UCD and NUIG to stay teaching online until after Christmas

UCD and NUIG have decided to continue to operate all teaching and learning activities online for the remainder of the first semester, following the Taoiseach’s announcement on Monday night that the country would move to Level 3 restrictions for the next three weeks.

UCD management initially moved the university to Level 4 on September 18th, with all classes to be delivered online for three weeks of Dublin’s Level 3 restrictions.

Staff and students were informed in September that activities scheduled to take place on campus, including practical and laboratory classes, clinical teaching, studio classes and outdoor fieldwork would “recommence as soon as possible”.

However, UCD President Professor Deeks issued a bulletin to university staff on Tuesday to say the current level of restriction on academic activities would now be retained “at least until the end of the current trimester” in order to “provide students, faculty and staff with some certainty in what to expect” until December. Staff were informed that “where work can be done effectively from home, it should continue to be done from home.”

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NUIG, as well as all other Irish higher education institutions, were advised in September to operate online where possible for at least two weeks. However, NUI Galway announced its decision today to move all teaching and learning online until after Christmas. Face-to-face teaching will be limited to essential activities, such as lab work and research. Students who wished to “return home to continue their studies remotely” were informed the University will “refund the cost of campus accommodation, less facilities charges, for the remainder of the semester”.

Some students living in campus accommodation at UCD have called for the same response from UCD management to refund students who wish to return home this semester. Students living on campus in UCD are not allowed to have any visitors due to the university operating under Level 4 restrictions.

Some students have also called on the UCD Students’ Union to ask the university to partially refund their student centre contribution fees in response to the news, as access to on-site facilities remain closed or restricted.