Author: LSU Media

As the start of the new academic year approaches, we all have a duty to look out for one another and act appropriately. I’m confident that we can pull together as a community and adapt to our ‘new normal’. Being a member of the Executive at LSU affords you a number of privileges, not least becoming somebody ‘in the know’ of Students’ Union and University affairs. Confidential information is divulged to you, and you become privy to information many weeks before it is made public knowledge. Nevertheless, no matter how much of the planning you are involved in, myself and…

Loughborough Students’ Union has released a statement giving details of what Freshers will most likely look like.  In the statement released today, Union President Matt Youngs has said that “We’ve been working on a programme of events and activities throughout September and October” to ensure “an incredible start to the year” and announced that LSU will be releasing more details – including a schedule of events – next week. Contrary to previous plans, there will be a “Digital Freshers’ Bazaar” for the first time similar to most other students’ unions, which will enable students to “meet fellow students, find the hobbies you…

The National Union of Students has released a new set of research which shows that 67% of students feel the Government are not acting in their interest in their fight against COVID-19. The organisation that represents 600 Student Unions across the country (but not LSU since 2016) believes that their new survey demonstrates that students “do not think they have been taken into account throughout the government’s response to coronavirus”. The Coronavirus and Students Survey also highlights a series of other issues facing students throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, including financial hardship, a ‘toll’ on student welfare, and the ‘major issues’ online learning…

Loughborough Students will face 14 day ‘bans’ from campus if found to have breached the Government’s COVID-19 rules and guidelines, the University has announced. Following the Government’s announcement this afternoon on the changes to the law in regards to COVID restrictions, the University has issued a strong warning to students considering breaking the law and ignoring social distancing guidelines. In an email sent to all students, the University has outlined “7 golden rules” to prevent the spread of COVID-19 both on and off campus The Vice-Chancellor stated that he has received multiple reports of “student house parties” over the summer, and…

Loughborough University has published a quick reference factsheet in order to give it’s students an idea of what University life will look like in a post-COVID world. The factsheet can be found here. We have previously written about this, and that article can be found here. But here’s the brief plans the University have outlined: Teaching and Learning The University has announced that both the London and Loughborough campuses will be open this academic year. This includes the plan to deliver teaching in person when “we know we can do it safely and provide additional learning online where required”. Large…

Under new proposals, UK Universities and their staff are facing an annual increase in pension costs to fill an estimated £18bn deficit. Rising from £3bn to £18bn in two years. Reported in the Financial Times: The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), worth £67bn, will today lay out a range of options to reduce the rising deficit, which was £3.6bn in 2018. This could mean the bill for universities, which is already under strain by the coronavirus crisis, could almost double from the current £1.7bn per year – which will mean a typical lecturer may be forced to pay thousands more for…

The Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) have published a report on the risks Higher Education poses to the transmission of Coronavirus. The document, released on the 3rd September, addresses and advises on how Universities can and should help control the spread of COVID-19, as well as the potential risks that Universities returning this month could pose to public health. SAGE advise that “There is a significant risk that Higher Education (HE) could amplify local and national transmission, and this requires national oversight.” This is not unexpected, with thousands of students from across the country (and indeed the world)…

Today, campus re-opens after the long bank holiday weekend, with a number of campus catering outlets also opening their shutters for the first time since the campus closed. Four additional catering outlets will be now reopening on weekdays, including: Holywell Café: 2 September, 8.30am – 3.30pm EHB Grill: 2 September, 8.30am – 3.30pm Library Café: 2 September, 10am – 4.30pm Sir David Davies Café: 2 September, 8.30am – 3.30pm The Martin Hall Café will be also reopening from next Monday, with opening hours from 8.30am to 15.30pm. This re-opening is in addition to the other current catering options available on campus,…

Students whose courses are to be run online due to COVID-19 are to keep their Maintenance Loans under measures announced today by the Student Loan Company. Some may also be eligible for an increased loan if their household income has dropped by more than 15% compared to the 2018-19 tax year. Over the next month, the Student Loan Company will be issuing over £2 billion in Maintenance Loans to around a million students across the UK, including those who will be studying online. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students who are unable to physically study at university may have been seen…

The University and College Union that represents over 120,000 academics has told universities to pause plans to reopen campuses next month to prevent a “major public health crisis”. The Union’s leader Jo Grady said that universities were not prepared to deal with the crisis, and could become the “care homes of the second wave” come the autumn. But universities, including Loughborough, have said that they have worked “in a carefully managed way to put in place a range of measures and procedures to minimise the risk” to students and the community. The statement comes just weeks before over a million…