Numerous school-leavers are anxiously waiting to hear if they will be accepted into their desired universities after receiving higher A-level grades. Despite this, vice-chancellors are warning against admitting large numbers of undergraduates as this could endanger students, faculty, and local communities with coronavirus.
The elite universities are hurrying to revise their social distancing plans after the government U-turn led to 160,000 students receiving improved A-level grades. Some Russell Group universities received tens of thousands of calls in just two days this week from students urging to be reconsidered for previously missed offers.
UCAS has confirmed that roughly 15,000 students who had initially been rejected by their preferred universities now have the required grades. The majority of these students had opted for prestigious universities, which could come under the most pressure to expand this year.
Although there is extra government funding for high-cost subjects, university leaders warn that increasing the numbers could be unsafe. The capacity of lab-based subjects would be difficult to increase at short notice. The majority of institutions are afraid of stating publicly that they cannot admit more students, in case the government holds them responsible for the chaos.
One leading university’s head stated: “We were already at full capacity and were already concerned about social distancing before the U-turn. Currently, we have no idea how many more students will want to join, but our worst-case scenario is accepting thousands more.”
Colin Riordan, the vice-chancellor of Cardiff University, stated: “We cannot use all our buildings and rooms to full capacity. We have to be practical. The health and safety of our students and staff must be our foremost concern.”
On Friday, the Independent Sage committee will publish a Covid and universities report, which is expected to suggest that universities should focus on improving online learning instead of trying to bring students back on campus.
Vice-chancellors state that arranging “blended learning,” which involves online lectures and in-person lab sessions or seminars, following government guidelines, was challenging enough given the numbers they were anticipating before the A-level grades issue. Some are thinking of asking faculty to work overtime to squeeze in more small-class teaching. However, they admit that the most significant obstacle may be ensuring that students abide by social distancing rules outside of the classroom.
One elite university head said that they had discovered plans for a big student party, which would have to be cancelled. Cardiff University students would sign up for a new behavior pledge, and other universities would be incorporating new Covid clauses into their student contracts to discourage antisocial behavior on and off-campus, such as house parties.
The vice-chancellor of another Russell Group university, whom the registrar insists cannot securely admit more students, stated: “Students have been cooped up with their parents. They are going to want to let their hair down, and who can blame them? But we are examining disciplinary proceedings if they engage in activities that could harm the health of the community.”
Some universities, including Warwick, Sheffield, Cardiff, and York, have specified that students must wear masks inside campus buildings, and at Southampton University, students would have to wear them inside their student kitchens as well.
Several top-tier universities, including UCL, the University of York, the University of Southampton, and Queen Mary University of London, have confirmed that they will accept all students who have fulfilled their offer grades, except for subjects with strict caps like medicine. Nevertheless, in several instances, high-ranking universities are proposing to offer deferred places.
Southampton has erected four new teaching buildings to assist with social distancing, but Kieron Broadhead, the university’s executive director of student experience, stated: “In a Covid-19 world, the safety of our student and staff population is key. This means that in some courses, that offer may be for next year.”
Russell Group universities have received legal advice indicating that though an offer of a place is a legally binding contract, deferring it to the next year would be acceptable. Nonetheless, some are uneasy about potential legal challenges from students.
Sandy Lawrence, from Cornwall’s Newquay, is infuriated that her son, James, aged 18, has been denied a place in his preferred university. Despite obtaining a starred distinction in his triple-science BTec, he did not meet his offer to study biosciences at Durham University since his biology A-level grade had fallen from a B to a D. Durham has stated that there is unlikely to be a place until next year.
She said: “We had purchased champagne, and we ought to have been celebrating his triple-starred distinction, but he was shattered.”
In Cardiff, Riordan expresses compassion for this year’s graduating students but is resolute in his decision not to admit more pupils than he deems to be safe. The university had planned to shut down the admissions phone line until the reversal decision was made. The sudden influx of inquiries inundated them all at once. Despite the time-consuming backlog, they intend to work on granting deferred admissions for some courses where possible for the current year’s applicants. In addition, the outbreak of COVID-19 has made it essential for universities to stress the importance of strict measures to hinder the disease’s spread. Therefore, at Cardiff, they will be unambiguous with the regulations students are expected to abide by. Riordan explains that the institution will be monitoring gatherings and parties in student housing and responding to any complaints or notifications regarding disruptive behavior. The key to preventing the virus’s spread, according to Levi Pay, a former student services director and consultant, is to keep the number of students on campus at a manageable level. In addition, local lockdowns are predicted to occur, but universities are working proactively to prepare in case of a recurrence. At Aston University, they plan to offer an online-only option for those who are shielding or unable to attend. These efforts, paired with initiatives to expand available spaces sensibly, will not alleviate any potential danger to the local people.
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