NEWS - Second semester will begin online AS QUB admits it ‘underestimated’ Covid-19 outbreaks
As QUB launches a pilot asymptomatic testing programme for its students, a senior member of university management, Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart Elborn, admits to The Scoop that the university ‘somewhat underestimated the number of students who might become positive over a very short period of time’.
By the start of October, just weeks after term began, 400 QUB staff and students were already self-isolating. Some students self-isolating at the time reported to The Scoop their impressions of confusion, mismanagement and disorganization in Elms Accommodation.
Speaking to The Scoop On Sunday, Professor Elborn said that, despite Queen’s being in ‘the bottom 25%’ of universities with positive student cases, ‘the volumes were challenging’.
According to Professor Elborn, the QUB contract tracing system had to be rapidly expanded and is now capable of greater ‘outbreak management’.
The University and College Union branch at QUB responded to the interview on Twitter, saying that ‘This ‘underestimation’ was completely avoidable’ and that the UCU has urged QUB management to learn from the experience of other universities.
The new testing programme, which is set to continue into 2021, is available for booking from Monday 23rd November and is located in the Whitla Hall. The programme was launched this morning with a visit by Health Minister Robin Swann, Vice Chancellor Ian Greer and SU President Grian Ní Dhaimhín
Full details on how students can book a test can be found here
Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Greer and Health Minister Robin Swann MLA talk to Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart Elborn at the launch of the pilot asymptomatic testing programme
400 students have already booked their place and QUB are ‘aiming to do about 1,500 tests in the first week’, with capacity set to reach 6,000 tests per week by the end of December.
While the initiative will provide much-needed support and reassurance for some students travelling home for Christmas, it comes late in a semester which has been extremely disrupted.
When asked for a deadline by which students will find out how they will be taught next semester, Professor Elborn said that QUB didn’t want to ‘overpromise’ in its plans and that individual schools would be ‘empowered’ to decide how their students would be taught.
Professor Elborn expressed concern that student’s contacts over Christmas would lead to a rise in cases in January and told The Scoop that teaching would ‘start as we are at the moment’, with online learning unless absolutely necessary. No doubt this position will disappoint many students hoping that face-to-face teaching would recommence from second semester.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart Elborn talks to The Scoop On Sunday
Professor Elborn also said that, ‘our direction of travel is to get as much in person contact as possible’, explaining that the university hopes to ‘incrementally’ return to face-to-face teaching during second semester.
This cautious and decentralised approach stands in contrast to the universal face-to-face teaching campus commitment given by QUB in June, a commitment which was abandoned by mid-term and which Professor Elborn admitted was ‘undeliverable’ due to updated advice from the NI Executive.
Speaking to The Scoop on Monday morning, SU Education Officer Jason Bunting said ‘Last night's discussion demonstrated that there is still no deadline for students to find out how they will be taught next semester.
It is way past time that QUB prioritized this communication to students as a matter of urgency.
It is simply not good enough to delay this any longer and I would urgently call on the University to lead from the top, set a deadline and deliver this clarity.’
With many students concerned over returning to campus next semester, rental agreements and travel arrangements, this lack of clarity will prevent important decisions from being taken.
You can listen to Professor Elborn’s full interview with The Scoop On Sunday below.
Thomas Copeland, Head of News.