Our approach in term one will be online first. Our priority is for all members of our community to be able to make the most of their time at UCL - regardless of how they experience it. From the start of term, there will be hundreds of different ways to take part in UCL life, online.
However, we know how essential on-campus and in-person activity is for our student communities, so we’ve developed guidance to enable clubs and societies to plan for the year ahead safely. The guidance is designed to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission, in order to keep our student communities safe.
What sort of club and society activity will take place on campus?
- For societies, only ‘core’ activity, considered educational, will be able to take place on campus.
- For sports clubs, only ‘core’ sporting activity, in-line with current government and national governing body guidance, will be able to take place in person.
Core activity is the reason the club or society exists and is defined in the constitution of each group. For example, core activity for the Argentine Tango Society is to provide Tango lessons. Core activity for the Sign Language Society is to provide sign language lessons. You get the idea. The club or society must be approved to deliver on-campus activity before they can do so, and we have a regularly updated list of the approved groups here.
All other club and society activity must take place online, that includes things like socials.
Clubs and societies are hard at work planning online and on-campus activity for the start of term and there’ll be huge range of things to try.
How do the new rules set out by Government affect our plans?
Since the Government announcement introducing the ‘Rule of Six’, (new laws prohibiting social gatherings of more than six people indoors or outdoors) we’ve been working with UCL to review our planned in-person club and society activity. The new ‘Rule of Six’ will not have a substantial impact to on campus, in-person activity delivered by our student groups.
The guidance issued by Government outlines clear exceptions to the new rules for educational and sporting activity. As long as the activity is risk assessed, the club or society have been approved by us for in-person activity, and the activity is managed safely, groups of more than six people will be able to take part.
Our societies provide an important educational experience to students at UCL, either alongside an academic discipline or as something completely different. Core-society activity, considered educational and deliver on-campus, will be unaffected by the new rules if carried out in designated Covid-secure spaces and in-line with our guidelines.
Off-campus society activity will be affected by the new ‘Rule of Six’ and will be limited to six people. Approval of off-campus society activity will be approved on a case-by-case basis and require an additional risk assessment. Sports club activity may take place off campus providing the venue is Covid-secure, follows the guidance in the national governing body return to play plan and has been approved by us to return.
Clubs and Societies play an essential role in the educational experience of students at UCL and we’re confident that our approach is the right one. We will continue to support our groups to deliver a variety of exciting in-person activities on campus safely.