COVID-19 student communication

Following the  announcement from Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this morning, we are pleased to advise that the  celebration events planned for Monday 12 April - Thursday 15 April 2021 are scheduled to go ahead.

The safety of our students, staff, guests and community remains our priority and we are closely following the advice and requirements of the Queensland Government.

As per Queensland Government's advice, all attendees will be required to wear a mask inside the venue as well as outside the venue where physical distancing is not possible.

You will be able to remove your mask just prior to crossing the stage for your individual stage photographs, but your mask must be placed back on as you leave the stage.

We will provide a further update to you regarding the details of your event via email next week.

Should there be any changes to the Government's advice or restrictions in the meantime, you will receive an email to your UMail in the first instance.

Please continue to look after yourself and your loved ones.

Should you have any questions regarding your celebration, please reach out to our Graduations Team on + 61 7 4631 1647 or + 61 7 4631 1741 or via graduations@usq.edu.au.

Regards

Professor Josh Pienaar
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students)

Following the announcement from Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk this morning, a three-day lockdown will apply to the Greater Brisbane area from 5.00pm today.

Any impacted students must follow the Government advice. For example, student residents in the Greater Brisbane area cannot travel to the USQ Toowoomba campus.

On-campus activities at USQ Springfield and USQ Ipswich Monday 29 March 2021

Scheduled on-campus learning activities at our Ipswich and Springfield campuses will be transitioned to online as of 3.00pm today, Monday 29 March 2021.

All classes scheduled to conclude by 3.00pm today will proceed, unless otherwise communicated through your StudyDesk. Other learning activities scheduled to conclude after 3.00pm will be transitioned to online today, where practical, or rescheduled.

Course-specific information will be communicated through StudyDesk by the teaching staff for your individual courses.

Students should also follow any additional advice received from their placement provider, including students currently on placement.

Arrangements for the rest of this week

If you live in or visited the Local Government areas of Brisbane, Logan, Moreton, Redlands and Ipswich including Springfield, you are required to stay home over the three-day lockdown, in accordance with Queensland Government advice.

For the balance of this week, Ipswich and Springfield staff and students will be working and learning from home.

Students with scheduled practical laboratories, Residential Schools, placements, or other mandatory on-campus learning activities, will receive specific information about changes to planned activities from their course teaching staff through StudyDesk.

Inter-campus shuttle bus

The inter-campus shuttle buses will continue to operate today, Monday 29 March.

If you have travelled on the campus shuttle bus this morning, you are encouraged to return to your point of origin using the earliest bus. See the inter-campus shuttle bus timetable for more information.

The inter-campus shuttle buses will not be operating from Tuesday 30 March – Thursday 1 April 2021, inclusive.

Getting Tested

If you have any symptoms at all, get tested immediately and quarantine at home until you receive a negative result. You can find your nearest testing facility on the interactive map available on the Queensland Health website.

Support for you

If you have questions or need advice, the iconnect team is here to support you via Zoom and chat, or you can join the supportive USQ iconnect Facebook group.

The Health and Wellness Team are also available to support you at this time with a range of resources.

Research students are encouraged to contact the Graduate Research School  team at grs@usq.edu.au.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we will be providing regular updates via email, and Studying during COVID-19 website, to keep you informed of the University's response to the Queensland Health advice.

Please stay safe and look after yourself and your loved ones.

Regards

Professor Josh Pienaar
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students)

We look forward to welcoming you to Semester 1 2021.

For those of you studying on campus, preparations are underway for on-campus learning activities. Our online offerings continue as usual.

With restrictions lifted last week, Greater Brisbane will again align with the rest of Queensland and COVID safe measures will be consistent across all University of Southern Queensland campuses. This will greatly assist our goal of providing a high-quality on-campus experience.

Studying in Semester 1 2021

• As on-campus learning activities continue to be finalised, it is important to regularly consult your timetable within your Student Centre for confirmation of the delivery mode and location of your learning activities. How your course is delivered is based on your individual discipline and this information is reflected in your timetable and StudyDesk.
• If you have an on-campus activity scheduled, this will be on campus. On-campus activities may take various forms including practical classes, workshops, residential schools, tutorials and studios. They may be compulsory or optional. In some cases, you may be able to choose to undertake a particular learning activity on campus or online. Consult your course StudyDesk site for details.
• International students who are in Australia must meet visa requirements regarding attendance of on-campus classes.

Staying safe on campus

The University of Southern Queensland is committed to providing a safe environment for learning. Physical distancing should be observed to the extent possible.

Queensland Health strongly encourages everyone to wash their hands regularly and always carry a face mask to provide added protection if you are in a situation where you cannot maintain physical distancing. If you feel more comfortable wearing a face mask, you are of course welcome to do so.

It is not mandatory for staff and students to wear a mask when travelling on the inter-campus shuttle. However, we strongly encourage wearing a face mask, especially when entering, exiting, or moving through areas where people are gathered.

Please remember if you have any symptoms at all, get tested and immediately isolate until a negative result is received.

Support Services

You can find answers to your questions online, any time, through Ask USQ FAQs, live chat, or connect with the iconnect team, your first point of contact when you need information, 7 days a week. You can also join the supportive USQ iconnect Facebook group.

Semester 1 starts on February 22 and enrolment is open now. If you would like to discuss your options, contact us now.

Stay safe and we look forward to welcoming you to a new year of learning in 2021.

Regards

Professor Josh Pienaar
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students)

Welcome to the University of Southern Queensland in 2021. Continuing to make your education a priority in these uncertain times isn't easy, and I congratulate you for choosing to do so this year. 

I know that this year may not run to plan, however I want to share with you the principles that will help us all to navigate whatever this year has in store, and ensure that your year of study is a successful one.

Our commitment to you

The University of Southern Queensland is committed to providing a safe environment for learning and to support this we have developed the following principles: 

1. The University's priority continues to be the health and safety of our students and staff.  
2. The University will maintain COVID-safe Campus Plans. Key elements of the Plans include: 

• All members of the USQ community sharing responsibility for the safe use of University facilities, including abiding by social distancing protocols, maximum room limits, maintaining personal hygiene practices, wearing masks where and when requested, and supporting cleaning protocols as appropriate.
• Encouraging students and staff to download the COVID-Safe app and SafeZone app, which can be used to check in and out when attending classes on campus.
• Making reasonable adjustments for vulnerable students to continue with their studies.

What can I expect this year?

Your learning experiences in 2021 have been designed to include opportunities for student-teacher, student-student and student-industry interaction and collaboration, regardless of whether you are studying online or on-campus. You can find the latest information on our Studying during COVID webpage.

Lectures

All lectures will continue to be delivered online, recorded and available on StudyDesk, your online learning platform. There will not be any on-campus or face-to-face lectures in 2021.

When do I need to be on-campus?
You will be required to attend on-campus activities where they are necessary to successfully complete your course. These may include practical classes, residential schools, labs or studios. In addition, some courses will provide optional and additional on-campus learning activities to give you opportunities to engage with course content, teaching staff, and your student colleagues.

Exams

Exams will be conducted online. in 2021. Practical, professional and performance-related assessment may be held on-campus. Oral assessment may be conducted face-to-face or online. 

All online assessment conducted during the formal examination period will be timetabled. 

Placements

Placements will continue to be managed with our placement providers and considering your safety as our first priority. If you are, or likely to be impacted by any changes, we will advise you as necessary and encourage you to regularly check your emails for advice.

Support Services

You can find answers to your questions online, any time, through Ask USQ FAQs, live chat, or connect with the iconnect team, your first point of contact when you need information, 7 days a week. You can also join the supportive USQ iconnect Facebook group.

Semester 1 starts on February 22 and enrolment is open now. If you would like to discuss your options, contact us now or make an appointment.

Stay safe and we look forward to welcoming you to a new year of learning in 2021.

Regards

Professor Josh Pienaar
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students) 

The Queensland Government has today announced the easing of COVID-19 restrictions for residents living in the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands areas from 6.00pm Monday 11 January 2021. As a result, USQ Springfield and USQ Ipswich will reopen tomorrow Tuesday 12 January 2021.

Face mask requirements

In an effort to minimise the risk of community transmission of COVID-19, the Queensland Government has mandated the use of face masks in indoor areas. In line with the latest restrictions, when visiting either USQ Springfield or Ipswich, you will be required to wear a face mask.

In addition to the reopening of campuses, the USQ Shuttle Bus will resume services on Tuesday 12 January, however all passengers will be required to wear face masks while on the bus.

For more information and advice on the use of face masks, along with detailed information on the current restrictions in place, please see the Queensland Government's recent COVID-19 update.

While this is great news for Queensland, we remind all students that if you have any symptoms, you are required to get tested immediately and quarantine at home until you receive a negative result. You can find your nearest testing facility on the interactive map available on the Queensland Health website. 

Support for you

We will continue to provide updates to the University's response via our Studying during COVID-19 website. If you have questions or need advice, the iconnect team is here to support you via Zoom and chat. This is also a great time to join the USQ iconnect Facebook group to keep up to date.

The Health and Wellness Team are also available to support you at this time with a range of resources.

Research students are encouraged to contact the  Graduate Research School at grs@usq.edu.au with any questions.

We thank you for your continued efforts to keep the USQ community safe throughout this period.

Regards

Belinda Reimers
Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students)

The Queensland Government has announced today that residents living in the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands areas will be required to stay home from Friday 8 January 6.00pm until Monday 11 January 6.00pm.

This is to minimise the risk of community transmission of the UK strain of COVID-19.

As a result of this advice, the University's Springfield and Ipswich campuses will be closed from today, Friday 8 January 4.00pm, and will re-open on Tuesday 12 January, unless otherwise advised by Queensland Health.

Please note that the inter-campus shuttle buses will not be operating on Monday.

Any impacted students must follow the Government advice. For example, student residents in the Greater Brisbane area cannot travel to the USQ Toowoomba campus.

Students with scheduled Residential Schools, placements, or other on-campus learning activities commencing next week, will receive specific information today about any changes to planned activities. Students should also follow any additional advice received from their placement provider, including students currently on placement.

If you have any symptoms at all, get tested immediately and quarantine at home until you receive a negative result. You can find your nearest testing facility on the interactive map available on the Queensland Health website.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we will be providing regular updates via email, and Studying during COVID-19 website, to keep you informed of the University's response to the Queensland Health advice.

Support for you

If you have questions or need advice, the iconnect team is here to support you via Zoom and chat, or you can join the supportive USQ iconnect Facebook group.

The Health and Wellness Team are also available to support you at this time with a range of resources.

Research students are encouraged to contact the Graduate Research School team at grs@usq.edu.au.

Please stay safe and look after yourself and your loved ones.

Regards

Belinda Reimers
Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students)