Provost Patrick Prendergast emailed students this evening issuing new measures to be undertaken in Trinity in response to the government’s decision to revert Dublin to Level 3 of the Covid-19 response measures.
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has asked Dublin universities to reduce student numbers on campus in order to minimise the risk of Covid-19 spreading throughout the capital.
The provost assured students that “the government has confirmed that higher education is a priority”, and he reaffirmed plans for “new and returning students to commence learning according to the timetables provided earlier this week”.
However, in contrast to previous statements that Level 3 restrictions would not apply to higher education settings, Prendergast confirmed that “only teaching which cannot readily be delivered online should be delivered in person”.
To follow this government guideline, Trinity will have to transfer some classes planned to be held in-person to an online format.
In-person teaching in the Health Sciences and Engineering, Mathematics, and Science departments will continue in cases of laboratory or practical learning settings “because it is required for professional accreditation.”
However, courses in the faculties of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences will be moved almost exclusively online until present restrictions are lifted.
Prendergast stressed that, even in these departments, “not all teaching will move online because some of it may be deemed to be essential for in person delivery”.
The email confirmed that the Library and the Buttery will remain open, and although they may be “more limited than previously envisaged”, College plans to host some in-person events for incoming students.
In addition to significantly limiting the number of students on campus in line with the recent changes, Prendergast continued that “Trinity will also take further measures to reduce risks of virus transmission on campus”.
This means that in-person extracurricular activities have also been suspended, and students are asked only to come to campus if they have face-to-face teaching activities.
Additionally, the provost introduced the plan of creating one-way pedestrian routes within Trinity’s campus so as to minimise contact.
Prendergast ended the email with regret, stating: “We know that this news will be extremely disappointing for many students. It is not what we would have wished, but these measures are mandated and are in the public interest.”
He also promised to continue updating students via email as the situation progresses, and urged students to continually check online at www.tcd.ie/coronavirus for detailed explanations to questions.
