Tara Murray
Victoria University will have a staged return to on-campus classes and activities across all its campuses including St Albans and Sunshine.
The university this week confirmed it had chosen a safety first approach for both staff and students.
Classes which require students to be on campus started this week, while many other classes will still be held online to start the semester.
VU Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Shoemaker said VU would progressively and carefully increase its on-campus classes and activities over the coming weeks.
“Our aim is to maximise personal and academic support for all of our students while maintaining optimal COVID safety for both students and staff,” he said.
“We have already run successful, COVID-safe classes for hundreds of higher education students over summer that included practical, on-campus activities.”
Approximately 5000 trades and vocational students returned to the class on Monday at Victoria University Polytechnic to begin their practical training and assessments on nine campuses.
More than 800 apprentices, hair and beauty, and clinical health students have already started attending essential practical learning and assessments.
All essential laboratory and clinical health classes will be face-to-face when the VU Block Model classes begin on February 21. Other classes (non-essential laboratory and clinical health) will be held on-line in real time.
Between February and April, the proportion of on-campus courses at VU and VU Polytechnic will increase steadily.
The university is expecting most classes to be held in person and on campus by April 26.
VU’s 2022 orientation and other student-focused activities which begin this week and will be both in person or online across seven campuses including Sunshine and St Albans until February 18.
Professor Shoemaker said if the situation worsens in Victoria the university has the ability to pivot.
“We understand nothing beats being on campus, and that students and staff are eager to return to campus,” he said.
“We can’t wait to have them back, but we need to ensure we open safely and carefully, and with minimal risk for future disruption.”
Professor Shoemaker said the university had contacted Western Health offering to host pop-up vaccination sites for third COVID-19 booster shots for students, staff and the wider community.
The university will also hold graduation ceremonies for those who graduated the last two years.
