July 22, 2021

Message to students

Dear students, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen young people make significant sacrifices over the past 18 months to safeguard the welfare of others, and we are forever grateful for that

One of those sacrifices for students has been face-to-face, and on campus learning, which we know for many students is an important and formative part of their overall university experience. I know you have also missed many events which are important in your life.

And while it is unfortunate that just as we had started to return to campus, NSW ran headfirst into the highly infectious Delta strain of COVID-19, I hope you will all take some solace in knowing that we will be safely back on campus soon. And in the meantime, when online classes resume next week, remember to stay diligent, practice time management and treat your online classes with the same level of enthusiasm and engagement that you would treat your face-to-face classes.

I understand all of these things are difficult to do in the current environment and even more challenging than they were the first time around. I am finding them difficult myself. But if we stay committed, we’ll get through this and we’ll be back learning in-person in the very near future.

On this note, I am pleased to announce we have just launched – a free, 24/7, on-demand, online service providing students with guidance and feedback on their academic skills. I hope this will help both in the immediate future, while classes are online, and as a tool that you can benefit from long-term to assist with your studies.

And just a reminder, as we all continue to connect online over the coming weeks, please maintain respect for your teachers and fellow students – it is vitally important that all staff and students feel safe online. Please refer to this esafety toolkit for proper online safety protocols and official channels for reporting online abuse.

I also promised last week that I would provide an update on the closure of the Campus Clinic. You can view the full update here, but please rest assured that we are exploring a range of options for new medical service models at UOW via our Health and Wellbeing taskforce, which consists of healthcare professionals and student representatives.

We are also working hard with our local members to outline the financial challenges experienced by our students. More to come here.

Finally, I’d like to thank the . They have provided me with regular feedback on several issues recently, including graduation and what students need from their medical service on campus. They are a wonderful group of people who are doing the UOW student cohort proud.

I hope everyone is staying healthy and well.

Trish