Protecting the safety and wellbeing of our community is a collective responsibility for us all.

It is your responsibility to follow all UK government and university regulations and ensure you know the symptoms of COVID-19. The following currently apply:

• Wear a face covering (unless you are exempt) wherever required – see our face covering policy below.
• Follow social distancing guidelines.
• Carry ID on campus and present it to a member of staff if asked - see below for more information.
• Follow all directional and entry/exit systems, arriving at and leaving buildings or classes promptly, and adhering to maximum room capacities, 
• Remember to book in advance to meet support services on campus or use facilities where this is required. 

There is specific health and safety guidance for some locations on campus, such as the Library and halls of residence.

You must also follow COVID-19 related guidance as follows:

• Self-isolate (stay at home) if you are required to, whether that is because you have symptoms, someone in your household has symptoms, you have been advised to by NHS Track & Trace, or asked to for other reasons
• Notify the University if you receive a positive test result for COVID-19 using our online positive test reporting form
• Ensure you understand your personal obligations to use the NHS Test & Trace responsibly, which includes making them aware of your connection with the University
• Keep your term-time address up to date on your RISIS record for contract tracing purposes
• Maintain good hand hygiene at all times.

Please note that our expectations of you are in addition to our normal student conduct regulations, which continue to apply.

In case of emergencies: We would not expect you to follow strict one-way systems in the event of an emergency, such as a fire or major incident. In emergencies, please evacuate safely and, when you reach safety, maintain social distancing as much as possible and wear a face covering if you have one with you.  

Lateral flow tests on campus

If you are using campus facilities, you are strongly encouraged to take two Lateral Flow Tests a week, three days apart. Testing helps to identify those who are not displaying symptoms of COVID-19 but are unknowingly carrying the virus, which will contribute to keeping the number of cases on campus as low as possible.

You can also take Lateral Flow tests at one of the many community LFD test sites, or alternatively free home test kits can be ordered online.

Book a Lateral Flow Test

Our commitment to you

• We will prepare and respond to any changes in the local or national situation quickly, providing advice and information by email for major updates, or on our Essentials website. 
• We will offer you support from our range of dedicated specialist support teams, as well as academic support. 
• We will provide health and safety measures appropriate to the circumstances, reviewing this regularly. 
• We will support you if you let us know you get a positive COVID-19 test, need to self-isolate, or would like support with your general wellbeing.
• We will do our best to ensure a secure campus and investigate reported incidents of misconduct and take appropriate disciplinary action.

Face coverings: our expectations

We support the government’s advice that face coverings play a very important role in mitigating the risk of transmitting COVID-19. There are three main elements to our policy, which apply to everyone (unless you are exempt from wearing a face covering):

• Face coverings must be worn in all areas on campus where they are legally required (for example, in shops, takeaway food outlets, on public transport and in places of worship).
•  You are expected to wear a face covering in all shared indoor spaces (or ‘common areas’), including classrooms, lecture theatres, the Library, study spaces and corridors.
• Face coverings are recommended to be worn at all times on campus, including outdoors where others are using the same space, to mitigate the risk of transmission when passing other people. Students living in our Halls of Residence do not need to wear a face covering inside their house or flat, however it is expected that they are worn in all communal indoor areas inside Halls.

Campus Security and ID

Our University Security team has a really important role in keeping our community safe, and during the current pandemic that includes making sure that everyone is abiding by COVID-19 regulations. This will sometimes involve having to identify if people on campus are part of our University community or not.

It is a requirement for students to show identification to a University staff member if asked. This can be any form of identification but carrying your campus card with you at all times means that you can quickly and easily show not just who you are but that you are a University of Reading student.

You can also collect a free ‘sunflower’ lanyard from the Support Centres, which you can choose to wear if you have a hidden disability, and in particular if it means you are exempt from wearing a face covering.

Respect and Tolerance

Please be courteous, respectful and patient towards all members of our community, including students, members of staff and neighbours, whether you are interacting in person, online using University systems, or on social media. Take steps to protect the health and safety of those around you, being mindful that their concerns and preferences may differ to your own.

We all make mistakes or get things wrong – you should feel able to raise this with people in a polite and supportive manner and, likewise, be understanding if someone alerts you to behaviour that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Importantly, remember that some people are not required to wear face coverings (for example, those with specific disabilities, which may be hidden) and these people should not feel they need to explain themselves to others.

Disciplinary procedures
Our health and safety measures are in place not just to protect you but all members of our community, including those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. It is essential that students and members of staff can safely study and work alongside one another.

The University’s disciplinary procedures provide for a range of disciplinary outcomes ranging from warnings to fines for students, starting at £200 for those who do not adhere to these rules. In serious cases (such as organising a party) or where there is repeated breach of the rules, fines can be increased, and you could be expelled from Halls and/or the University. If you break the rules you can be fined by the police.

Contact us

• Let us know if you have any health conditions that may require additional arrangements, by contacting the Disability Advisory Service (DAS)
• Speak to a member of staff (for example, your Module Convenor, SDTL or Support Centre) if you do not feel the arrangements in place are suitable to protect your health. If you would like to report more formal concerns about behaviour, please email covid-support@reading.ac.uk.
• If you have any concerns about your own wellbeing, or that of someone else you know, please contact our dedicated team at covid-support@reading.ac.uk for advice.
• Report any safety incidents to us using our online form.