COVID-19

Please follow government guidance and act responsibility. We are conscious of the need to encourage our students and staff alike to behave respectfully towards one another and members of our community. To ensure we can protect our health and safety and the health and safety of others, we are asking everyone to commit to the Bath Spa Community Pledge. We hope the Pledge reinforces the core values of our University and reminds us all of our responsibilities to be good and respectful citizens. If you are feeling unwell, or have symptoms of any illness which you may spread to others, please do not come on to campus, so we can protect the health and safety of all our community.

A general risk assessment for the University has been carried out and published.

In the event there is an outbreak of Covid-19 at the University, we will follow our Bath Spa University Local Outbreak Management Plan. Please note that the Local Outbreak Management Plan will be updated as guidance and situations, both locally and nationally, evolve.

If you have a concern about the behaviour of others, but feel unable to raise this with them directly, please contact covid@bathspa.ac.uk putting “Covid Conduct – Escalated Concern” in the subject line. You can also share any concerns through Report and Support. We pledge to provide you with support, advice and help in order to resolve your concerns, and take the necessary steps to positively resolve the concern. Staff can also raise concerns with their line manager, health and safety or trade union representatives.

You might be worried about COVID-19 and how it could affect your life. We have found a number of resources which you may find helpful, including how to take care of your mental health and wellbeing if you need to stay at home or avoid other people.

• Student Minds: Coronavirus Resources
• MIND: Coronavirus and your wellbeing
• Mental Health Foundation: Looking After Your Mental Health During Coronavirus Outbreak
• Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust 24hr phone line – 0800 953 1919
• Bath Compassionate Community
• Bath Mind Breathing Space – 01225 983130 and breathingspace@bathmind.org.uk
• UniWellbeing – free for BSU students. App to help you track your mood and full of interactive and helpful wellbeing resources. Download from the Apple or Google Play stores
• WHO 'coping with stress during the 2019-nCov outbreak'

Our Employee Assistance Provider, Lifeworks, has lots of useful articles on looking after health and welfare. A summary of high level issues is provided below:

• Protecting your wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak (infographic)

Please be considerate of fellow students and if you are asked to wear a face covering, please do so. Some people may have a reason for being cautious and we should all respect one another.

We encourage you to have the COVID-19 vaccine, although you are not required to do so. Information about how to get a vaccine is available via the NHS. 

COVID-19 has not gone away, so please continue to act with caution and test if you have symptoms.

If you test positive for COVID-19, please do not come to campus and stay at home to recover and study from home. Please let your tutor know if you are unable to attend a seminar because of illness. 

If you feel able to, try and speak to them about your concerns. Remind them of the Community Pledge and their responsibility to other people. If you don’t feel able to, please email covid@bathspa.ac.uk and your concerns will be discreetly and sensitively followed up.

If you test positive for COVID-19, please do not work on campus and stay at home to recover or work from home if you are able. Please make sure you keep your line manager informed, but there is no longer a requirement for staff to complete a form to confirm this.

If you are ill with a cough, cold, fever or other symptoms, please work from home if you are able to do so and make sure you are well before you return to work.

Please be considerate of fellow colleagues and students and if you are asked to wear a face covering, please do so. Some people may have a reason for being cautious and we should all respect one another.

We encourage you to have the COVID-19 vaccine, although you are not required to do so. Information about how to get a vaccine is available via the NHS. 

COVID-19 has not gone away, so please continue to act with caution and test if you have symptoms. 

If you test positive for COVID-19, please do not work on campus and stay at home to recover or work from home if you are able. Please make sure you keep your line manager informed.

Guidance and best practice is available on Sulis. There is also additional guidance for all staff on the Working from Home page.

Please see the working from home guidance on Sulis with information from IT on how to access your work securely, guidance from Health and Safety to ensure staff work from home safely and information for how to manage your work and keep in touch with your teams. Additional support for working from home is also available on Sulis.

You can use your own device on trusted Wi-Fi/Broadband/3G/4G without VPN connection for Learning and Teaching purposes to access Minerva (Blackboard, Turnitin, Collaborate) and G Suite (Email, Calendar, Drive, Hangouts) as long as you can ensure the following:

• You must not access Personally sensitive information about others.
• You must not access or download “Red” data - as defined below.
• You must use a trusted internet connection, such as your home broadband/wifi or a 3G / 4G hotspot.
• You must “Check for Updates”, run a “Windows Update” and install all known patches.
• You must have an up-to-date anti-virus / anti-malware installed and updated regularly.
• Where possible, you should use a personal firewall on your device.
• If you temporarily download any work related documents on your own device, you must delete it after you have finished.

For all other activity, you will need a device managed by IT Services.

“Red” data is defined as: data that if disclosed or inappropriately interpreted or changed would cause harm, or if destroyed would cause disruption. The most sensitive and valuable typically includes: assets with any Special Categories of Personal Data; any automated profiling characteristics or decision making or tracking of behaviour; any card or other payment details; any child subjects; any direct marketing; any security system details; any complaints or highly controversial or offensive content; any urgently required or safety critical information.