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Lincoln Book Festival 2023

The University of Lincoln will be supporting this October’s Lincoln Book Festival.

The annual literary festival returns from 5-20 October 2023 with fiction and non-fiction authors from a variety of genres visiting the city for guest talks, discussions and family-friendly creative activities.

Dr Guy Mankowski, Lecturer in Creative Writing in the Lincoln School of Creative Arts, will be in conversation with Nick Banks, from the legendary Britpop band Pulp, on his new book, ‘So It Started There: From Punk to Pulp’ in a festival event on 20 October.

Million copy best-selling fiction writer Christy Lefteri – best known for her international hit debut ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo — is among other high profile authors who will be discussing their latest works. Other guest authors include:

John Robb
Beth Walker
Emily-Jane Clark
Philippa East
Harper Ford
Sharon Bennett Connolly
Alex Gerlis
Neil R Storey
Daniel Pietersen
Dr Jen Baker

Events take place at the Lincoln Museum (formerly The Collection) on Danes Terrace, Lincoln. Ticketing is provided by the Lincoln Arts Centre through a new collaboration as part of the University’s successful bid for Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) status. This will include appointment of a new festival director to grow the festival in 2024 and beyond, which should produce greater opportunities for staff and student involvement.

See the Lincoln Book Festival website www.lincolnbookfestival.org for listings and ticket details on the 2023 programme.

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Changes to Academic College Structures for 2023/24

The University will be making changes to the organisation of our academic colleges for the 2023/24 academic year.

We will move from the current four-college structure to a two-college structure in August 2023.

The University’s academic colleges (sometimes called faculties in other universities) are groupings of academic schools (departments), led by a Pro Vice Chancellor who is a member of the University’s Senior Leadership Team.

Our existing academic schools will all be retained in full and realigned into two larger colleges: a College of Health and Science; and a College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, as shown in the table below:

College of Health and Science  College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities
– School of Health and Social Care
-School of Life and Environmental Sciences
-Lincoln Medical School
-School of Pharmacy
-School of Psychology
-School of Sport and Exercise Science
-School of Chemistry
-School of Computer Science
-School of Engineering
-School of Mathematics and Physics  
-Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology
-National Centre for Food Manufacturing
-Foundation Studies Centre   
-Lincoln International Business School
-School of Education
-Lincoln Law School
-School of Social and Political Sciences
-Lincoln School of Creative Arts
-Lincoln School of Design
-Lincoln School of Film, Media and Journalism
-Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage
-Lincoln School of Architecture and the Built Environment    

There are no changes to programmes, programme titles, teaching or the support services provided to students related to this change in organisational structure.  The name, staffing and physical location of academic schools will not change.

Professional support services for students; our Libraries, Student Support, Student Wellbeing and the International College are unaffected by these changes in academic college structures.

The planned changes, which will be finalised in June, are intended to enable greater cross-disciplinary collaboration between different subject areas in teaching, research and knowledge exchange (such as collaborations with industry partners). It is hoped a broader cross-disciplinary focus will, in time, enable us to develop a broader range of opportunities for students, graduates and academic staff.

Your Students’ Union is reviewing the effect these changes will have on their representation model. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to your Personal Tutor, the University’s Student Support Centre (email: studentsupport@lincoln.ac.uk ) or the Students’ Union Advice Centre (email: advice@lincolnsu.com).

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Open history event in support of Ukraine

University staff, students and alumni are invited to attend a free public guest talk about a shocking chapter of Ukrainian history to help raise funds for Ukrainian people affected by the current conflict.

Welsh journalist Gareth Jones’ courageous exposure of the 1930s Ukrainian ‘Holodomor’ famine, in defiance of institutional denial and suppression, inspired the 2020 award-winning feature film ‘Mr Jones’.

Join archaeologist Naomi Field (editor of Gareth Jones’ biography More Than a Grain of Truth) and political scientist Dr Edwin Bacon (University of Lincoln School of Social and Political Science) as they discuss the significance of Gareth Jones’ life, work and the decisions he made.

The open history talk ‘Gareth Jones and Ukraine: An extraordinary life in extraordinary times’ will be held on Wednesday 27 April from 6pm in the Co-op Lecture Theatre, Minerva Building, on the University’s Brayford Pool Campus. (PLEASE NOTE – the event will now be in the Co-op Lecture Theatre, not the Cargill, as previously advertised).

The event is free to attend but prior booking is essential. It is organised by the University of Lincoln’s Public Engagement with Research unit, PEARL, and is being held in support of the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine appeal and the University’s Ukraine Students and Academics Support Appeal. Donations are welcomed from those attending.

To book your place at this free event, visit: https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/studentlife/whatson/events/gareth-jones-ukraine-dec-appeal-27-april.html

Coronavirus

Coronavirus Vaccination Survey

There’s still opportunity for staff and students to complete a short, anonymous survey to help inform our understanding of Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination uptake across our University community.

The survey is voluntary and open to all students and staff at the University, whether or not you have had the vaccine yet.

It is anonymous and responses will not be linked back to individuals. Aggregated data from the survey will help to inform the University’s planning to support our community during the new academic year. Institutional level data may also be reported to the Office for Students and other public bodies such as the Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, and Public Health England.

The survey closes on Sunday 17th October 2021.

To complete the survey and view the Privacy Notice, please visit: www.lincoln.ac.uk/coronavirus/vaccinesurvey

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Win tickets to see Will Self at Lincoln Book Festival 2021

University of Lincoln students and staff have the chance to win a pair of tickets to see award-winning journalist and author Will Self in conversation at this October’s Lincoln Book Festival.

Will Self will make a guest author appearance in a book festival headline event sponsored by the University of Lincoln which will be held in the Stephen Langton Building on Thursday 14th October 2021, starting 6.30pm. He will be in conversation with Dr Guy Mankowski, programme leader for MA Creative Writing in Lincoln’s School of English and Journalism, discussing his latest book, Will – a powerful, funny memoir about past struggles with addiction.

Will Self is the author of many novels and books of non-fiction, including Great Apes, How the Dead Live, The Butt (winner of the Bollinger Everyman Prize for Comic Fiction), and Umbrella, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

To enter the Lincoln Book Festival 2021 ticket competition, answer the following question:

What is the title of Will Self’s first published collection of short stories, which first appeared in paperback in 1991?

The winners will be chosen at random from entrants submitting the correct answer and will receive a pair of tickets to the event.

Send your answer to competitions@lincoln.ac.uk by 5pm on Wednesday 6th October with your contact information (email and phone number) for a chance to win. Winners will need to collect their prize from the Brayford Pool Campus prior to the event. Terms and conditions apply (see link).

Lincoln Book Festival runs 11-17 October 2021 and brings acclaimed novelists, historians, journalists and broadcasters to the city for a celebration of great fiction and non-fiction. Guest authors include Loyd Grossman, Christy Lefteri, Annie Garthwaite, and Mark Billingham. Tickets for most author events are priced £10. There are free events too – including a showcase of student work from Lincoln’s Creative Writing programme!

See the full festival programme at www.lincolnbookfestival.org

Lincoln Book Festival 2021 Tickets Competition Terms and Conditions

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Students returning in January

The Government has set out its plans for those students going home for the winter break to return to university in the new year as safely as possible by staggering this process and to facilitate testing for all.

The new term begins on the 4th of January 2021 at the University of Lincoln and teaching will commence from that date. Some courses will start fully online and transition to blended teaching in phases, and others will start with a blended approach with the first face-to-face teaching sessions from the 7th of January.

The Government advice is that all students should be tested for coronavirus before engaging in face-to-face teaching; and all programmes will have resumed their face-to-face teaching by early February 2021.

Your School will provide details of when you need to be on campus for your face-to-face teaching by the 18th of December at the latest, so look out for information from your School.  Please note that, although you can choose to start your online study from anywhere, and many of you will still be in Lincoln for various reasons, you are strongly advised to be tested before commencement of any face-to-face teaching and the University will have an asymptomatic test centre on the campus. This means that if you are travelling from elsewhere you do need to be on campus four days before the start of your face-to-face teaching to get your tests.

The Government recommends students travel by private vehicle if possible when they return to university. If you need to use public transport, please follow the Government’s Safer Travel Guidance.

If you need to self-isolate at your home address and cannot return to campus on your planned return date we will help you arrange to return safely to university when your isolation period ends.

The campus will be fully open from early January so you can use the library and other facilities. If you have chosen to go home over the winter break, we would encourage you to come back to Lincoln in time to be prepared for the new term and to embark on the continuation of your study. Our support services are on hand and will be fully up and running from the 4th of January for any student who needs support.

More information for international students travelling back to the UK will be provided as soon as possible.

We are planning lots of student activities on campus and online for the new year. As you would expect, and as we have always done up until now, we will adhere to Government guidance as it changes and develops to contain and beat the virus. We are looking forward to having all our students back with us in the new year so we can continue supporting students in their learning and the extracurricular and social activities that are such an important part of student life.

For more information, please see the coronavirus pages of the University website and the full Government guidance at gov.uk.

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Update for all students following Government announcement on Christmas break 

The University is pleased that this morning (11th November) the Government announced its commitment to enable students to return home for the Christmas break.

We will now be working through the guidance as soon as we receive the details from the Department for Education and in the next few days we will be providing all you need to know to plan your return home if you wish to do.

All our students have their individual needs and we are fully aware that while the Government has announced a ‘window of return’ between the 3rd and the 9th of December they have also said that, for some courses where there are placements or other professional body requirements, students may remain and complete their studies as necessary and return home after that.

We are aware that for some international students flights may be outside of this stated window and again students should not worry. We will work with you to ensure you can return home as planned. We are also aware that some students live in their family home and commute regularly into the University. Again this remains entirely appropriate.

For those students who wish to remain in Lincoln over the break, of course, this is not a problem.

We will be in touch with specific details as soon as we have them but we want to reassure you we will do all we can to enable you to fulfil your plans for the end of term.

 

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Information for Students on the University Test and Trace Service

Thank you to all students who have been helping to keep the University and the local community safe by following the campus guidance for Covid safety and applying the hands, face, space and rule of six guidance.

As well as the general advice for all staff and students that we must follow, Government Tier 1 (Medium alert level) requirements are also in force in Lincoln at this time.  Students will also be aware of the University Test and Trace service, which has been developed with Lincolnshire Public Health and was launched at the start of the new academic year.

The University Test and Trace service notifies staff and students if they may have come into close contact with someone who has reported symptoms of coronavirus or received a positive test result. Developed with local public health officials, it enables us to respond rapidly to potential cases, using our system of ‘teaching bubbles’ and accommodation bubbles (households) to be precautionary and to limit the spread of the virus. It can be accessed atwww.lincoln.ac.uk/coronavirus.

A detailed overview of Test and Trace processes and FAQs can be found at:  https://testandtrace.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/. Below are some important aspects of the system to help explain why the University is operating its own test and trace process, which is complementary to the NHS system.

Points of Contact 

Each academic College has its own Point of Contact (POC). The POC will contact any student that has been in a teaching bubble or other situation (e.g. using a learning lounge) and come into close contact with someone showing symptoms or who has received a positive test result. Those affected will receive a text message SMS and email with details of what they are required to do, alongside links to support and other information. A POC system also operates for accommodation bubbles and SU activities. If you are unsure who your POC is, you can find details on the University Test and Trace microsite at the link above.

Teaching Bubbles and Self-isolation
When a student within a teaching bubble reports symptoms we will notify all teaching bubble members so if any one of them is living with or supporting someone who is clinically vulnerable they can take extra precautions until the test outcome is known.  If a test result comes back positive all members of the teaching bubble will be informed and asked to self-isolate. This is because while we have a full range of mitigation measures to create a Covid-secure teaching environment, our Public Health professionals assure us that self-isolation for anyone known to have been in close contact with someone with a positive test result is the most secure way to reduce the risk of transmission.

Household Bubbles and Self-isolation
When a student reports symptoms through the University Test and Trace service, they should follow the Government guidance at gov.uk and stay at home, self-isolate and get a test. Members of their household will also need to self-isolate. The University will notify household members of the need to self-isolate by email and SMS text message, but individuals should also inform their housemates if they have symptoms. It is a legal requirement that everyone who lives with someone who has Covid symptoms must self-isolate until either the individual has a negative test or for 14 days if the test is positive. This is an important way to reduce transmission of the virus between households and more widely in the University and local community.

NHS Test and Trace App
While staff and students are encouraged to download the NHS Test and Trace App, because the University is operating its own test and trace system in liaison with Lincolnshire Public Health to supplement the national NHS system, they are advised to toggle off the contact tracing function when on campus. This is because they will be notified of any exposure through the University process, which responds to reported symptoms as well as a positive case, and therefore we can notify our community more quickly and accurately.

Supporting our Community
We are one community at Lincoln, and this challenging period is proving why that community is so important and powerful. Please be kind and look out for one another. The University is providing practical and emotional support for students who have to self-isolate and the details are available here: https://studentservices.lincoln.ac.uk/covid-19-wellbeing-support. This support includes delivery of a free care pack with food supplies for self-isolating students on request via isolatingstudent@lincoln.ac.uk You can also find a video guide to self-isolation for students at www.lincoln.ac.uk/coronavirus or on our YouTube channel at: https://youtu.be/L2cYS2xCxg8

We know having to self-isolate can be frustrating. However, we all have a shared responsibility, to protect each other, our families, friends and the wider community. At Lincoln we do support each other and through the difficult global and national crisis we need to continue to be the caring community that we are.   Self-isolating helps to control the spread of the virus which we all want to achieve. Most students should be able to continue to engage with their studies online whilst self-isolating and anyone required to self-isolate is asked to contact their personal tutor for academic advice and support or any particular technology or learning needs. Personal support and guidance, so vital at times like this, is also available through Student Services and you can find all of the information about their services at the link above.

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Update for all students on our return to campus and blended teaching approach

From Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Liz Mossop

I would like to thank you for such a positive return to campus last week. We know lots of things feel different but it is wonderful to be back and to see you on campus as well as online. So many of you have said how much you have missed studying and seeing your tutors and friends so it is good to be getting underway again. The new processes do take a bit of getting used to – remembering to sanitise your desk at the start of a session is tricky – but I have seen some good examples of students and staff reminding and supporting each other. Please do remember that if you are queuing for a session (which we all should try to avoid and we have put in place longer 15-minute changeover times) but if it happens you should do this socially distanced and wearing a face covering, even if it is an outdoor queue.

When we wrote out to applicants and continuing students over the summer we explained that our “blended” approach to delivering our programmes, with a mixture of face-to-face and online teaching, might have to be adjusted in response to changes in advice from the Government about measures required to reduce the risks of increased Covid-19 infection rates.

On some courses we have already taken action. Certain modules have already have moved online, for example, if a teaching bubble is self-isolating. This approach to blended learning – where the balance of online and face-to-face provision flexes and changes depending on circumstances and health and safety needs – is an essential part of our approach for this academic year both at subject level and across the University, as we described earlier this summer to you all. If your modules have changed you will have been made aware of the change via communications from your school or department. We will continue to keep you up to date as the term progresses.

As you will be aware, from the media and the email that we circulated last week, the new three tier alert system announced by the Government last week (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-levels-what-you-need-to-know) is now in place and may have an impact on how we can deliver our programmes more generally. I wanted to highlight this to you in advance of any possible changes in Lincoln and Lincolnshire.

Lincoln is currently in Tier 1 (Medium), which has an impact on households and social activities but no impact on our face-to-face teaching arrangements. If Lincoln moves to Tier 2 (High), we will take advice from the local Public Health team who may ask that we move some face-to-face teaching for certain subjects online. If Lincoln moves to Tier 3 (Very High) we will again take advice from the Public Health team but it is likely that much of our teaching will move online apart from essential face-to-face sessions necessary for professional practice learning on medicine and other healthcare programmes where students wear medical standard PPE.

If we find ourselves in the position where Lincoln is moving between tiers (both up and down) we will take great care to communicate what is happening and how your timetable will change to reflect where your teaching is taking place. As you will have noted, current timetables are clearly colour coded and labelled so that you know when you need to be on campus and when sessions are being delivered online. If a tier change is announced by Government and it has an impact on how we can deliver our programmes, the University will email you as soon as possible asking you to look out for an update email from your school or department, which will contain the details of the impact on your programme. Shortly after this, your timetable will be updated. Announcements will also be released through Blackboard asking you to check your timetable.

I hope the tier status of Lincoln and Lincolnshire does not need to change and we will not need to implement the changes I have noted. We do, however, all have to be ready to implement the restrictions that may be needed to control the spread of Covid-19, so please continue to look after yourselves, each other and the whole University and Lincoln community by washing your hands, covering your face and keeping properly socially distanced from people who do not live in the same household as you. As ever, please check your emails and Blackboard announcements regularly so that you are up to date.

With all best wishes,

Professor Liz Mossop
Deputy Vice Chancellor
University of Lincoln

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Significance for students of the new three-tier area classifications in England

As you may know, the Government recently announced that all areas of England will now be classified into one of three tiers (or ‘alert levels’) reflecting the local prevalence of Covid-19 and with different levels of restrictions on communities to reduce rates of infection. The full details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-levels-what-you-need-to-know. Do check this information so you are up to date with the situation.

In Lincoln (as at 16.10.2020) we are currently classified as Tier 1 – Medium. The restrictions are the same as those previously in place nationally: You may not meet socially in a group of more than six people, indoors or outdoors, unless you live in household larger than six where you can socialise indoors and outdoors with your household. All pubs, bars and restaurants in a Tier 1 area (i.e. in our area of Lincolnshire) must close by 10pm.

As many students will come from different parts of the country they may be confused about which rules apply to them. Please be reassured if you are living currently in Lincoln or Lincolnshire the rules for Tier 1, as described above, apply to you.

There are also two other Tiers which are explained below:

Currently some other areas are in Tier 2. For example all of Nottinghamshire, Leicester, London, Essex, York and parts of Derbyshire, have now been classified as Tier 2 – High. The restrictions in a Tier 2 area are the same as Tier 1 but also have other restrictions.  In Tier 2 you are not allowed to meet socially with people you do not live with indoors – this includes private homes, as well as pubs or restaurants. You can still meet friends and family outdoors, but only in a group of up to six people in these areas that are in Tier 2.

Currently only the Liverpool City Region is classified as Tier 3 – Very High. The restrictions in a Tier 3 area mean that you are not allowed to meet socially with anybody who is not part of your household or your support bubble indoors or in certain outdoor locations; you cannot meet in private gardens or pub gardens, but can meet in parks, beaches, countryside or forests, as long as you are not in a group of more than six. Pubs and bars must close unless they are serving substantial meals – alcohol can only be served as part of a meal. People are being advised not to travel into or out of Tier 3 areas, other than for work, education, youth services or because of caring responsibilities.

Some students may be travelling to and from University and living in another part of the country. If this applies to you, as a student wherever you are travelling from, you are allowed to continue to travel to and from University. There is no current classification that would mean our students, including students who commute to Lincoln from a Tier 2 or Tier 3 area, could not attend campus for face-to-face teaching, to access resources or facilities or undertake research.

Overall we are aware that these new classifications may affect students at the University of Lincoln although their impact depends on individual circumstances. The changes do affect students who have a permanent or term time household in Lincoln who want to visit friends or family living in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 area.

If your family or friends are living in a Tier 2 area you can visit them but can only meet outdoors and only in a group of up to six people. You cannot stay overnight with your family or friends in their home but you could stay in a hotel, bed and breakfast or short term/holiday self-catering accommodation.

If your family or friends live in a Tier 3 area you would only be able to meet them in a park, on a beach, in the countryside or a forest and only in a group of up to six people. The current advice is that travel into and out of Tier 3 areas should be limited only to work, education, or to deliver care.

We know that these limitations on travel will have a significant impact on some students. If you are finding it difficult to cope with not being able to visit family or friends and you would like to talk to someone about how you are feeling, please contact the Student Wellbeing Service – studentwellbeing@lincoln.ac.uk or visit the Support Hub on the ground floor of the Minerva Building. The Student Wellbeing team have also prepared online support material available at: https://studentservices.lincoln.ac.uk