This is the third in a series of Covid-19 related updates for you, writes AUDE Executive Director Jane White. You can find the last two on our website.

It’s such a fluid and fast moving time and from a policy perspective, incredibly hard to plan for when the goal posts are constantly changing and where, in our devolved nations, guidelines differ. Since I last wrote to you Leicester City has gone back into lockdown, something we must all be dreading if this is to be our town, city or university from September. What the implications are for a local lockdown on our universities is hard to know, but scary that’s for sure.

Again, thank you to those who have been emailing and calling, sharing and networking. It’s times like this when as an association we are truly invaluable. Our member engagement, website visits, discussion board posts and attendance at virtual meetings and events has gone through the roof! We are engaged more than ever with government agencies, funding councils across all nations, and other high profile stakeholders looking for ‘AUDE’s opinion’. The sector know who we are and are looking to us to lead campus reopening and solve all of the many pressing issues. One such project we are involved with, since last time I emailed you, is the JISC multi-agency taskforce on learning and teaching reimagined, and AUDE is guiding the principle of connecting the physical and virtual estate.

Policy

Rishi Sunak’s summer statement (small print here) includes a Job Retention Bonus: employers will receive a one-off payment of £1,000 for each furloughed employee who is still employed as of 31 January 2021. Following a U-turn,employer-funded Covid testingwon’t now be taxable. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) released analysis on how Covid might impact HEI finances, modelling possible long-term loss figures with potential for up to 13 HEIs to face closure without bailouts. Wonkhe examines the report and HEPI says not to panic.

Good news about student numbers

Yesterday, UCAS published its latest update on student applications made by the 30 June deadline. The data found that;

• A record 40.5% of all UK 18-year-olds have applied – last year’s equivalent figure was 38.9%.
• 281,980 applications from young people, increasing from 275,520 a year ago, despite there being 1.5% fewer 18-year-olds in the population than last year.
• For the first time, over a quarter (25.4%) of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (using the POLAR4 measure) across the UK have applied to university of college by the 30 June deadline.
• The number of applicants from outside the EU is currently up 10% to 89,130, while the EU applicant total is currently 2% lower than last year, at 49,650
• The overall number of applicants, of all ages from all domiciles, currently stands at 652,790, and is the highest figure in four years.
• Applicant numbers for nursing are up 15% year-on-year, to reach 58,550.

In response to the UCAS data, UUK Chief Executive Alistair Jarvis celebrated the record number of UK 18-year-olds wanting to study at university this autumn, recognising the many benefits that a university education brings for their life chances, career prospects and future. He then went on to welcome the positive news that more than one in four young people from disadvantaged areas have applied to university or college, and to see a growth in those wanting to study nursing courses. Finally, going on to reassure applicants that they can be confident in receiving a high quality and positive experience this autumn, with the vast majority of institutions planning to deliver most teaching, student support and social activities in-person.

Scotland

The Scottish Government published a new Coronavirus Further and Higher Education Sustainability Plan. The most significant part of the plan is the announcement of the Scottish Government’s decision on the EU undergraduate fee status for 2021, meaning EU undergraduate entrants will pay international fees from 2021. Helpfully, the plan and the Minister’s comments did commit to keeping that resource in the college and university sector. Universities Scotland will press the Scottish Government for this to go into increasing the unit of resource for Scottish domiciled students as well as other priorities such as scholarships. Otherwise, the plan brings together the series of funding and policy announcements already made by the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council since the pandemic, recapping on May’s £75m research funding announcement, the SFC’s review of FE and HE among others. The plan does not include the announcement of significant new funding support for universities, but it does indicate greater flexibility on under/over recruitment than had previously been provided by the SFC. However, the plan is clear on the continued financial threat facing the sector and is clear that further support will be considered if/when needed. Finally, there was no announcement on whether universities can plan for the 1 metre plus rule for next term. The Scottish Government said it is keeping this under review and Universities Scotland welcomed the announcement on that basis.

Survey 1m or 2?

AUDE have launched a new survey, we are keen to understand what level of social distancing and PPE you plan to model on campus. Please complete this short, three question survey to inform the sector. This information will be shared with members and help inform conversations with key stakeholders. As soon as you have submitted your answers you get to see the amalgamated results so well worth your time.

Resources

These are the latest resources added to our Coronavirus pages

• KPMG - Returning to Campus
• Eversheds recording - Applying your overarching health & safety duty in the coronavirus environment and rent concessions
• A time to talk about space webinar series – 3 recorded sessions covering Scenario planning and governance of space, Research space and capacity, Long term implication on space ‘The Green Restart’
• Reduced Office Use Tool - Use this to gauge the reduction in workspace capacity by campus and/or building and/or department.
• Covid 19 Guidance Matrix

Dates for your diary

• 13^th July – AUDE Strategic FM special interest group meeting. Open to all members. TEAMS
• 16^th July – AUDE AGM. Open to all members. TEAMS
• 19^th August – AUDE a time to talk: About capital projects. Open to all members. TEAMS
• 9th September - AUDE International Strategic Partners webinar responding to COVID-19. Learn how the USA, S. Africa and Australia have dealt with the pandemic in their Universities. Open to all members. WEBINAR
• 21^st-24^th June 2021 – AUDE Residential Summer School. For aspiring directors of estates. University of Birmingham. RESIDENTIAL COURSE

Discussions you might have missed:

• Treat your mask like underwear
• Fan coil units
• Responses from local billing authorities in relation to empty rates (rejections)
• Net Zero – A systems perspective on the climate change challenge

#BlackLivesMatter

I wanted to close this email with a non-Covid related issue we are all facing, black lives matter. Our communications officer Martin Higgs has written a great blog in his role working for UHR. It’s well worth a read and you can find a link to it on our discussion boards, is includes a valuable reading list.

As ever, if there is anything AUDE can do for you or your institution please get on touch.