At Queen’s, we are putting in place a range of measures across campus to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff. Detailed information about these measures and what you can do to protect yourself and other members of the community will be provided before the start of semester. Our Campus Community Pledge sets out the commitments and behaviours that the entire University community is asked to adhere to this year as we continue to support one another and ensure a safe and healthy campus.
To support social distancing, the capacity of our teaching spaces has been reviewed and adjusted. Schools are in the process of confirming their timetables for the forthcoming year in a way that delivers an excellent learning experience and ensures all relevant public health guidance is followed. Timetable information will be provided to students as soon as possible by their School.
We have published a suite of videos setting out the safety measures in place on campus, as well as key ways in which we can all play our part in preventing the spread of the virus. These are online at:
https://www.qub.ac.uk/home/play-your-part/
The University will commence teaching from 21 September as planned for most courses and we look forward to welcoming you for the start of the new term.
As we prepare for the new academic year and adapt to supporting your learning during the global coronavirus pandemic, the health and wellbeing of our students, staff and wider community remains our first priority. The University is therefore putting in place a comprehensive range of measures to make sure the campus remains a safe and welcoming place to live, work and study.
Visit our Campus Commitment website for information on the commitments we are making to our current and prospective students.
This includes how we will support you on your academic journey through our connected learning model and offer you a welcoming, engaging and enriching student experience with appropriate support and campus measures to protect your health and safety.
A range of safety measures are being applied to teaching spaces to ensure that you are able to benefit from face-to-face teaching safely. You will soon become familiar with these as signage is in place to provide clear guidance and rooms have been re-configured to support adoption of these measures.
To help keep you up-to-date with the latest support, information and updates, we continue to regularly update information provided on this COVID-19 (Coronavirus) FAQs website.
We have also produced a helpful guide for students setting out the wide range of support and services available to you.
This is an evolving situation and staff and students are asked to continue to visit and regularly check the following websites for the latest updates and guidance:
Please follow advice published on the PHA website.
Northern Ireland now has full access to the NHS 111 helpline service on coronavirus. Callers should press 1 when they are advised. This service is provided in Northern Ireland solely for coronavirus guidance and not for other conditions.
In the case of medical emergency, call 999.
It makes sense to practice good hygiene and follow advice published on the PHA website.
Please remember these three simple steps:
There are other steps we should all be taking on a daily basis. Please continue to:
Your wellbeing is the University’s first priority. Please do not let any concerns about your work or studies stop you taking this advice.
VIDEO: Dr. Conor Bamford reminds us how the virus spreads and the key things we should all remember.
If you are a member of staff concerned as a result of COVID-19, please contact the Staff Wellbeing Service by emailing wellbeing@qub.ac.uk.
If you are a student who is concerned as a result of COVID-19, the University’s Student Wellbeing Service can offer support and guidance. Please contact the Student Wellbeing Service by emailing studentwellbeing@qub.ac.uk. A member of staff will get in touch with you directly.
Developed by the Department of Health, the 'StopCOVID NI' app works by telling you automatically if you've been near another app user who tests positive and can also let them know if you test positive, though the app never knows or shares your identity or location. Download from:
Public Health Agency contact tracing
The PHA’s contact tracing service has been established to minimise community transmission of COVID-19. Close contacts will be contacted by the PHA’s contact tracing service team using the following phone number: (028) 9536 8888. Please save this number to your phone and be sure to answer any call from them, should they get in touch.
'StopCOVID NI' app
A Northern Ireland-specific contact tracing app 'StopCOVID NI' has been developed by the Department of Health. To help protect yourself and all within the Queen's community and wider public, we are encouraging all our staff and students to download this free app, which will support contact tracing, support our health service, help prevent another lockdown and save lives.
The app works by telling you automatically if you've been near another app user who tests positive and can also let them know if you test positive, though the app never knows or shares your identity or location.
You can download from:
It is important that we all monitor our own health and watch out for any of the following symptoms:
If you feel unwell with any of these symptoms, you should follow these important steps:
Your health and safety is the University’s first priority so please do not let any concerns about your work or study stop you from following any of these steps or public health advice.
If you receive a positive test, you will be given clear guidance from the health authorities to continue to self-isolate and you should update the StopCOVID NI app.
Please also inform the University immediately by calling 028 9097 3550. This is vital as it will enable us to assess the risk to others and take all the necessary precautionary steps. If you have previously used the portal to inform us that you are self-isolating, your records will be updated by the call handler accordingly. Please save this number to your phone so you can access it quickly. It is also available on the University homepage.
Your health and safety is the University’s first priority so please do not let any concerns about your work or study stop you from following any of these steps or public health advice.
If you are notified that you are a contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the community, you should follow all of the guidance you are given - including self-isolation if required. If you have been asked to self-isolate via the contact tracing system or by a medical professional, please inform the University via the dedicated portal. If another member of your household has been traced but they are not displaying symptoms, please check the latest advice here.
Your health and safety is the University’s first priority so please do not let any concerns about your work or study stop you from following any of these steps or public health advice.
Visit the MyQueen's website for information on things to plan for if you are required to self-isolate for 14 days either on arrival in Belfast, or at any point throughout the Semester.
Following the recent announcement by the Northern Ireland Executive, it will be mandatory at Queen's from Monday 10 August to wear a face covering "in any indoor public space where it is not possible to maintain social distancing”. This will be applied in relevant parts of University buildings and it is essential for the safety of the whole University community that this is adhered to by staff and students.
This is a rapidly changing and fluid situation so please be aware that the University’s position may change over time to reflect changes to guidance from the NI Executive and Public Health Agency. Please continue to check your University email, University FAQ pages and social media channels for updates.
It is important to emphasise that the wearing of a face covering does not reduce the importance of hand washing, good personal hygiene and social distancing, all of which are recognised as the most effective way of avoiding COVID-19.
Study spaces such as those in the libraries and Graduate School, and work areas such as office spaces have already been set-up so that social distancing can be maintained. It is therefore not mandatory for face coverings to be worn when you are at your work or study station, unless normally required as part of your role (for example in a lab or clinical setting). Similarly, one way systems and other appropriate measures have also been applied so that it is not a requirement for face coverings to be worn when moving around University buildings, for example along corridors and in stair wells. However, if you are in communal spaces such as lobby areas of buildings, social spaces and shared facilities where people tend to gather and it is not possible to maintain social distancing of 2 metres, then it is mandatory to wear a face covering from Monday 10 August.
It is also mandatory for students to wear face coverings during face-to-face teaching sessions. This will apply to all lectures, tutorials, seminars and practical classes.
This is a rapidly changing and fluid situation so please be aware that the University’s position may change over time to reflect changes to guidance from the NI Executive and Public Health Agency. Please continue to check your University email, University FAQ pages and social media channels for updates.
The only exceptions have been specified by the NI Executive as follows;
There are also a small number of work settings where the mandatory use of face coverings also does not apply and staff in those areas have been made aware of this.
This reinforces the previous University position of maintaining 2 metres social distancing or 1 metre plus mitigation that was already in place. For clarity, in addition to the public/shared and teaching spaces outlined above, the wearing of a face covering may, in some instances, be one of a range of mitigations used to facilitate work to take place where social distancing of 2 metres is not possible – this is referred to as 1 metre plus mitigation.
It is not possible to be prescriptive about every potential scenario on campus where it may be necessary to wear a face-covering. All members of the community are asked to apply their common sense and act responsibly in line with public health guidance to protect themselves and those around them by wearing a face covering if social distancing cannot be maintained.
It is appreciated that many staff and students will choose to wear a face covering beyond those areas where it is mandatory as outlined above and the University fully supports this position. You should also bear in mind that for personal and health reasons that are not visible, some members of our community will not be able to wear a face covering. All staff and students are expected to respect each other’s choices in this regard.
To facilitate these guidelines, the University has a limited number of re-usable and disposable face coverings available for staff and students, should they require them.
Disposable face masks will be available from week commencing 10 August 2020, with reusable coverings available from week commencing 24 August 2020.
Disposable face masks will be available to students from the Student Guidance Centre and Student Accommodation Receptions in BT1, BT2 and BT9 from Monday 10 August. The Students’ Union on Elmwood Avenue will also have a limited supply for students from Monday 31 August.
The NI Executive have provided guidance regarding the maintenance and disposal of face coverings here and you are asked to familiarise yourself with this guidance.
Some members of our community will not be able to wear a face covering due to a hidden disability, medical condition or other exemption as specified by the PHA. All staff and students are expected to be sensitive and respectful of this and if someone is not wearing a face covering in an area where it is mandatory, it should be assumed that there is a legitimate reason why they cannot.
Although you should not be challenged for not wearing a mask, if you are registered with Disability Services, and would like to have an exemption from wearing a mask recorded on your Independent Student Support Agreement (ISSA) please contact Disability Services.
No. Some members of our community will not be able to wear a face covering due to a hidden disability, medical condition or other exemption as specified by the PHA. All staff and students are expected to be sensitive and respectful of this and if someone is not wearing a face covering in an area where it is mandatory, it should be assumed that there is a legitimate reason why they cannot.
For support and information for students with a disability, please visit: www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/disability/studentinformation/Covid-19-Info/
For general wellbeing and mental health support, including guidance on how to register with a GP or for support if you are concerned about the impact of Covid-19 on your wellbeing, please visit: www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/wellbeing/Covid-19/
For information on studying and life at Queen's, please visit the MyQueens website, which includes:
- Student Services and Support
- Learning and Studying
- Campus Life
- Arriving at Queen's
- Key dates for Semester One
- Our Pre-semester Engagement Programme
- Enrolment and Registration
- Additional FAQs
For general queries on your teaching, learning, assessment and your student experience, please visit:
www.qub.ac.uk/sites/my-queens/
For advice on University accommodation, including arrivals, quarantine support and safety measures in place to safeguard your health, please visit: https://www.qub.ac.uk/accommodation/AccommodationFAQsrelatedtoCOVID-19/
For information on the services provided by the Students’ Union, including Fresher’s Fair, Clubs and Societies, Enterprise SU and Advice SU, please visit: qubsu.org/
International Student Support provides specialist information and advice in relation to a range of visa and immigration related issues including applying for your visa to come to the UK, extending your visa in the UK, biometric residence permit queries, etc. Find out more at: www.qub.ac.uk/sites/iss/
For information on fees, student loans and the University's Hardship Fund, please visit: https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Feesandfinance/FeesandFundingFAQs/
The safety of our staff and students is paramount.
Given the on-going spread of the virus both at home and abroad and the rapidly changing travel restrictions being put in place internationally, you are asked to carefully consider your travel plans.
In line with Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice, we, as a University, are suspending travel to countries where the FCO is advising against all travel or all but essential travel. Please continue to refer to the FCO website for the most up-to-date advice. The University continues to monitor and review the situation.
For the avoidance of doubt, activities such as visits to partner institutions, conference attendance and field trips are not considered essential. The University Operating Board has extended this advice to student placements which have not already commenced for 2020-21. If you are due to go on placement to a country that is included on the FCO prohibited travel list please contact your School for further advice. Please also see the section on Erasmus and Study Abroad below.
This advice will remain in place until further notice. Any change to this advice will be published on this page. Your wellbeing is the University’s first priority. Please do not let any concerns about your work or studies stop you taking this advice. The University will ensure that students are not disadvantaged academically by following this advice.
Those Queen’s students currently on placement outside of Northern Ireland are advised to regularly check the latest advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office which continues to change frequently. You should make an informed decision and consider that the global situation is changing rapidly including border restrictions.
To help keep our people safe, all future business travel must now be booked through the University's Travel Management Company, Selective. Selective is a local company which provides 24/7 emergency assistance to all University staff who experience flight or accommodation changes or cancellations, and provides vital management information to the Serious Incident Group when there is a significant event that could impact travellers, such as COVID-19.
As always, it is of the utmost importance that University staff remain safe and healthy during any trips in connection with University business. All business travellers are responsible for reviewing official guidance (FCO, PHA) and University guidance regularly and must ensure that travel arrangements are made with their safety and wellbeing as the ultimate priority.
For information on international study or work placements (eg Erasmus) in 2020 – 21, please visit: https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/GlobalOpportunities/Covid19Update/
Queen's University Belfast is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
For more information please read our Equality and Diversity Policy.
Queen's University Belfast is registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC101788
VAT registration number: GB 254 7995 11
