our panel in the chat and we'll do our best to answer as many as we can after the presentations all over to you. Thank you, Gavin morning, everybody, wherever you are, it's great to be with you today. Hope you found this next section useful. I'm going to give you an overview about what we're doing to prepare our students for the new academic year that Gavins talked about. So, Liverpool, we pride ourselves on giving our students are warm and friendly. Welcome to both the University and the city. So we are really delighted that you'll be joining us hopefully. And as Gavin said, it's not been the same without our students. This year, we've developed three orientation programs that will run prior to the start of teaching on the 12th. Of October, these programs have been designed to provide all our new students and and our continuous students with a warm and uniquely Liverpool. Welcome to as I said to this University in the city. But be assured throughout each of the programs are priority is our students safety, happiness and ultimately as you'll hear today their success. So I'm going to run through each of the programs to give you an idea about their aims and objectives and how they've been designed to help our students get a head start. At the University. So the first of the three programs, which is called launchpad to Liverpool and this will run from the 17th of August to the 25th of September. Launchpad to Liverpool is for new students and has been designed to provide. Students with an insight into into University life. So it's all about helping students transition smoothly into the University, both academically and personally. It would give them a Head Start into how to be a student, how to be successful when they're studying it. Also help them strike the right balance in terms of well being so to balance home life with their knew University life on their academic expectations. So it's been developped very much based on. What students have told us they would have found useful when they started at University, so I said it. It's a brand new initiative that we're launching this year. It's going to be delivered digitally. It'll run online and will be sending out information about launchpad from next week. So if you're interested, look at the communications that would be coming out and you'll find out more about it. But essentially launchpad is all about helping students prepare for University life. The second program. Is welcome week that runs from the 28th of September to the 2nd of October, so this is our welcome for all our students. Of course this year it will be both physical on campus and it will be online as well. So no matter where students are around the world, they will begin and great Liverpool welcome farmers. Our aims again in welcome week is number one, as you'd expect to do everything possible to keep our students safe and healthy while there on campus. But we're really keen to build a strong sense of belonging and inclusivity at Liverpool so I welcome week is our way of doing that. We also want to celebrate our students choice of Liverpool. Our students have worked hard to get to Liverpool and we want them to be proud of their achievements and to feel that they really have worked hard to get here so. It's all about celebrating students choice of the University and the city, and, crucially, welcome week is about equipping students with the essential information they require to be both happy and successful. So we've got a lot of things that we want to fit into. Welcome week. Came really is a students make friends and that they feel part of the University and they feel that this is their new home. What will we be doing during welcome week? They'll be welcomes from are from the vice chancellor and other senior managers from the Guild of students at admin will talk to you about there will be events and activities organized by halls of residences teams. There will be social events on campus and online. They'll be campustours they'll be tours of the city. We have sport and well being activities that will be taking place again both. Physically on campus and virtually there will be meetings with peer mentors, so we're providing other students will be mentoring our new students so students will be able to meet with their peer mentors. We've got walking tours of the city Liverpool sound were giving daily Spotify list so students can begin to hear about new Liverpool bands. And then of course, there's that cultural phenomenon. Bongos bingo that students will be engaging with during that first week to keep them active and also for this year something we're really excited about. We're going to give everyone of our new. Students and ebook reconnect the great read, so you'll be getting an ebook comprising a number of short stories, so we'll be having the events during the first couple of weeks, so students will be able to engage with other students and talk about these short stories that have been handpicked for our new students and also there for this year. For the first time, we'll be launching our welcome app so each of our students will be getting a personalized welcome program, which they'll be able to access. File their app. So before you arrive at the University both physically and or online, you have to download the welcome app which will show exactly what's going on. So you need miss anything during welcome week, so that's that's a great week to settle student in to the University to give you an idea about how to start making friends and fitting in with with your expectations. The final program that Gavin mentioned that we were launching brand new for this year. We're calling foundation week, so this runs. From the 5th of October to the 9th of October, and it runs directly before the start of teaching on the 12th of October. So we recognize that our students have been out of Education for some time. All of our students have been out of Education for some time, so we want to do everything we can to bring them up to speed with academic learning. So we want to get our students back into the mindset of academic work, so think of it as an academic boot camp were going to help our students really get up to speed with the personal, academic digital goals that they would be looking at. And we want to bring them in up to speed again with the academic schools and departments to find it really what's going to be available with the new hybrid curriculum that my colleague Simon's going to be talking about a bit later. So join Foundation week. They'll be inspirational lectures from some of our world leading alumni. They'll be introductory talks from schools and departments. There will be meetings with academic advisors. They'll be, they'll be academic support sessions run by our know how team. Look at how to improve your digital skills, making the best of our world, leading libraries, critical thinking, references, how to source information. We're going to be launching some new citizenship modules, so how to have to be the best you can be will be launched. Join this week, Emma's going to talk about employability opportunities and as I said there, be lots more opportunities to find out about the universities research and how are researchers are shaping the world around us. So foundation week is going to be a fantastic week to prepare students for this new academic year. And finally, you know it's a great time for students coming to University. It's an exciting time, but we know it's also a challenging time for our students and for many other students. It's a rite of passage that that doesn't always go as smoothly as it could be, but I want to assure you that we've got a fantastic support team available at Liverpool. We've got a counselors mental Health advisors, academic advisors, student support, themed, whatever students concerns are, particularly during the first few weeks at University let. Let me show you that we've seen it all before, so the key thing is if there's anything wearing you either before you arrive or join the first few weeks in particular, then speak to me or my colleagues were here to help you and to do everything possible to to support you and make this a fantastic experience for you. As I said, Our students have worked really hard to get to University and we want to make sure that the experience is a superb as possible and to finish with when I speak to new students every year. I was quote an old Liverpool. Football club manager called Bill Shankly, who when he left Liverpool Somerset in what was it like and he said well Liverpool was perfect for me and I was perfect for Liverpool. And if there's one name that we have at this University is every one of our students leaves able to save that Liverpool was perfect for me and I was perfect for Liverpool. So thank you for engaging with us and as I said, if there's any concerns or any worries you've got please contact us as soon as possible. Thank you Thanksgiving. Many thanks, Paul. OK, Next up we've we've got Simon Thompson who is the director of the Center for innovation in education. He'll tell you a little bit more about our teaching model for next year, Simon. Thank you, Gavin, and thank you Paul. Good morning everybody. So hopefully in the next couple of minutes I will be able to provide you an overview of how we've kind of slightly adapted our teaching model in light of COVID-19. So as Gavin's already highlighted already, the University of Liverpool is not new to teaching in online spaces or to adapting our curriculum and teaching practices. So although this was still a challenge, actually it's a challenge that we're very comfortable rising 2. We have all been impacted by COVID-19 in many ways, and if you are watching this as a student preparing to study at the University of Liverpool, it is very likely that you will already have experienced some changes to your own learning over the past few months, including perhaps experiences like this. So supported by the Center for innovation in education, our academic staff have been working really hard to adapt. Initially, very quickly to teaching remotely to ensure that our current students were not academically impacted by COVID-19 and the lock down that we all find ourselves in. So colleagues across the University of already been adapting assessments rethinking their curriculum delivery and their teaching approaches, ensuring that our students were not disadvantaged by this pandemic. And that's the intention. Going forward is that we don't want to feel, actually, that you're going to be disadvantaged by this pandemic. And we know there is still a lot of uncertainty for many of you, but what I'd like to do is give you some certainty about the kind of experience that you can have at the University of Liverpool that we have been planning for. In fact, despite the dramatic and sudden changes, there are actually many positive experiences that emerged through this process, not least, I suppose you know, in our colleagues, and in many of you are use of digital tools and services for communication for learning and for teaching. And Whilst the University is always made effective, use of digital tools for learning and teaching the experiences that we've had during this pandemic is really enabled us to strategically develop what we're calling a hybrid learning and teaching model. That will not only be used in the short term as a as a as a fix. If you like to the current environment we find ourselves in, but is in fact something that we can use for longer term beyond the 2020-2021 Academie. Year and model for learning and teaching at the University of Liverpool that we we see helping us move into the future. The University already has a well established curriculum framework. Some of you may have already had a look at this if you do a search on the Internet for the University of Liverpool Curriculum 2021, you're quite easily find it, and at the heart of that framework is something which we call active learning. Active learning relies on kind of instructional models which engage and challenge students in the learning process and through activities, often collaborative and reflective not only inside but also outside of the classroom spaces. Active learning, kind of it trans contrast with traditional transmission based models whereas students may have previously been passive receptors of knowledge. Actually, active learning is about continually engaging in the learning process. And that really still sits at the very heart of our curriculum model. This means the curriculum is designed to engage with students actively in your learning and what we've described this as a hybrid active learning model, or Hal for short. And if you remember the film that how emerged in it, some not quite as formulaic as that, but what we've tried to do in terms of developed this curriculum is think about hybrid active learning around three main teaching modes. The first of those will be on campus and face to face. We still feel that. It's important to offer an provider students with an on campus experience. After all, you have applied to a University that is campus based and we still want to offer that and Gavin's talk through some of those measures and Phil will be talking through how we're making our campus safe. The other mode is online synchronous, an example being something like this, where in real time we're engaging in an online digital platform as part of a learning experience, and the third mode is our online asynchronous where staff will provide resources, materials, and activities for you to engage with. That you can undertake in your own time within a time frame, but it gives you more flexibility. So within those three modes, we think we've got a very compelling and engaging model for our students, much like a hybrid vehicle which switches between a traditional combustion engine and an electric engine based on what is the most appropriate, our academic staff are rethinking their teaching and the designing their learning in a way that makes most of the three modes of that teaching. Each subject will of course approach these three teaching most differently in terms of how they will make use of them, particularly the face to face. Some will make use of the face to FaceTime in laboratory settings. Summary studio based settings, and some in more traditional classroom based settings. And although the face to face on campus experience will be reduced in the short term to ensure the safety of our staff and students. We can make sure that those face to face experiences are the most valuable, and we can also make the very best use of our online digital spaces without impacting on your learning. What is important in this hybrid model is that the face to face experience for students is undertaken in a way that is safe and really valuable, but we also benefit from the flexibility of our online and remote learning. So internally, we've developed a hybrid active learning support package for our staff, so they're already busy engaging in that, and they are well supported in this process, and we've already seen some really exciting hybrid curriculum examples emerging from this that we're sharing as case studies internally with colleagues. So academic teams across the institution have already been busy planning and are continuing to do so. As Paul mentioned, there will be welcome week activities and foundation week activities that are also hybrid in nature and as part of this There will also be some support and guidance provided to students about what it's like to learn in a hybrid environment. Have this may be new to many of you, but please be assured there will be plenty of support both from the institution and also from your schools and departments that have had to rethink their curriculum. So hopefully that's giving you a flavor of the model that we're using, and they were asking all our department's and schools to use. They will all use that model slightly differently. It's not a formulaic model that they all have to have a particular number of online synchronous or online asynchronous hours, so your Department will give you particular guidance around what that means for your topics in your subjects. So all that remains for me to say is that despite the very strange circumstances that we will find ourselves in, this is also provided us. I think with an opportunity to rethink how we innovate in learning a teaching. And Whilst There will be some face to face experiences that will no doubt miss in the short term. We are still very much looking forward to you joining or rejoining our community and engaging with your studies through our exciting new hybrid active learning approach. So I'll just hand back to Gavin. Thank you very much. Thank you Simon. OK, Next up is Emma, more who's head of careers and employability emer over to you. Recent survey tells us that employees expect people working from home. Regular basis once the crisis is over will increase to 37% compared to just 18% before the pandemic. Last month bulletin from the Institute of student employees reinforced my belief the online graduate equipment. Will become the new normal. We are calling this the remote revolution. And have already begun preparing our students and graduates to be part of it. Crazy employability supports at Liverpool will look very different this year, but for us this is not unusual. Since 2016 we have been constantly changing, adapting, and refining our replayability often to ensure its first class and provides exactly the support our students and graduates needs. Of course will not be running large careers fairs on Cam position. However, we will be providing opportunities for students to connect with more employers than ever before. We have worked with academic colleagues over recent months to ensure our programs have plenty of employer lag content, including real world projects and virtual experiences where students will collaborate to solve real problems. We're focused on ensuring students will have opportunities in their program to familiarize themselves with the tech that employers are using to recruit, including video interviews on line tests and virtual assessment centers. With the first University in the UK to partner with handshake to deliver our online career platform. Handshake is the number one way students in the US explore career options and find jobs and internships. This partnership is really exciting and has helped us think differently about how we connect students and employers. It's been beneficial to work with other handshake early adopters to colleagues from the University of Cambridge and University of York. We've all got some gathering work tried to work through the challenges of next semester to come up with some innovative solutions and ways that we can work with employers and students. Our partners are partnerships in the Liverpool City region. Have also been key in helping us to develop exciting new initiatives for next year. We're working really closely with the Merseyside combined authority to understand the changes in the local labor market. Here there are challenges, but also many opportunities. We have a great partnership with capacity, an organization focused on developing community businesses in the city. This year will work together to deliver social enterprise program aimed at students with strong social conscience and an exciting business idea to help improve local community. The Christine have also secured funding to support internships with local assamese, giving our students the opportunity to help the city of Liverpool to build back better. Last year the charisma employability team recruited over 100 students to work in different ways to support the student body. From October career coaches will be on hand in our virtual career studio to answer any career related query, no matter how big or small and to help our students take small steps to move forward in their career journey. We also have digital coaches delivering shorts impactful digital skills sessions. Inspired by learning from their internships with employers and finally pay mantels, you will help provide support around well being and belonging. This diverse team of students staff is unique to Liverpool and helps us to ensure that we always put students at the heart of everything we do. Finally, as is currently more difficult for us to travel around the world, we've been delivering sessions in partnership with our international alumni. Bringing the world to Liverpool is an exciting new series of online talks connecting our students with Liverpool graduates who have been living and working in different parts of the World Series includes graduates from a wide range of subjects and professional backgrounds. So far we visited Malaysia, Singapore, China, Nigeria and Canada with many more journeys plan for next semester. We invest a lot in innovative initiatives, an exciting new projects that are inclusive and interdisciplinary. It's this type of experience that brings together diverse groups of students and get some working on real life problems. And this is primed for the digital workplace when embracing digital and constantly involved involving the work that we do, using collaborative tech and web based tools to create new ways to support our students and graduates remotely. We're confident our new employee ability offer will work well to meet the demands of the remote working revolution and increased online engagement tells us you're already for it too. Thank you Emma. Next we have film our shoes. Our director of facilities, residential and Commercial Services, Phil. Good morning everybody. Thanks Gavin, I just like to tell it more about what we're doing across campuses and including halls of residence to make sure everybody can enjoy campus life. But Whilst keeping our students and staff say. And our campus buildings currently getting their usual treatment of summer improvement works and ready for the start. The new academic year. Things are a bit hectic but things are starting to look great while much looks the same. There are many new measures we've introduced this year to ensure we can operate safely in response to the pandemic. I just like to outline a few of those. All buildings will have to pass a truly secure assessment for occupation to provide confidence that we are making meeting guidelines and standards. Certificates will be displayed within entrances of buildings. New signage is being placed around campus within buildings and rooms to support social distancing, wayfinding and knew hygiene measures. This includes one way routes, entries and exits buildings and guidance within individual rooms, teaching hymns and so forth. We've introduced additional cleaning measures right across campus with extra attention to those high frequency touchpoints so handles lift buttons list themselves so that the cleaning throughout the day on those high frequency areas. We made adjustments to our buildings, technical adjustments to try and reduce some of those touchpoint risk, so hold open devices, automatic door openings and we made adjustments to vent ventilation systems and finally with hygiene so important we placed additional hand gel dispensers at entrances throughout buildings and outside teaching rooms with guidances and notice people to follow. It turns out facilities our sports centers just reopened and will be probably ready for the start of the new academic year. The key exchanges there around capacity will be closely managing that through a booking system. Guidance will be provided for users and the gym, pool classes and sports pictures will be available. We have a number of different catering outlets across offering a range of food and drink options across campus. Again, we're looking at seating, capacity reduction, queue management, contact list payment, additional hygiene measures to introduce all sorts of work, hours of operation. Very manly, the capacity reduction. Our teaching spaces are looking great. We created a number of additional rooms to ensure we can provide the timetable. Contact will just be smaller numbers in each each class. Leave that social distance. Social distancing will be evidenced with all their teaching spaces. Guidance will be provided to students on entering and leaving all teaching spaces are specialist teaching spaces, labs PC PC sensors will operate will reduce capacity and additional safety measures. I will library so key to the student experience are open with with with measures put in place to improve hygiene, reduce Contacts management of occupancies and a booking system for study spaces. We are still looking. We recognize the demand on library spaces and looking at how we can best manage that through the course of the year. We have some fabulous outdoor spaces across campus for people to enjoy with induced additional additional features to supplement that a little further. Improve through here about how we can enjoy those with different weather conditions. In terms of travel, will working closely with Liverpool City Council on improving cycling and pedestrian routes to key routes to campus. We're also improving facilities on campus for cycle storage secure cycle storage? It's in the student accommodation. We recognize holes. Life is a key part of the student experience. We want to make sure this continues for next year, but with additional safety support measures in place, we know socializing and making friends is a significant part of this. There will be gardens, how to socialize safely and completely visitor arrangements. There will be a staggered arrival process and a bookable arrival slot in place to minimize the amount of students coming to calls at any one time or holes were procedure in in place for collection of keys and checking in. And we will provide extra support to students who require. Senior in self isolation and this will include bedding, kitchen packs, food options and check in support for individuals. And like all of the buildings across campus, allow holes will have to be secure. Assessments and certifications so those measures dimension before around social distancing. Wayfinding, increased hygiene, will be put in place. Further information is available around around our accommodation web pages. Also, for those students living the private sector, we are working closely with Liverpool student homes who running a cryptic accreditation service for private accommodation in Liverpool. And that's the seeker, surance from providers and landlords that they are providing support for our students with, including measures in place. Again for those needing to quarantine yourself for self isolation. We will continue to work with landlords and providers throughout the course of the year. And some additional features were put in place in terms of to support student and staff safety. All staff and students will be provided with two washable face coverings and gardens for use. Help keep people safe. Everyone will be expected to wear face covering on campus, including during teaching sessions and when moving from one location to another. For those who were a face covering can be a barrier. Support will be available through our disability advice and guidance team. University will provide a seven day a week testing facility for all students and staff or experiencing symptoms of corvid 19 and results will be end to begin within 24 hours. And we've also established a process in place in the event of suspected cases across campus, with testing tracing local closure covid recovery cleans with the aim of keeping people safe, but also to try and get areas back open and open, working as quickly as possible. So in summary, our campuses and buildings are looking great and our facilities will be open, but in a slightly different way. It seems that keeping the cameras operating safely, already working on ready for the start of academic year, but things that are different are there to ensure students and staff safely thank you. Thanks Phil. And then Lastly we come to Adnan Hussain, who's president about Liverpool Gilder students at man. Thanks Gavin. Yeah, hello my name is Adnan Hussain and I'm the president of the Liverpool Guild of students. Or for short the Guild is watch what is what I'll be referring it to. For those who are not familiar with what the Guild is, it's essentially the Students Union for the University of Liverpool. So we're slightly separate from the University. The Guild is in general. It's essentially a space or building for students to come, chill and relax in between or after the lecture times. And of course get involved with societies and other activity that we put on. Um, just a bit of context for those. Again, he don't know what Guild is. Decisions on the strategic direction of the Guild are made by four elected student officers, one of which is myself. The Guild holds elections every year for students to run in and essentially get students to run the Guild. The Guild is essentially your home, away from home with the building fit for all kinds of activity, ranging from Bars, Starbucks, and of course home to our many societies, all of which should return in a covid secure way. So. In March, we took the decision to close our building in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus and then come the start of term. We plan to reopen with most of our activity available in a curved, secure environment. We will be implementing social distance measures where possible and committing to an outline activity when possible. Our boss at Starbucks and shop will reopen with social distancing measures in place, prioritizing our student safety while keeping calm about keeping some of our core activity that our students enjoy. At the bars, obviously there's alcoholic, but also if you're not a big drinker there's loads of non alcoholic drinks available. So as Paul's mentioned, sorry if you can hear system sounds or quickly meet that in a second. I do apologize. South Paul mentioned we usually hold like a big welcome week every year and. All of that is our societies fair that some of our returning students all too familiar with, so we do plan to keep do societies fair, but it is looking likely that I will be a virtual societies for. We feel that it's important, again, echoing what Paul said about creating a sense of belonging where we get the girls want to create a sense of belonging to us and to get involved with our student communities. But our societies offer so you can get involved with various activity. Get involved with like minded people an you know, do some great stuff. To be fair. Long story short. Um, obviously things will be different to normal. Will have social distancing spaces and stuff like that, but some things will stay the same and one of the things that will stay the same is the Guild will continue to support a student. We will still be here to help. So myself and my fellow Guild officers or student officers are there and listen to listen and promote the student voice University. So if you have any concerns you can help get in touch with us. And if you need impartial advice, we still are operated our Guild advice team are still operate in to help you with any student concerns that you may have when you return to campus or join us in October. Um? Our offer is inherently different to what normally would happen, but we're more or less keeping our core activity in a safer environment. So although students, no matter what color but caliber student, you are, whether you are six form a College of first, second, third year, looking to return or a Masters or postgraduate student. Just know that we understand that you've had a tough time and having things closed is isn't great, but hopefully and we are looking to reopen our doors in October 4. Hopefully a decent year. Thanksgiving thank you all done and thanks to to all of the panels. So this is the point where we can start trying to answer some of your questions. We've had lots of questions already, so we'll get to as many as we can, but we can't promise to do them all. Actually, we the last one that we've had, we might stay there, stay there because it still stays with you had how will SoC is still run. Hey yeah, so at the moment we don't have. A concrete way of how societies were run. So society we will say that society activity will continue this year. But we're still working out how we can support your society. So obviously SOC's have different stuff. Society coordinates SoC managers who helped look after the SoC throughout the year, so we're still. Planning and working out what how we can support our societies throughout the year. Whether it could be online or whatever, should it be safe? I'd say keep a lookout on the Guild website or Guild social media at Liverpool Guild on Instagram to Facebook for further information so we can update it. You impossible hope, but alright. Thanks that then it is probably fair to say that last semester our societies were very creative in how they managed to respond to lock down and kept a lot of their activities going virtually. Also, I know that all of our sporting groups, for example, are are well advanced in plans for how they can keep those activities going. So, as Adnan says, keep checking our website and as we workout the detail, that's where it will be. OK, thanks that man right? We've tried to group some of your questions. So the first group that I I've got is for teaching the teaching elements of what we're planning. So firstly, Paul, there's a question around how will our tutorial model. I think this means personal. The personal tutor system, they advisor system. How will that be ramped up to reflect that students will now be learning in a different mode. We recently looked at our personal tutoring model to make sure that it's access accessible as possible for students, so students will be offered an opportunity in both. Welcome we can foundation week to meet with the personal tutors, so that could be either in a safe context of face to face meeting again within a safe environment, or it could be online so there will be a range of different ways that students can engage with the. Personal tutors are there academic advisors. They'll also be support from the student experience teams in each school or Department, and they will be making contact with students again during welcome week to let them know how to who their Contacts are within the schools, and how to make make out to get in contact with them over the next few weeks. So there's a whole set of architectural support that we've got in place for that. First, our new students and will be letting students know about how to contact them. Both via the app and fire. The canvas online support network that will have available. So there's there's a lot available, but every student will have a personal advisor who will meet within the 1st four night. Thank you Paul Simon will face to face tutorials, take place even if no lectures. So in the hybrid model, actually the face what we've asked our colleagues to do in thinking through their curriculum is actually think through what is the most valuable face to face experience that student can have on campus with our staff present an an as fillers already outlined, there will be a lot of limited and reduce capacity to our rooms, including our lecture spaces. So actually the intention is not to deliver lectures face to face because of the nature of the lecture, which normally means a large number of students. Each Department or subject will actually make the choice about how they use their face to face. So, as Phil alluded to there we will have some of our lab spaces will be back open, so it may be that in disciplines that use lab spaces, they will prioritize the face to face period as being in lab spaces, because that will be the most valuable for the students in some other humanities subjects where we know discussion is important, then there will be smaller group sessions that may take place in lecture theatres. But with a mass of hugely reduced capacity and the student numbers to in order safe social distancing, but those will be more discursive, kind of collaborative discussion based sessions. So we don't actually define to the subject or discipline area how they use the face to face contact. What we asked him to do is to think about how they can make the most of the face to FaceTime. They will have with students because it will be reduced in order to maximize the benefits of the learning, and that will differ from. Discipline to discipline. But what we are saying is that we would like every single program where possible to offer face to face activities with our students as part of a campus experience and that will be done with safety in mind. Thank you Simon and then we had another question. I think from a couple of people about can we learn online for the whole year. At the moment we are not offering that we're offering a hybrid model we have for all of our programs identified. The latest arrival date to campus. You can find that information on our website. Obviously many of our programs require an element of face to face teaching. They may have labora Tory components or studio based elements or or placements, and that requires you to be here in Liverpool so. All of our programs have a latest arrival date. Some of those dates are in November, some of them are the start of semester two. So for some programs, if if it had to be the case, you could arrive as late as a start of semester too, but all of that information is on our website. We did also have a question about international students who may need to quarantine on arrival. When do you need to arrive while the latest date would be 2 weeks before your latest arrival date for your program? So that you could spend that time in quarantine for two weeks and then enter your your program and engage with the hybrid model. So at the moment we're not offering an online only option for the full year, but we are keeping this under review. Ann we then got some questions on accommodation. Phil is accommodation guaranteed. So I don't really caught that. Phil. Is accommodation guaranteed to clearing. At Gavin, Yes it is. Through playing, we've extended that accommodation guarantee that'll either be through our own accommodation or with selected partners. And will international students who arrived late to campus be able to retain accommodation even though they might not attend from the start of semester one? At the moment the advices to if if students are looking to attend in semester one but have accommodation book is to cancel that booking and Contact. Aviation team and in November to look at the position from semester to where I would suggest on the accommodation webpage on frequently frequently asked questions. This is information there, or if there's any queries to contact the accommodation office directly. Thanks Phil. And then we may as well stick with you for a third one. Will there be bubbles for accommodation? Anne Boleyn bubbles it's household so clusters have accommodation will have households so again, communal facilities will be classed as household social socializing as as a household have picked up a question there about overnight stays and at the moment through taking through government guidance and issues around households, there will be no overnight visitors currently allowed. Based on their guidance for the rest of the 2020, we will review this in 2021. Which one of those, again which it changes so quickly and significantly that we just need to keep an eye on things. Thanks Phil. We did then have some questions around placements, particularly for Health Sciences and medicine, so our clinical subjects and about whether those placements will still happen. Yes, placements will still happen. Obviously those clinical subjects are not only regulated by the requirements of the University, but also regulated by by their professional bodies, their accrediting bodies. So I know that all of those disciplines have been working really closely. Windows professional bodies to think through how the learning objectives that are essential for those students during their program can be met next year. That requires placements to still happen. Some of those would certainly be adapted. I would like to say that we wouldn't welcome or accept any students to return if we didn't feel that we could keep them safe on placement so they've been subject to rigorous risk assessments. We work very closely with our partners in the NHS. For example, last semester when Covid emerged, our students on placement we're not dealing with covid patients on wards that there are other ways of getting the training that they need so. If you are a student in a worried about this, or your parent worried about this and. Then get in touch with those departments and they can tell you about the precise. Procedures that they put in place to make sure our students are safe on placement. But Yes, there still will be placements. And yes we will do everything we can to make sure that those placements are safe. We also had some questions about clearing and for students with grades the devices the same as always to you applicants. If you've missed out on your grades, but you want to come and study at Liverpool, get in touch with us, get in touch with us. Tomorrow we will talk you through your options and will see what can be done. There is a clearing form available on our website. Complete that and will talk to you tomorrow. And enter the clearing process and we'll see what solution that we can get from you. Simon got question about assessment. Will assessment the essay based or will we be allowing some practical assessment? Basically, what are we going to do with assessments next year? So many many colors across Department have already as part of our kind of moving to remote teaching. I've already undertaken a lot of changes to assessment, particularly exams where we weren't able to run on-site examinations. The decision about the types of assessment is a Department to level decision, but obviously what we encourage colleagues to do is innovate. In the curriculum, but also to provide a mix of assessment so it's not heavily predicated on one type of assessment and as part of our curriculum framework, which is predicated around are hallmarks and attributes. We encourage our staff to think about alternative assessments to what may be a traditional model of assessment. So, for example, in English, we've worked with them, and they've transitioned some of their essays into, for example, blog based written work as a different form of assessment. So although I can't guarantee what assessment you may have within your particular discipline, what I can guarantee is that we will have encouraged Department to think about the assessments that they take, and you will normally find that there is a mix of assessments within the area that you're going to study. Thank you Simon and very quickly question about will lectures be live rather than recorded ones from previous years. Yes, so the intention is that all your contact towers will be deliverd as hours of kind of not necessarily always live, because there will be some asynchronous material that will be provided, but it's not expected that that asynchronous material would be pre recorded lectures from previous years that that will be short and pieces of video that staff will have created separately. As part of chunking down that learning for you so it is not expected that staff will be using pre recorded lectures from previous years as part of the delivery next year. Thanks Simon at 9 one for you in Group chats there is pressure to buy fresh's tickets. What what's your advice? My advice, even if the Werner Coronavirus would be to avoid them anyways, if I'm honest, I think I mean, I've been. I've been in University of Liverpool since 2016 and they pressure students every year to buy. I mean not all. I wouldn't say all know, but some fresh is companies or pressures companies. Well, you know. Advertise a wild night for students which doesn't actually meet the detail that they do, and they generally are overpriced and with the coronavirus is no guarantee that clubs, I mean the government have already paused further ease of lockdown restrictions anyways, so there's no guarantee that clubs will operate the same way come October. So my personal advice would be to not fall for these. Companies offer not the student ticketed nights, yeah, and just stay clear from this town already. Liverpool town, already offering other places you know, open at the moment. If you do want to go out or stick to those in a safer way rather than being pressured into buying tickets. Thanks, and then we've had some questions about labs as well. Yes, well where lab experience is a requirement of your program. We will be offering that. There will be space and access to our laboratories. We have a special group that is looking at at that so, so you should feel reassured that that is an experience that you will get. Also questions about the library filled. Do you want to say something about safety in the library? Yes, we have at the moment is obviously the libraries are so crucial in terms of the campus experience, we know that demand for libraries is high anyway. At certain points that through the year we have got booking arrangements in place for study spaces. Which we are operating. We are operating increased hygiene and across all our libraries and obviously social distancing measures in there. But we do need to do is look at actually demand profiles through the course of this year and teams are continuing to work on that. Thanks Phil. So unfortunately we we've come to the end of our allotted time. I know there are questions that that we haven't got round to quite a few of those. We have some answers on our website. We have a series of FA cues on our website. Please take a look at those and you might get those questions answered there. We will also review the questions that you left in the chat and if we think there are themes that we've not covered in RF cues, then that they will help us to. To add to them so. Keep coming back to the information on our website and hopefully you'll have all your questions there. Can I thank all of our panelists for their time this morning and for their insightful contributions? In particular, can I thank you our attendees for joining us? And for those questions that you've given us, I hope that you enjoyed the session and learn more about what we've got planned for next year and something about what is important to us as a University. For those of you watching and listening, who are our current students, then I wish you well for the rest of the summer, and I look forward to welcoming you back to Liverpool later in the year. For those of you who about to start University, if you're waiting for your results on Thursday, I wish you every success and I hope you get the results and University Place you were hoping for. Good luck. Our next event in the Liverpool. Respond series will take place on Wednesday the 26th of August. Please again do keep an eye on our events web pages. For details of that event. In the mean time, enjoy the rest of the summer, take care of yourselves and stay well. Thank you.