Tuesday 10-11-2020 - 09:45

Now we're in another lockdown, the SU's services have altered to reflect the most recent guidance. We're continuing to support students and bring you together, but we'll mostly be doing this online.

Dunelm House study space is still open

If you want a break from the four walls of your room, study space is still open across Durham University, including in Dunelm House. Situated right in the centre of Durham, the thirty study spaces are available on a first come first served basis.

The room is open 09:00 until 17:00 Monday to Friday.

Find out more about the study space here.

When might I use the building?

• To access the lecture theatre
• To use the study space

There won’t be anyone working at the reception desk, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to hear from you! Have a look below for the various ways you can reach us.

How are you keeping the building safe?

The building will be open in line with Durham University’s approach to opening campus.

This means you should:

• Follow the one-way system
• Keep two metres apart
• Wear a face covering, unless you have an exemption
• Check narrow corridors for other visitors before entering
• Check a room’s capacity (visible on posters outside the room) before entering

The building is also on an enhanced cleaning regime and will have plenty of hand sanitiser stations for you to keep your hands clean.

How do I do track and trace?

You can use the NHS Covid-19 app in Dunelm House, where there are QR codes available for you to scan.

Riverside and Kingsgate Bar and Cafés are now closed, though Riverside is open as study space.

The Advice Service is here for you

The Advice Service is fully online and is here for all your Covid-19 enquiries or any other concerns, from housing to academic issues.

You can contact the Advice Service via one of the following methods, browse the online resources available here, or go straight to Covid-19 guidance here.

Email: dsu.advice2@durham.ac.uk

Online form: click here

If your enquiry would be best helped through an appointment with an adviser, you’ll be offered a call over the phone or via Skype.

Your student groups are holding activities online

We understand that your student group communities are more important than ever, and we’re so proud of the ways they have already adapted to a challenging situation.

Many of the SU’s student groups are continuing to offer events and activities online. Try following your favourite groups on social media, or check you’re signed up to their mailing lists to stay in the loop.

Unfortunately, for the time being student groups won’t be able to hold events in person. This is due to the lockdown restrictions. We will, of course, adapt our advice for groups as soon as anything changes. You can read more about the guidelines for groups here.

If you have an enquiry regarding your student group, please contact dsu.engagement@durham.ac.uk as usual.

How can you find out more about different groups?

You can join a new student group at any time in the year. Look out for them on social media or search all our groups here.

Your Student Officers are standing up for your rights

Your five Student Officers are all contactable via email or their Officer social media accounts.

They’re working hard in University meetings and committees, and lobbying in the community to make sure that the changes to your education and wider student experience are made with students’ interests at the centre. These changes often happen quickly, the University decision-making discussions are happening thick and fast – so the Officers may struggle to respond to your emails straight away.

But your stories, problems and experiences are the examples and narratives that they use to lobby for your rights so please don’t stop reaching out – if you need a response, please also contact a staff member or the Advice Service, depending on your query.

You can read more about the key areas they are focussing on during lockdown here.

Keeping in touch

Though we’re not available in person, staff are happy to help you digitally. You can find our email addresses on the meet the team page here. Please do not try to contact staff via their phone numbers, as these are not currently available.

Similarly, the reception email address (dsu.reception@durham.ac.uk) is available for general enquiries, but not the phone number.

You can also contact Durham SU’s social media accounts as usual.

Please note: with many staff members working different hours, some teams working at a reduced capacity, and some staff members receiving an increased number of Covid-19 related enquiries, it may take a little longer than usual for us to respond. Please be assured that we are still here for you and will get back to you as soon as possible.

Printing and binding

Unfortunately, we are unable to currently offer a printing and binding service.

 

Information accurate on 10/11/20 and may change at short notice due to government guidance.