Update from Provost Linda Doyle to staff

27 August 2021

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you are well. I would like to update you about our return to campus.  

As you may already know, Trinity, as part of the higher education sector signed a pact with Government about the safe return to campus. The spirit of that pact asks us to do as much as we can to give in-person campus experiences, while keeping students and staff safe. The pact also recognises that no 'one size fits all' and that each institution should carry out their own risk assessment as to how best we proceed. The document linked in this mail is based on inputs from the Covid-19 Management Group, the Continuity of Learning and Student Awareness Working Group, our Public Health experts, Deans, Heads of Schools, School Managers, Student’s Union, Graduate Student’s Union, Central Societies Committee and more.  The Trinity Living with Covid Oversight Group approved the document.

I would ask you to read it with a few things in mind. The document attempts to balance openness of the university and the safety of our students and staff. It is a document that is widely supported by our public health and safety experts. It is not a detailed implementation plan, yet it outlines our direction, and we will follow up with more communication and organise information sessions over the coming weeks. View document here.

In short, the document outlines a two-phased approach to our return, namely a more cautious approach based on social distancing in all teaching spaces, Library & study spaces up to Reading Week with the potential for relaxing regulations from November 1st onwards. Our campus will be open to staff and students and we will see the beginning of return to normal life on campus. 

There are no easy answers to dealing with this pandemic. Our staff and students have managed and coped admirably in the face of this adversity. I am hopeful we are on the home stretch, albeit like many sectors of society it is difficult to say this with conviction. I recognise that the two-phased approach in the document which sees a cautious start might not be all our students hoped for, and of course this is completely understandable. If we take the semester as a whole, it will offer us much more campus life and bring us together to begin the journey of getting back to a better place.

Thank you for everything you all continue to do.

Regards,

Linda Doyle 

Provost

 

A chomhghleacaithe, a chairde,

Tá súil agam go bhfuil sibh go maith. Ba mhaith liom an t-eolas is déanaí a thabhairt daoibh maidir le filleadh ar an gcampas. 

Mar is eol daoibh cheana féin b’fhéidir, shínigh Coláiste na Tríonóide, mar chuid den earnáil ardoideachais, comhaontú leis an Rialtas maidir le filleadh go sábháilte ar an gcampas. Iarrann spiorad an chomhaontaithe sin orainn an oiread agus is féidir linn a dhéanamh chun eispéiris i bpearsa a thabhairt ar an gcampas, agus mic léinn agus baill foirne á gcoinneáil slán sábháilte. Aithnítear sa chomhaontú freisin nach n-oireann an toise céanna do gach duine agus gur cheart do gach institiúid a measúnú riosca féin a dhéanamh maidir leis an mbealach is fearr le leanúint ar aghaidh. Tá an cháipéis atá nasctha leis an ríomhphost seo bunaithe ar ionchur ón nGrúpa Bainistíochta Covid-19, an Grúpa Oibre um Leanúnachas Foghlama agus um Fheasacht Mac Léinn, ár saineolaithe Sláinte Poiblí, Déin, Cinn Scoileanna, Bainisteoirí Scoile, Aontas na Mac Léinn, Aontas na nIarchéimithe, Lárchoiste na gCumann agus a thuilleadh. D’fhaomh coiste Choláiste na Tríonóide um Maireachtáil le Covid an cháipéis.

Iarraim oraibh í a léamh le roinnt nithe i gcuimhne. Déantar iarracht sa cháipéis cothromaíocht a bhaint amach idir oscailteacht na hollscoile agus sábháilteacht ár mac léinn agus ár mball foirne. Is cáipéis í a dtugann ár saineolaithe sláinte poiblí agus sábháilteachta tacaíocht fhorleathan di. Ní plean feidhmiúcháin mionsonraithe atá ann, ach leagann sé amach ár dtreo, agus leanfaimid le tuilleadh cumarsáide agus le seisiúin eolais a eagrú sna seachtainí romhainn. Féach ar an gcáipéis anseo.

Go hachomair, leagtar amach cur chuige dhá chéim sa cháipéis maidir le filleadh ar an gcampas, is é sin, cur chuige níos cúramaí bunaithe ar scaradh sóisialta a bheith i bhfeidhm i ngach spás teagaisc, sa Leabharlann agus i spásanna staidéir go dtí an tSeachtain Léitheoireachta leis an bhféidearthacht go maolófaí rialacháin ón 1 Samhain ar aghaidh. Beidh ár gcampas oscailte do bhaill foirne agus do mhic léinn agus cuirfear tús le filleadh ar an ngnáthshaol ar an gcampas.

Níl aon fhreagraí éasca ann chun déileáil leis an bpaindéim seo. D’éirigh go hiontach lenár bhfoireann agus lenár mic léinn in ainneoin na ndeacrachtaí seo. Tá mé dóchasach go bhfuilimid ag druidim le ceann scríbe cé go bhfuil sé deacair é sin a rá go cinnte cosúil le go leor earnálacha den tsochaí. Aithním go mb’fhéidir nach ionann an cur chuige dhá chéim a mbaineann tús cúramach leis atá luaite sa cháipéis agus an méid a raibh súil ag ár mic léinn leis, agus ar ndóigh tuigtear go maith é sin. Má fhéachtar ar an seimeastar ina iomláine, ofrálann sé i bhfad níos mó de shaol an champais dúinn agus tabharfaidh sé le chéile sinn chun tús a chur leis an aistear filleadh ar áit níos fearr.

Go raibh maith agaibh as gach ní atá á dhéanamh agaibh i gcónaí.

Le dea-ghuí,

Linda Doyle 

Propast