June 9, 2021

More on-campus classes for Spring Session

Campus life reinvigorated in response to student feedback

The University of Wollongong (UOW) is boosting the number of classes being offered on campus for the 2021 Spring Session (Session 2), while still offering online options for those students unable to attend face-to-face classes.

After virtually all classes were moved online in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UOW was successfully able to return some classes to face-to-face teaching in the first half of 2021, with a number of other student activities also returning to bring life back to the University’s campuses.

The University is able to offer students even more options for on-campus learning in Session 2.

To ensure the safety of students and staff, capacity limits, physical distancing and other safety measures remain in place.

Vibrant campus a top priority

UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Theo Farrell said the University was looking forward to having more students on its campuses

“We’re very pleased to announce that we’re bringing back more on-campus classes in Session 2, with the appropriate capacity limits, physical distancing and other safety measures in place,” Professor Farrell said.

 “We’ve heard from many students that they’ve missed being on-campus and making the most of the social experience for which UOW is renowned – and we’ve missed having them on campus.

“Safely returning our students to a vibrant campus remains our top priority. We look forward to seeing many more students back on campus.

“At the same time we remain mindful that some students are still unable to join us on campus due to international travel restrictions or other COVID-19 related circumstances. For these students, online delivery will continue to be offered, where possible.”

More on-campus classes coming

Across the board, students are being offered significantly more opportunities to attend on-campus classes for the second half of 2021.

In particular, the number of face-to-face tutorials, practicals, labs and workshops being offered has increased significantly. 

While the majority of lectures will continue to be online only, the number of lectures offered on campus has also gone up.

Excluding lectures, we are planning for around 2,800 classes to be offered on campus in Session 2 (Spring Session), and for around 570 to be offered online only, predominantly for postgraduate students.

Around 535 lectures will be offered online, around 230 will be on-campus, and around 85 will be offered as both online and on-campus.

The number of classes that are ultimately delivered face-to-face will depend on the choices that students make in their class selections.

Because online classes will continue to be an option for many students, UOW has responded to feedback by upgrading the technology in many Wollongong campus classrooms to improve the capture, recording and live streaming of lectures for students studying online.

Social life returns to campus too

The increase in face-to-face teaching for the Spring Session builds on the efforts that have been made to return classes and social activities to campus in the first half of the year.

The UOW Library continued to be a study destination of choice in Session 1 while maintaining COVIDSafe occupancy limits. Over the course of the session, weekly visitor numbers ranged from 10,000 to more than 14,000. By contrast, during Session 2 of 2020 the number of visitors on most weeks ranged between 5,000 and 8,000.

During Session 1, UOW Pulse hosted more than 238 events, activities and workshops to engage with students on campus, including regular weekly events, themed festivals, speciality events and activations on campus. By contrast, only 180 events were held on campus in the whole of 2020, due to COVID-19.

In Session 2, UOW Pulse will hold regular weekly events such as Drag Queen Bingo, Trivia, Pulse Pantry, Bend and Snack, Breaky Bar, Wellness Wednesday, Lunch on the Lawn, Play Free Sport and Game On plus Orientation, Clubs Day, Fit and Well Fest, International Week and Stress Less week.                 

Further information about Campus Life in 2021 is available online on UOW’s Studying in 2021 webpage.