Information about Semester 2
The latest information and guidance about our Semester Two plans, returning to Edinburgh in January and accessing support.
To find out more about The University's support and guidance for Semester Two, visit our student webpages:
Latest Scottish Government guidance (UPDATED: 15 January)
On Monday 4th January the Scottish Government announced further restrictions that are being brought in across Scotland following the emergence of a new, highly contagious strain of the Coronavirus. On Friday 8th January, the Scottish Government announced that university students will be taught online throughout January and February.
We have published further information below about what these new restrictions will mean for you.
For the latest Scottish Government advice, please visit:
International travel
From 4am GMT on Monday 18th January, passengers travelling to Scotland from outside the Common Travel Area must have a valid negative Covid-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure. Further information can be found on the Scottish Government website.
Travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK is not legal other than for specific exempt purposes (such as for education that cannot be conducted remotely).
In line with Scottish Government guidance, UG and PGT students should not return to their term-time accommodation until such time as on-campus teaching resumes, other than in specific special circumstances. We will continue to support those students who are currently staying in our University accommodation.
If, for essential purposes, you must return to campus, please follow Scottish travel guidance as well as travel guidance for other areas of the UK or any country you will be travelling from.
If you are planning to return to campus, you must now notify us before you travel and to let us know why you need to return under the current restrictions.
Teaching, learning and research
Below we have outlined some key points about what the Scottish Government restrictions will mean for you:
As planned, all learning and teaching restarted on programmes of study during the week beginning 11th January 2021 digitally.
Following further Scottish Government guidance - we have made the difficult decision that teaching and assessment for Undergraduate students will remain digital for the rest of the Semester, with a small number of exceptions.
The small number of exceptions include students who have already resumed hybrid education with on-campus elements this semester; and a very small number of programmes where Schools will be in contact with students on these programmes soon.
Schools are working to ensure that their current plans are adjusted to reflect the change in Scottish Government guidance and, in particular, this decision. Please stay in close contact with your School/ Deanery and key contacts such as your tutor or student support team.
Our intention remains to resume campus-based aspects of the hybrid teaching model for Postgraduate Taught students as soon as we can do so. We cannot yet give a date for this. – so in the meantime, for the vast majority of our postgraduate taught students all learning and teaching for Postgraduate Taught programmes will remain online until at least the end of February.
In line with the Scottish Government guidance, we will review the position again at the start of February and will be in contact with you at that point.
If you’re unable to join us in person once hybrid teaching resumes, you will still be able to complete your work digitally and engage with your fellow students and our teaching staff online.
The Scottish Government restrictions do not alter the information we are providing to postgraduate research students and essential research work may continue.
While the current advice is to work from home where at all possible, essential research work may continue in University laboratories and other research facilities if it cannot be undertaken away from campus. If you cannot work from home because the environment makes it impossible, then you are permitted to work in the University in a safe location.
Please speak with your supervisor for further information if you are unsure how the Scottish Government restrictions may impact your work.
If you have current research activities to undertake which require you to be physically present in Edinburgh, (for example, you need access to labs in order to progress with your research) then you are allowed to return to Edinburgh and be on-campus as needed.
Before doing so, please check with your School/Deanery if the particular research space is currently accessible, as some facilities are not open or available to students during the lockdown.
If you are currently in the taught stage of your programme, or you do not need to/ cannot access on campus facilities at this stage, then you should not return to campus until the current stay at home restrictions are lifted.
Please note that due to current Covid-19 restrictions, the Library is not able to give access to research collections. As such, you should not plan to return to Edinburgh solely in order to access the University’s cultural and heritage collections on site.
Learning and teaching began in your programme of study in the week commencing 11th January 2021.
There is no change to the Semester end dates or Semester Two examination dates.
Dissertation deadlines are currently are currently under consideration and we will update any impacted students soon.
As teaching and student support continues to be provided by the University, albeit in a different form from previous years, the University will not be offering Tuition Fee refunds for Semester One and Two.
While a different approach to programme delivery has been necessary this year, we have taken steps to ensure that our students’ Course and Programme Learning Outcomes will be achieved by the end of this academic year.
If a student has specific concerns about their programme, they should in the first instance raise this with the programme organiser or other relevant contact within their School.
Should any student wish to lodge a complaint with the University, they can do so via our complaints handling procedure.
We fully recognise the ongoing impact of Covid-19 this year and we are actively considering how to support fair assessment given this year’s difficult circumstances. Proposals will be discussed by the relevant University committee this week and we will update you with further details as soon as we can after that.
Our new ‘Scan and Deliver’ service allows you to request print materials (typically up to a book chapter or journal article) to be provided electronically.
EdHelp remains open for both in-person, online enquiries, and to request laptop loans or a portable Wi-Fi (Mi-Fi) device.
Further information on our digital resources, exams and assessments, and how to apply for special circumstances or an extension can be found on our website.
If you have any questions about your course or programme, please contact your personal tutor or your School's student support team in the first instance.
If you’ve left study materials at your term-time address, you should not return to Edinburgh to collect them. In the first instance, please contact your School/ Deanery to see how they can support your learning until you are able to return once lockdown restrictions ease.
Please be aware that you can also request scanned copies of materials from the library via Scan & Deliver.
Returning to campus
If you are planning to return to campus, you must now notify us before you travel and to let us know why you need to return under the current restrictions.
Notify us if you are travelling back to Edinburgh
Students should not return to their term-time accommodation other than in specific circumstances, such as:
- Your in-person teaching has commenced
- You are currently in temporary accommodation which you need to vacate
- For employment purposes (for work that cannot be undertaken from home)
- Your home location is unsuitable for study
- You need to access health & wellbeing support which can only be provided in Edinburgh
- You are a PHD student and you are required to be in Edinburgh to conduct your research
- You are an international student and you have already purchased and cannot change travel tickets
If you do return to campus and have no scheduled teaching or no other extenuating circumstances, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
In line with Scottish Government guidance, UG and PGT students should not return to campus until such time as on-campus teaching resumes, other than in specific special circumstances.
If, for essential purposes, you must return to campus, please follow Scottish travel guidance as well as travel guidance for other areas of the UK or any country you will be travelling from.
If you are planning to travel back to campus, you must now notify us before you travel and to let us know why you need to return under the current restrictions.
Notify us if you are travelling back to Edinburgh
If you do return to campus and have no scheduled teaching or no other extenuating circumstances, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
Links to travel guidance for Scotland, the UK and international travel can be found below:
- Scottish Government travel guidance
- International travel and quarantine guidance
- Country exemptions and information on the process for people entering the UK
If you are travelling to Edinburgh from elsewhere in the UK, we strongly advise you to book an asymptomatic Covid-19 test as close to your return date as possible.
For students who are resuming in-person teaching or will be returning to Edinburgh, we will be offering asymptomatic Covid-19 testing from Thursday 7 January – Friday 12 February 2021.
Please book a test if you are returning to Edinburgh from another part of the UK. This will reduce the risk of you passing Covid-19 onto others when you and/or your housemates return to Edinburgh.
You should book a test as close to your return as possible - please remember that you must make two separate bookings using this form. You should book your tests to coincide with the date you need to return to your term time accommodation for in-person teaching.
Please be aware that the asymptomatic Covid-19 testing programme is not sufficient evidence to bypass self-isolation requirements if you are returning to Edinburgh from overseas. If you are travelling internationally into the UK, please also be aware that international travel guidance has recently changed. There is now a requirement for all passengers travelling to Scotland to have a valid negative Covid-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.
All students are also being asked to voluntarily restrict their social interactions for 10 days before they return to University and for the same period once they arrive.
When you arrive back at University, you should also minimise your social mixing for 10 days. This is to help minimise the transmission of the virus.
In line with Scottish Government guidance, international students should not return to their term-time accommodation until such time as on-campus teaching resumes, other than in specific special circumstances.
You should check with your School in advance to confirm when your course will start and when you should arrive on campus.
Students who are currently overseas should not travel to Scotland until face-to-face teaching begins for them. International students who have already arranged travel should speak to our Student Immigration Service in the first instance to discuss their circumstances.
If you are planning to travel to campus, you must now notify us before you travel and to let us know why you need to return under the current restrictions.
Notify us if you are travelling back to Edinburgh
If you do return to campus and have no scheduled teaching or no other extenuating circumstances, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
Please note that the asymptomatic Covid-19 testing programme is not sufficient evidence to bypass self-isolation requirements if you are returning to Edinburgh from overseas. If you are travelling internationally into the UK, please also be aware that international travel guidance has recently changed. There is now a requirement for all passengers travelling to Scotland to have a valid negative Covid-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.
Please read the Scottish Government’s international travel and quarantine guidance for the latest information on what you will need to do when entering the UK from another country:
- International travel and quarantine guidance
- Country exemptions and information on the process for people entering the UK
We will continue to support our international students, no matter where you are in the world. If you are affected, please contact the Covid-19 hotline at +44 (0)131 370 0494.
Support will continue for any student who needs to quarantine and for any students who may need to self-isolate.
If you are travelling internationally into the UK, please also be aware that international travel guidance has recently changed. There is now a requirement for all passengers travelling to Scotland to have a valid negative Covid-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.
This pre-departure testing (PDT) does not replace the requirement for all passengers arriving from countries not on the quarantine exemption list to self-isolate for ten days, even with a negative test.
Further information can be found on the Scottish Government website.
If you need to self-isolate, please follow the usual self-isolation reporting process and inform the University once you are self-isolating in Edinburgh:
Inform the University if you are self-isolating
Support will continue for any student who needs to quarantine and for any students who may need to self-isolate.
Please let us know if there are any changes to the way you will be studying (e.g. online, or on-campus) and let us know if your location has changed.
Change your method of study or location
Advice and further information is available via EdHelp
Accommodation
In line with Scottish Government guidance, students should not return to their term-time accommodation until such time as on-campus teaching resumes, other than in specific special circumstances, for example:
- Your in-person teaching has commenced
- You are currently in temporary accommodation which you need to vacate
- For employment purposes (for work that cannot be undertaken from home)
- Your home location is unsuitable for study
- You need to access health & wellbeing support which can only be provided in Edinburgh
- You are a PHD student and you are required to be in Edinburgh to conduct your research
- You are an international student and you have already purchased and cannot change travel tickets
Our student accommodation remains open, but only for students who have remained over the winter break and other exceptional returners, where their attendance is critical and time-sensitive to their course or assessment and cannot be delivered remotely or postponed, essential placements or student wellbeing. We will continue to support all students who are staying in our student accommodation.
If you are planning to travel back to campus, you must now notify us before you travel and to let us know why you need to return to student accommodation under the current restrictions.
Notify us if you are travelling back to Edinburgh
If you do return to campus and have no scheduled teaching or no other extenuating circumstances, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
If you are an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Taught student staying in University-managed accommodation and if you are not currently living there, you won’t need to pay rent from 11 January 2021 until either the date you return or the date that your in-person teaching begins.
Find out how you can apply for a rent pause
If you have already applied for a rent pause and your teaching dates have since changed, please email accom.allocations@ed.ac.uk with your student number and new dates. You do not need to email if your arrival dates have not changed.
If you wish to permanently leave University accommodation, we will be flexible and will not hold you to the 28-day notice period.
If you would like to give notice and leave your accommodation, please let us know by Monday 15 February, 2021, by following the steps below.
- Access your MyEd student portal via https://wwwmyed.ed.ac.uk
- Enter your username and password to login
- Click on the 'Student Life' tab and select 'Accommodation'
- Click 'Launch Services'
- Expand 'Term Time 2020 - 21'
- Click the “Lease Termination” button under the 'While You're Here' column
If wish to break your lease but have already applied for a rent pause, please follow the instructions above and we will ensure your lease is broken from 11 January.
Removing your possessions
If you have not yet removed your possessions, please be aware students should not return to accommodation on a temporary basis to collect belongings, since this is deemed to be “non-essential” travel. Once travel restrictions are relaxed, we will contact you to provide suitable arrangements for you to collect your belongings.
If you choose to appoint a courier to remove your belongings, we will assist with providing access to your room.
However, if it is essential that you must return to collect your belongings before restrictions are lifted, please follow government travel guidance and guidance on moving home. You will also need to book a time-slot at your accommodation using our online booking system which will notify us of your planned date for the collection of your belongings. We will share further details about our booking system on this page soon.
We will continue to support all students who are staying in our student accommodation.
ResLife support in student accommodation
Where students have remained in their University accommodation over the winter break, they should remain in their current accommodation where possible. Students should not travel outside their local authority area, unless they have a reasonable excuse. If, with reasonable excuse, you must permanently leave your term-time accommodation, you should follow the Scottish Government guidance on moving home.
Students in privately managed University accommodation (such as Unite) or other private arrangements will need to contact their accommodation provider or landlord.
If you are planning to leave your private accommodation permanently, you will need to give notice to your landlord that you intend to end your tenancy for a Covid-19 related reason. In most cases you will need to give 28 days’ notice. If you wish to break your lease with your private accommodation provider, please speak directly with them to confirm if you can make arrangements to collect your belongings at a later date, when restrictions allow. However, if this is not possible, you can return to collect your belongings. Please follow all travel guidance when returning to Edinburgh.
For further information on returning to term-time accommodation, please visit:
Further guidance on private accommodation is available via The Advice Place.
Services and facilities
All Student Administration services, including the Student Immigration Service, will be available remotely.
However, there will be a physical presence by appointment at Old College on Tuesdays between 9:30-16:30 for any transactions that require students to be physically present (for example, students who need to collect a Biometric Residence Permit).
Due to the latest Scottish Government restrictions, browsing access and book borrowing of the library collections is suspended. Our new ‘Scan and Deliver service’ allows you to request print materials (typically up to a book chapter or journal article) to be provided electronically.
Using our libraries and study spaces
The Main Library is still open, but with limited services (no browsing or borrowing of print collections allowed) and reduced opening hours. Any student visits should only be for essential reasons and to access services that are not available online or digitally.
You can book study space through the University study space app, SeatED.
The Library is currently not able to give access to research collections.
Due to the Scottish Government restrictions, the Student Villages and University-managed cafes are currently closed. They will re-open subject to Government guidance.
The Pleasance Gym will be closed to members until at least Monday 1st February 2021.
Advice and support
Our student support services will continue to operate – whether you are on-campus or not. A range of support is available to you, no matter where you are currently living.
The UK government has identified two distinct groups who are more vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19.
Further information on Covid-19 and vulnerable groups, including the medical conditions and other factors within the two vulnerable groups, is available on NHS Inform.
If you believe you are at high risk of severe illness from Covid-19 but do not have a shielding letter, see below, you are advised to discuss your concerns directly with management (staff) or your School (students) in the first instance to consider adjustments to allow you to work from home in the first instance or that may be made to support your return to work/campus, these may be part of Equality/disability considerations.
I have been shielding (extremely high risk)
If you are considered to be at extremely high risk of severe illness from Covid-19 you should have received a letter from NHS Scotland or your GP advising you of this.
The Chief Medical Officer wrote to everyone on the shielding list in the week beginning 4 January to set out advice on the stay at home regulations which came into effect on 5th January 2021.
Any students who are shielding should continue to study from home and not attend classes or placements in person. More information for students with shielded status can be found here.
Further advice can be found on the Scottish Government website:
If you have an underlying health condition or take regular prescription medicines, but you remain unsure whether you fall into one of the more vulnerable groups, you should contact your own GP practice for advice.
Further information on Covid-19 and vulnerable groups is available on the NHS Inform webpages.
Your school will be in touch with you directly with further details about your course and Semester Two plans as soon as details have been confirmed.
If you have any questions about your course or programme, please contact your personal tutor or your School's student support team in the first instance.