Don’t get too excited, UOA will remain in remote teaching mode until the start of Semester 2 on the 27th of July (at least). You will have to stay cooped up in your blanket forts, illuminated by the dying light of your laptop screens, for a little while longer. However, the move to level 2 does grant some more freedoms, with some intense restrictions and rigorous tracing of those on campus.
More broadly, the University will be required to record the movement of every person on campus, and comply with other guidelines set by the Government, including physical distancing and the management of group sizes. To get on top of tracking movement on campus, the University is utilising an attendance recording service called Check-IN. The service asks staff and students to specify which buildings they have entered. In some areas, including the Owen G Glenn Building, the Science Centre, Kate Edger, the Clock Tower, Alfred Nathan House, the General Library, Old Choral Hall and the Biology Building, staff and students will be asked to specify further which rooms they have entered. In an email sent to all staff, the University Communications Team noted that all rooms will eventually be made available for Check-IN.
During semester 2, the University intends to return to on-campus teaching, likely with some adjustments to timetables and physical distancing practices. It seems that remote learning will continue to be available, so the University can support particularly vulnerable students and those studying outside of New Zealand. Large lectures may have to remain online, especially if we are still under Level 2 restrictions. Other changes that comply with physical distancing measures may also be employed. Further details for semester 2 are set to be released in the coming weeks.