COVID-19
The latest information on COVID-19 from the University can be found at https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/covid-19, and up to date government advice can be accessed at https://covid19.govt.nz/. Thesis students are also advised to read the FAQ from the Wellington Faculty of Graduate Research here: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/fgr/current-phd/covid-19-frequently-asked-questions.
25 March:
We hope you’re all settling in to your current situation, staying positive and carving out new routines. It’s been an unprecedented few days with, naturally, an amount of confusion and stress as well. We have been taking note of emails from postgraduate students about issues that are arising as a result of the measures to combat COVID-19, and have been in touch with multiple parts of the University to get some clarity and assurances. This email is just to give you a quick update on these issues. We endeavour to respond to individual emails where possible, but if we do not please be assured we are taking note of all correspondence and acting accordingly.
Halls of residence
Self-catered students in 222 Willis Street, Education House, Stafford House and University Halls are now allowed to remain where they are, although some room reconfiguration may be necessary. We have been informed that international students staying in Everton Hall are also remaining at their current location. Some others are in the process of relocating to Weir House, where all remaining first year students in University accommodation are also being moved to. Existing flatmates and residents from the same halls are being kept together where possible, to minimise the possibility of new personal interactions. We are hoping for more detailed information about this today.
We recognise that the University has a commitment to the health and wellbeing of its accommodation staff as well as students, and the situation around accommodation under a level 4 COVID-19 alert is a very complex one. However, we believe that this could have been handled better by the University, particularly regarding communication with the residents affected. We’re pleased that the concerns were listened to and acted upon by the end of yesterday, and the first priority needs to be ensuring that all students and staff are in a safe situation for the next four weeks. Any student still worried about their immediate living situation should contact their RA or hall manager if possible, and inform us of the situation if a satisfactory response is not forthcoming.
Taught Courses
Some students have expressed concern that taught courses at a postgraduate level cannot be delivered adequately online. Some people would like a (partial) refund or the opportunity to withdraw. We will seek information from the University on what steps are being taken to ensure taught courses are kept to a high standard, and what options regarding refund or withdrawal will be available to students. Again, the immediate concern has to be on health and wellbeing, and we encourage all students to focus on this over the next few days. The pause on teaching until Tuesday 28 April provides time for the situation to become clearer for everyone. We recommend students contact their postgraduate co-ordinator or head of school with any specific concerns, and also take the opportunity of the Student Engagement Day (Thursday 2 April) to communicate with course co-ordinators. Remember that teachers are also facing significant personal and professional upheaval at this time, so do try and have compassion and patience when raising these matters. Postgraduate co-ordinators should have been in touch with their students by the end of yesterday.
Research Students
The University has asked research students to continue working as best they can at this time. If possible, it is a good idea to try to establish a home working routine and maintain productivity during the self-isolation period. However, we recognise that this will not be possible for everyone. No student should feel pressured to continue working if their situation is not currently conducive to it.
We are expecting clearer information on potential impacts to extensions, suspensions, completion dates and scholarships in the near future, and will be advocating for postgraduate students on these matters. In the meantime, it is a good idea to check in with your supervisory team and let them know your situation. We would expect all supervisors to be understanding of any delays to work under these exceptional circumstances.
Please continue to contact us if you have any issues over the coming days, as well as the appropriate University services directly where possible.
Finally, please remember that everyone is under exceptional stress at the moment, and it may take time to resolve some issues. Please be patient with University academic and administrative staff, as well as your fellow students.
23 March (2):
We're getting used to matters developing very quickly, and since this morning the country's alert around the COVID-19 pandemic has been raised to level 3. The government has now asked everyone not working in essential services to cease in-person interaction with anyone outside of their own household. We are therefore of course cancelling all our in-person events with immediate effect. We'll be in touch regarding online events and services in the very near future. Until then: stay home, stay safe and please reach out (virtually) if you have any concerns.
23 March (1):
We hope everyone’s well and keeping their spirits up as much as possible in the current circumstances. As you know, guidelines to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic are being reviewed and updated regularly by the government and the University. The University sent emails to students (which all postgraduates should have received) and staff (which research students should have received) on Saturday with the latest information. If you didn’t receive these emails, please let us know by reply to this message.
In line with government advice, the University is now recommending that research students limit their time on campus. This means that those who are able to conduct their day-to-day work from home should start doing so. It does not mean that the University campuses pose any significant risk to the community, as long as social distancing and good hygiene practices continue to be observed. We encourage our members to form a home working routine if you are able to, but to continue to use campus resources where required to pursue your study. With the possibility of campus activities being further limited in the near future, it is also advisable to use this time to prepare for the months ahead with your supervisors and colleagues if possible. Of course, if you are unwell or required to self-isolate, you should not be attending University.
We are also conscious of our community’s wellbeing at this time, and want to do everything we can to support this while adhering to all the official regulations and advice in place. For this reason, we have taken the decision to make some changes to our planned events over the next two weeks:
Postgrad Talks and the Initial General Meeting will now be held online. We will send out more information about these when preparations are complete.
Make & Mingle (25 March) and Breakfast Social @ Pipitea (27 March) will continue to run as planned. These are small group meet-ups where we are able to safely maintain social distancing and record attendees, so are both comfortably within the scope of events that are permitted to continue under the current government regulations (https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/pages/covid19-event-criteria-guide.pdf). Should these regulations change, we will act accordingly and further advise our members.
As long it is safe to do so, we think it is important to maintain an on-campus presence for students who may be feeling isolated or anxious at this time. We are also intending to establish an online presence that students off-campus can engage with, which will be able to continue however circumstances develop over the coming months.
18 March:
We recognise that the unprecedented situation of the COVID-19 pandemic may be stressful and troubling for the University community, including postgraduate students. The PGSA supports the University’s endeavours to maintain normal operations as far as possible at the present time, as communicated to all students yesterday. All thesis students have also been sent an email this morning, which contains information about preparing for potential scenarios. The PGSA is continuing to advocate in the best interests of postgraduate students on individual and collective levels, and will continue to do so as the situation develops.
It is important to note that compared to many countries around the world, New Zealand is currently only mildly affected by the pandemic. The guidelines concerning hygiene, self-isolation and social distancing must be taken seriously to ensure public health is sustained and the more vulnerable are protected; at the same time, it is vital to continue to look out for the mental health and wellbeing of yourself and your peers at a potentially distressing time. If you’re not unwell and/or don’t need to self-isolate, we encourage you to keep up your routines and continue to engage with your communities at the University and elsewhere.
Our regular events will continue to run as usual, following the precautionary guidelines outlined by the NZ government. We believe it’s important to maintain our presence at a time when some students may be finding the ongoing situation difficult. Of course, should circumstances change we will act accordingly.
The University’s latest updates on COVID-19 can be found here: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/about/COVID-19. Please do not hesitate to contact us (by email at pgsa@vuw.ac.nz, or through any of our platforms) if you need any support over the coming weeks and months.
