In an email to students this morning, it was announced that from July 20, postgraduates and undergraduates are permitted to enter campus grounds, if they “have a reason for doing so”.
Students were told in an email this morning that to gain access to campus, the must present a valid ID card, to swipe in and out upon entering and leaving College.
Access to campus during this period will only be available at three entrances, the Nassau Street entrance, the Lincoln Place entrance and the Science Gallery entrance.
The email, signed by Vice-Provost and Chief Academic Officer Professor Jürgen Barkhoff, continued that students would be able to access the Library to write dissertations or study for reassessment.
The Library will operate on limited hours, from 9 am until 5:30 pm, with the Berkeley, Lecky, Ussher and Hamiltion libraries only being made available to students at this time.
The email stated: “As facilities and services on campus will be limited, you should not come onto campus to socialise or for no specific purpose.”
The email also specified that the numbers of students on campus will be “closely” monitored.
Campus is due to remain closed to the general public to “at least September 28”.
The email explained that it will reopen when “the public health regulations allow”, but will remain closed until then, with the aim of “ensuring the potential for overcrowding is minimized and that as many students and staff as possible can safely return to college”.
When College reopens to the public, access to tourists will be limited, tourists will be permitted to have pre-booked tickets for the Book of Kells, and will be escorted in from a specified entrance to and from the Old Library in small controlled groups.
The email explained that access to the Science Gallery Dublin and the Douglas Hyde Gallery will “most likely be managed in a similar way”.
Tourists will not have access to other buildings on campus, such as the Perch cafe or toilet facilities.
Timetables are to be made available for students in mid September, with College due to restart on September 28.
The email explained that a “space capacity exercise” has been carried out for all teaching spaces in Trinity, and allocations have been given to Schools to begin timetables.
In the email, Barkhoff said: “We appreciate that many of you are keen to know your timetables and the arrangements for 2020/21 as soon as possible in order to make decisions about accommodation”
He continued: “We ask for your patience as in order to plan properly we need to take time to ensure that we provide both the maximum face-to-face teaching for your best possible student experience as well as balancing this with sufficient mitigating measures to ensure your and our staff’s safety and wellbeing.”
The email explained that College’s aim is to provide “as much face-to-face teaching, including labs, field trips and clinical placements as possible under social distancing protocols” come September, as well as online lectures for larger groups of students.
Facilities on campus will be limited from July20 to August 31.
The Buttery will reopen from August 10 with a limited service. Other facilities will remain closed. Lunchtime Commons will recommence from August 31 to September 30 for Fellows and Scholars, but only on “a limited, pre-booked basis”.
No events will be held on campus until September 28, except in “exceptional circumstances” and with “prior approval of the Phased Resumption of Activities Group”.
College said that they know “the past few months have been very challenging” and they encourage anyone who feel their health and wellbeing is affected to reach out to the Student Counseling Service for support.
Barkhoff stated: “I want to reassure you that the health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority as we begin to reopen the campus.”
“We are putting a range of measures in place to safeguard this and equally measures will be put in place to ensure that the resumption of teaching from September takes place in as safe an environment as possible in line with the public health advice,” he continued.
