As of Saturday 26 December, Oxfordshire is at the Tier 4 COVID alert level. The UK Government website provides the latest advice on these restrictions. Under Tier 4, universities and workplaces will remain open. We therefore expect teaching and research to continue at the University in the New Year.
On Wednesday 30 December, the Government notified all English universities of changes to its guidance for the return of students in the New Year.
As a result of this guidance, only very specific groups of taught students should return to Oxford from 4 January and the University will publish who is within this group as soon as possible. All other taught students are advised not to travel back to the University until at least 25 January, with all teaching taking place online until that point.
Postgraduate research students are exempt from this guidance.
Further information about guidance for students can be found on the Christmas vacation page.
A number of committees and working groups are now considering the detail of these changes as an urgent priority, including the implications for in-person and remote teaching. This includes Education Steering Group, Bronze, Silver, Conference of Colleges and Hilary and Trinity Term Co-ordination Group. These groups will also consider the University’s BCP level (which currently remains unchanged at Level 2), and alignment with the Department for Education’s teaching tiers.
Further information will be provided as soon as possible next week once collective agreement has been reached about the way forward.
