Community safety promises as students return to Aberystwyth

From left to right: Professor Elizabeth Treasure, Vice-Chancellor, Aberystwyth University; Morgan Lewis, President of UMCA; Charlie Kingsbury, Mayor of Aberystwyth; Nate Pidcock, President of Aberystwyth Students Union; and Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn, Leader of Ceredigion County Council

Aberystwyth University has launched five ‘community promises’ as part of its plans to ensure the safety of students, staff and the wider community as it prepares to welcome students back later this month.

The 'community promises' outline five pledges for students, staff and the wider town community. The five points are:

1. Maintain good hygiene – wash hands regularly
2. Keep our distance – follow guidelines
3. Know who we are with – test and trace saves lives
4. Protect those around us - wear a face covering where advised
5. Respect each other - be kind

The pledges come on top of the comprehensive safety measures the University has already introduced.

These include introducing one-way systems, classroom layout changes and signage, along with enhanced cleaning and hygiene arrangements, including providing hand sanitizer stations and regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.

It has also restructured its teaching timetable to support social distancing, is introducing contact tracing in co-operation with the local council and health board, and expects all staff, students and visitors to wear a face-covering while indoors on all University sites.

Aberystwyth University’s Vice-Chancellor, Elizabeth Treasure, said:

“As we bring teaching on-campus later this month, our priority is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our students, staff and the wider community. The University has been working very hard over many months to adapt our campus and activities in light of the global pandemic. These comprehensive measures include enhancing cleaning, ensuring social distancing, contract tracing, and expecting all staff, students and visitors to wear a face-covering while indoors on all University sites. These adaptations have been introduced as a result of an extensive programme of risk assessments in order to identify and mitigate risks.

“All these detailed arrangements have been developed in close collaboration with Students’ Union representatives, as well as in discussions with Ceredigion Council, Hywel Dda Health Board, the Welsh Government and UK wide stakeholders. From the outset of the current pandemic, safety has been at the forefront of our thinking and will continue to be so for the new academic year.”

The new commitments have been backed by the Leader of Ceredigion Council, Students’ Union representatives, and the Mayor of Aberystwyth. 

Ellen ap Gwynn, the Leader of Ceredigion County Council, said:

“Ceredigion County Council has been working closely with Aberystwyth University over the last few months in ensuring that arrangements are in place to welcome students back safely to the County. We support the range of safety measures that Aberystwyth University has put in place, as well as the ‘community promises’ so that the students can return and once again become part of the community in Aberystwyth. We will continue to work closely with Aberystwyth University over the coming months to ensure the safety of the students and the local community.”

Aberystwyth Mayor Cllr Charlie Kingsbury added:

“I’m very grateful for the hard work the University has undertaken to ensure that students return safely to Aberystwyth. Sensible measures, which are cognisant of the risk are essential as we welcome students back, and I have every confidence in the University’s commitment to support the health of the community in Aberystwyth.”

President of Aberystwyth Students’ Union Nate Pidcock commented:

"These commitments are an important part of a package of adaptations which are being made in light of the pandemic. With students gradually returning to campus, these changes are going to be relatively new to everyone. We are going to do our very best, alongside other partners, to ensure that students are aware of this new normal. We are going to do all we can to work together to protect all the people and communities of Aberystwyth and Ceredigion as a whole.”

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the University has been working with a wide variety of local and national partners to keep infection rates low in the Ceredigion, including providing facilities to the local health board and producing and supplying PPE. The University has also planned for a more gradual return of students this month, including making special provision for students who may need to self-isolate on arrival.

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