We will now be sending a daily email update to staff and students. This will provide new information and guidance each day so when we have answers we can get them to you all as soon as possible. 

• Access the daily update for 26 March 2020
• Access the daily update for 25 March 2020
• Access the daily update for 24 March 2020
• Access the daily update for 23 March 2020
• Access the daily update for 20 March 2020
• Access the daily update for 19 March 2020
• Access the daily update for 18 March 2020
• Access the daily update for 17 March 2020

Messages to the Imperial staff community about COVID-19 from the College’s President and Provost:

• 26 March 2020: COVID-19 update to colleagues
• 16 March 2020: COVID-19 Update to all staff and students
• 15 March 2020: COVID-19 Update to staff and students
• 13 March 2020: COVID-19 update to colleagues (2)
• 13 March 2020: COVID-19 update to colleagues
• 10 March 2020: COVID-19 update to colleagues
• 6 March 2020: COVID-19 update
• 4 March 2020: Coronavirus update
• 27 February 2020: Coronavirus update

Messages to the Imperial student community about COVID-19 from the College’s President and Provost:

• 24 March 2020: Message from the Provost - COVID-19
• 16 March 2020: COVID-19 Update to all staff and students
• 15 March 2020: COVID-19 Update to staff and students
• 13 March 2020: COVID-19 update to students
• 10 March 2020: COVID-19 update to students

Messages to Faculty of Medicine students

• 25 March 2020: Update to PGT students
• 25 March 2020: Update on ICSM-V to MBBS years 3,4 & 5
• 24 March 2020: Update to PGR students
• 20 March 2020: Update to MBBS students on ICSM-V
• 16 March 2020: Update to MBBS Year 6
• 16 March 2020: Advice to UG students away from London
• 14 March 2020: Update to BMB students
• 14 March 2020: Update to MBBS students
• 13 March 2020: Update to MBBS Year 6 regarding electives

View the message sent to all alumni on 18 March 2020

Official advice and information on COVID-19 can be found at:

• NHS Covid-19 website 
• Public Health England 
• Travel advice from Foreign & Commonwealth Office
  

The government has issued new guidance on social distancing and on protecting older and vulnerable people:

• Everyone is advised to avoid non-essential contact with others and unnecessary travel
• Everyone should start working from home where they possibly can 
• Anyone who lives with someone who has a cough or a temperature should stay at home for 14 days
• People should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues

Public Health England advises the best way to protect yourself and the wider community is to take social distancing measures.

The WHO’s standard recommendations for the general public to reduce exposure to and transmission of a range of illnesses are as follows, which include hand and respiratory hygiene, and safe food practices:

• Frequently clean hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water;
• When coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – throw tissue away immediately and wash hands;
• Avoid close contact with anyone who has fever and cough;
• If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early and share previous travel history with your health care provider;
• The consumption of raw or undercooked animal products should be avoided. Raw meat, milk or animal organs should be handled with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.

For additional guidance on the best way to wash your hands, you can access a WHO poster [pdf] and/or an NHS video. 

Cleanliness on campus

We have ordered hand sanitiser, which will be distributed to reception areas, catering outlets, and student halls.

We are distributing hand washing posters to toilets and student halls.

Our cleaning contractor, Noonan, has provided extra briefings for their staff with advice on particular areas to focus on.

We are also increasing our cleaning of common spaces, classrooms and gathering areas.

If you are concerned about the cleanliness of a particular facility, please call the Customer Services Centre on 020 759 48000.

Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service

Confidential Care for staff

All staff can access free and confidential help from Confidential Care, our Employee Assistance Provider, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Any members of your family living with you can also access this support. To help Confidential Care provide the best support and avoid possible delays in answering calls, in the current circumstances, we encourage you to email Confidential Care with requests.

Chaplaincy Multi-faith Centre

The Chaplaincy Multi-faith Centre will be hosting meditation sessions via Zoom every Tuesday lunchtime for both staff and students. To join the Zoom meetings, please sign up to the Chaplaincy’s mailing list(s) using your Imperial email address:

• Christian meditation
• Mindfulness meditation
• Buddhist meditation

The Chaplaincy will also hold one-to-one support sessions for staff and students. Please email the Chaplaincy team to arrange a session.

Mental Health First Aiders

Imperial staff and students can still get in touch with our Mental Health First Aiders to chat through issues concerning them - coronavirus related or otherwise. MHFAiders are trained to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis, and to signpost to other sources of help where needed.

Talking helps

It is important to speak to someone you trust about your concerns, whether that is a family member, friend, or your colleagues. Please do reach out and support each other.

Be in touch with other people regularly on social media, e-mail or on the phone, as they are still good ways of being close to the people who matter to you.

Additional tools and resources

• Take the 31-day meditation challenge run by Inner Space.
• Every Mind Matters can help you with a free plan, expert advice and practical tips.
• Headspace are offering some meditation for you to listen to for free, anytime.
• Mind have some useful guidance on how to cope with worries about coronavirus.
• Shout is a a national 24/7 crisis textline service run by Mental Health Innovations (of which Imperial's Institute of Global Health Innovation is a partner)

Anyone can use the NHS 111 online helpline for medical advice – you do not need to be registered with a GP to call.

Registering with a GP

In general it’s important to register with a GP so that you can access NHS healthcare.

If you are a student please visit the Student Support Zone page for guidance on registering with a GP.

If you are a member of staff please visit the staff pages for guidance on registering with a GP.

First aiders

Access guidance for First Aiders at Imperial [pdf]

Concerns on campus

We understand that this is a worrying time but please be mindful of how your actions may be perceived. Imperial does not tolerate discrimination or harassment.

Anyone who has concerns should contact their personal tutor and senior tutor or equivalent, hall warden, supervisor or line manager.

Concerns about friends or family

If you have concerns about friends or family in connection with COVID-19, please contact your personal tutor and senior tutor or equivalent, supervisor or line manager for support.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough

Please do not be concerned about your work or studies if you need to self-isolate and follows the latest PHE guidance.

If an individual (staff or student) reports a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, please alert your Head of Department or equivalent team leader, and your Faculty Operating Officer if you are based in a Faculty.

Reassure them if needed that they will not be penalised in terms of pay (staff) or with regard to their studies (students). Check whether they have any specific concerns or vulnerability, and whether they need any support from the College, and suggest they monitor this webpage for the latest information and advice.

If the individual has been on a College campus in the last 72 hours:

• Ask them to specify the locations they visited and any people from College they had significant contact with ( >15 minutes at 2 metres). 
• Send this information to coronavirus-guidance@imperial.ac.uk and cc your Head of Department. The College team will then arrange cleaning where required. 
• Notify colleagues they’ve had contact with. An email template is below - please be mindful of confidentiality around medical information.

If it has been more than 72 hours since they visited a College campus and they have not had contact with any colleagues, you do not need to email us unless you or they have any specific concerns. 

For staff please ensure that any sickness or absence is recorded correctly as a COVID-19 absence. This is important to ensure that they do not have any issues with their pay or sick leave.

EMAIL TEMPLATE TO NOTIFY AFFECTED STAFF/STUDENTS OF A REPORTED CASE

**Please amend to suit specific circumstances**

Dear [INSERT NAME/NAME OF TEAM], 

A member of staff/student with whom you may have had contact with in recent days has notified me that they have symptoms/a confirmed case of COVID-19. Due to patient confidentiality I can’t share the identity of the individual concerned but they are getting all necessary support and I hope they will recover quickly.

My first priority is your health and wellbeing so please follow PHE advice and be alert for symptoms of COVID-19 (new, continuous cough or a high temperature) and be mindful of your interactions with older people or those with underlying health conditions. 

If you live alone and you develop symptoms of coronavirus illness (COVID-19), however mild, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started. If you live with others and you or one of them develops symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.

If you do not have these symptoms you do not need to self-isolate but please remember everyone is  advised to avoid non-essential contact with others and unnecessary travel as well as avoiding. pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues.

You should continue to work remotely (IF APPLICABLE) and if you do need to self isolate please let your line manager know and log it in TeamSeer as a COVID-19 related absence

Please refer to the College COVID-19 webpage and follow the latest guidance from College.

We know this is a difficult time. Please be mindful of how your actions may affect others and the importance of confidentiality and be cautious about sharing unconfirmed information.

Staff and students who are part of a vulnerable group identified by Public Health England should be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures. 

This group includes those who are:

• aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
• under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (ie anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):

• chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis

• chronic heart disease, such as heart failure

• chronic kidney disease

• chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis

• chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy

• diabetes

• problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed

• a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy

• being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)

• those who are pregnant

Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.

You should inform your line manager or tutor that you are not able to attend campus in person, and discuss options to work or study remotely. 

Please do not be concerned about your work if you need to self-isolate.

If you have tested positive or the case is NHS 111 confirmed please notify your head of department or equivalent team leader. They will ask you for some important information such as when you were last on a College campus and the specific location (eg building, floor, desk) and who you were in close contact with. 

If you need to self-isolate for 7 days because you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should notify your line manager and record this on Teamseer as a COVID-19 related absence. Please do this even if you will be working remotely. (Please be assured that the nature of your absence will remain private from colleagues in your TeamSeer teams). Further guidance for department administrators and end users of TeamSeer is available on HR's 'Absence and sickness in response to COVID-19' page.

If you need to self-isolate but feel well or only have minor symptoms which would not normally stop you from working, you should make arrangements with your line manager to work remotely if possible.

If you have symptoms and you are unable to work, this will be considered sick leave. This will be considered separately to other kinds of sick leave and will not count towards your sick pay entitlement.

Imperial will not be making pay deductions for sickness and absence relating to COVID-19. 

If you have been required to self-isolate

Please do not be concerned about your studies if you need to self-isolate.

Please notify the Senior Tutor in your department to explain your circumstances and discuss arrangements regarding your studies.

Please note, the following changes to teaching and assessment provision have been announced:

• We are now delivering all teaching remotely
• From Wednesday 18 March we will be delivering all formal written examinations remotely. This includes all formal written examinations in the Summer Term
• Where it is not possible to deliver exams remotely they will be rescheduled
• There are some exceptions in place for students on the MBBS programme. The Faculty of Medicine will contact you directly about these
• The College is delivering all student support services remotely.
• All our libraries are closed but library staff are operating remote online services.
  

If you do have to miss exams or assessments due to self-isolating, you will need to submit a claim for mitigating circumstances. Your Senior Tutor can help you with this.

If you live in halls, please also call the duty number (evenings and weekends) or reception (working hours) and let your warden team know so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 

Please notify the Senior Tutor in your department and let us know immediately by emailing coronavirus-guidance@imperial.ac.uk. Please only email if you have a confirmed case.

You will have received guidance on what to do if a student is required to self-isolate. If you have any questions please contact Student Services for support.

If you live in other shared accommodation and need to avoid contact with other people please follow the Public Health England guidance on what avoiding contact with other people means in practice.

The additional advice for shared accommodation includes:  

• stay in your room with the door closed, only using communal kitchens, bathrooms and living areas when necessary
• avoid using a shared kitchen while others are using it
• take your meals back to your room to eat
• use a dishwasher (if available) to clean and dry your used crockery and cutlery; if this is not possible, wash them by hand using detergent and warm water and dry them thoroughly, using a separate tea towel

The following changes to teaching and assessment provision have been announced:

• We are now delivering all teaching remotely
• From Wednesday 18 March we will be delivering all formal written examinations remotely. This includes all formal written examinations in the Summer Term
• Where it is not possible to deliver exams remotely they will be rescheduled
• There are some exceptions in place for students on the MBBS programme. The Faculty of Medicine will contact you directly about these
• Our library, computer clusters and student support services remain available next week 

Online assessments

Please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on online assessments.

If you need to self-isolate

Please do not be concerned about your studies if you need to self-isolate.

Please notify the Senior Tutor in your department to explain your circumstances and discuss arrangements regarding your studies.

If you have to miss exams or assessments due to self-isolating, you will need to submit a claim for mitigating circumstances. Your Senior Tutor can help you with this.

We understand that many of you will be feeling anxious. Please do reach out to colleagues, friends and family and support each other. The College’s student support services also remain available to all members of the community.

Can I go back to my home country and remain there for the duration of this year if I want to?

From Monday 16 March we will be delivering all teaching remotely and from Wednesday 18 March we will be delivering all formal written examinations remotely. This includes all formal written examinations in the summer term. For the examinations scheduled for Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 March, some of these are expected to take place as planned; whilst others will either move to remote assessment or be postponed or both.

Therefore you can return to your home country and complete all your teaching commitments and assessments (written exams from Wednesday 18 March) from there, and you do not have examinations taking place on Monday 16 and/or Tuesday 17 March as originally planned, but only provided your department is happy for you to do so. Arrangements for project work will need to be made at a departmental/course level. Please check with them before booking travel as each subject will have different requirements.

If you have already left London and have assessments which are still going ahead in-person, then you should submit mitigating circumstances to your department.

Visit the dedicated webpage on accessing ICT resources remotely.

For doctoral viva examinations, all requests for examiner or student attendance via video-conference technology should first be considered by the Director of Postgraduate Studies, prior to submission to the Assessment Records Team for processing. 

All requests referred to the Assessment Records Team should include ‘CORONAVIRUS’ in the subject line in order to ensure the email is prioritised.

Read the full Guidance regarding doctoral assessments and exams affected by coronavirus (PDF)

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact the team assessment.records@imperial.ac.uk for advice.

Graduate School guidance

Visit the Graduate School's guidance page for students affected by COVID-19, including information on professional skills courses, research computing skills, the Doctoral Student Coaching Programme, and how to access further support.

I am a student on industrial placement overseas - should I come home?

Please follow the advice of your employer/partner and keep your department informed.

I’m an overseas student on an industrial placement in the UK which is due to finish in the summer. What should I do? Can I go home?

Please follow the advice of your employer/partner and keep your department informed.

I was due to go on a field trip or other event off campus as part of my degree programme? Will this be going ahead? What will replace it?

All field trips are being considered with potential risks being taken into account. Where they are not going ahead departments are working out how to provide suitable alternative arrangements in order to meet the learning experience you would have been offered.

You should contact your department for further information, but please be patient whilst they give this careful consideration.

I am an undergraduate or postgraduate taught student

Where Imperial has confirmed that all teaching and assessments for this academic year will be done remotely, there is no requirement for you to be in the UK to continue with your studies next term. If you are on a Tier 4 visa and you are able to continue with your studies remotely there will be no impact on your visa status. For lab-based learning and projects as well as research degree level studies, we are assessing how these can be delivered remotely.  

I am a postgraduate research/PhD student

Imperial will maintain sponsorship of the visa for any student who is continuing to study remotely. It is essential that you have agreed a suitable study plan with your superviser and keep in regular contact with them in relation to your progress. You are not required to be in the UK if you are studying remotely.  

If you are unable to study for any reason, please contact your supervisor to discuss what you are able to do at this time. 

At the moment, if students who are sponsored under Tier 4 need to be absent for any reason that relates to Coronavirus, the College can continue sponsorship of your visa. 

You would be absent due to Coronavirus because:

• you or a relative, are unwell;
• you are removed from studies by your family or government;
• you are unable to travel to the UK;
• the College closes completely or partially.

Please note that this is a relatively early point in this exceptional situation and the Home Office may issue further guidance as the situation develops. You can view current guidance here and we will keep these pages updated. 

If you decide you want to defer your studies you can apply to take an interruption. This is a decision you would need to make in partnership with your academic department. The College would withdraw sponsorship of your Tier 4 visa and you would need to apply for a new one at such a time you are able to come back to the UK to resume your studies.

In line with current government advice with regard to COVID-19, the College will be delivering the majority of student support services remotely from Thursday 19 March until further notice.

College-managed halls of residence will remain open and we remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of our students.

All other services will remain operational throughout the remote working period, although some services will be adapted to accommodate remote delivery. The Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service will be undertaking a brief transition period to ensure that they can continue to deliver safe and clinically appropriate support to service users. Please view the Student Support Zone for the most up-to-date information on student support services.

The College will continue to provide supported accommodation in its owned and managed halls of residence. Students who are currently living in halls and want or need to stay in accommodation will be able to do so for the remainder of their contracts. 

However, in order to continue to deliver a safe, maintained and supported living environment, it is likely that we will ask some residents to move into alternative accommodation within their current hall of residence or at one of the other Imperial halls. 

The government are making plans to provide temporary accommodation to key workers, including NHS staff, near their places of work. Given our strong links with the NHS and our location near a number of hospital sites we anticipate being asked to support in this national effort by offering our available rooms to key workers and NHS staff. Relocating and consolidating our students to alternative rooms will allow us to maintain a supported student community, rather than having small numbers of students spread across multiple buildings.

We are asking you, therefore, to support us and the NHS during this national emergency by showing as much flexibility and understanding as possible if you are asked to relocate to an alternative room or hall. We will do everything we can to provide you with both practical and pastoral support during this period.

I would like to stay in my accommodation, is this possible?

Yes you can – if you wish to stay in your accommodation, you can do so and we will continue to support residents who remain in halls. It is possible that we may need to ask some residents to move into alternative accommodation within their current hall of residence or at one of the other Imperial halls. We will communicate with you directly if this becomes necessary and you will be supported through this process. Students who are asked to relocate to alternative accommodation will not be charged a higher rate if they move to a room that is normally more expensive.

I would like to leave my accommodation early, is this possible?

Given the circumstances, any student who applies to end their contract because of the COVID-19 situation will be allowed to do so.  If you do this, you will not be invoiced for term three and you will need to vacate your room by the 24 April.

If you have already vacated your room and will be unable to return to your hall to collect your remaining belongings, you will be provided with a number of options and we will work with students on an individual basis to make these arrangements in due course.

What should I do now?

1.       We are asking all students to submit this online form to confirm whether they would like to retain their accommodation after 24 April 2020.

All students should complete this form by Friday 27 March

• If you would like to end your contract early, even if you have already completed a Notice to Quit Form, you will still need to complete this additional online form.
• Any student who requests to end their contract at the end of term two on 24 April 2020 will not be sent an invoice and their room will be placed as vacant.  

2.       If you intend to stay in your accommodation over the Easter vacation or return for the summer term, we will fully support your return in line with any current government advice. However, dependent on staffing levels, it may be necessary to  ask you to move into a different area of your hall or even to a different hall so that we can maximise our ability to best support your wellbeing. This process may take some time – we appreciate your understanding and patience and we endeavour to do this as quickly as possible and will keep you informed.

Who do I need to inform if I’m leaving my halls?

If you are leaving College accommodation and do not intend to return, you will need to submit the online form, letting us know of your intentions. 

What will happen to my belongings?

Under normal circumstances, students are expected to pack and remove everything from their room before the end of their tenancy. If you have already vacated your room and will be unable to return to your hall to collect your remaining belongings, you will be provided with a number of options and we will work with students on an individual basis to make these arrangements in due course.

I am staying in halls, what do I do in an emergency?

Please continue to follow the local arrangements for accessing emergency support in your halls through the Warden’s Team. There will also be a security presence remaining on campus. You can contact them via the SafeZone app or through their emergency contacts. 

What services remain in halls?

Although certain services will be reduced in the coming weeks, our halls remain open to residents. In line with government guidance, Hall Supervisors and the Student Hub team will be working remotely from next week - they can still be contacted via telephone and email during their regular operating hours. Village Managers will also support you remotely and will make periodic visits to halls. Members of our Security team will also be on duty 24/7 on campus. A Duty Warden will be available at all times. 

• Cleaning: Bedroom cleaning will be suspended from next week with a focus on communal areas.
• Maintenance: You can report non-urgent defects in the same way via your hall supervisors or the defects form.
• Post: ​ Our ability to accept and distribute mail in some halls may be severely limited. Please check local notices in your hall.

Please note students in Wilson House have been communicated with separately and should check their own arrangements.

If you have specific queries please contact accommodation@imperial.ac.uk 

It is important that the College has full up-to-date contact details for you in event of circumstances such the current COVID-19 outbreak.

Please log in to My Imperial (My Personal Details) and check that all your address and telephone details are correct and complete, making any updates as necessary to your personal information.

Watch this video on how to access and use My Imperial.

We advise limiting travel to only that which is essential for work or family reasons. Please note the FCO now advises British nationals against all but essential international travel as any country or area may restrict travel without notice. 

Please check the FCO for the latest advice.

We advise limiting travel to only that which is essential for work or family reasons. Please note the FCO now advises British nationals against all but essential international travel as any country or area may restrict travel without notice. Please check the FCO for the latest advice.

The College is following FCO advice with regard to travel.

If you are due to travel on College business and you consider your trip to be essential, please seek approval from your Dean or Director and confirm the College travel insurance position. The College will not allow work or study related trips which are not covered by the College insurance policy.

The Staff travel insurance page of the Imperial website is being updated regularly.

If you are planning a trip with a group of staff or students please inform your Faculty Operating Officer or the Imperial College Union as appropriate – you may need to be prepared to make changes at short notice.

If you are considering making travel plans you should consider that the situation with COVID-19 is very fast moving. UK Government advice and College guidance could change at short notice. Please regularly check and follow the FCO guidance for your destination and plan ahead for any potential disruption to your travel. 

You should make sure you have appropriate travel insurance if you have concerns about coronavirus, contact your travel insurance provider to check what will be covered should you become sick or required by local authorities to self-isolate or quarantine while travelling 

You should check with your airline, tour operator, cruise line or other transport and accommodation providers for any coronavirus-related changes that might affect you.

We advise limiting travel to only that which is essential for work or family reasons. Please regularly check and follow the FCO guidance for your destination and plan ahead for any potential disruption to your travel. 

Please note the College has made some changes to teaching and assessment which may affect your travel decisions following the Easter Break.

These include:

• From Monday 16 March we will be delivering all teaching remotely.
• From Wednesday 18 March we will be delivering all formal written examinations remotely. This includes all formal written examinations in the Summer Term.
• Where it is not possible to deliver exams remotely they will be rescheduled.
• There are some exceptions in place for students on the MBBS programme. The Faculty of Medicine will contact you directly about these.

We appreciate this is a change to the previous advice. We are monitoring the situation closely and will update you with any further changes.

I'm an overseas student. If I go home for Easter should I aim to come back next term or stay at home and engage remotely?

If you are an undergraduate or taught postgraduate please engage remotely for next term unless instructed to do otherwise.

If I go home now and then want to come back but can’t come back what are the consequences?

If you are an undergraduate or taught postgraduate student then we aim to deliver as much as we can remotely for the rest of this academic year.

Non-EEA nationals currently in the UK who are unable to leave and have a visa expiring before 30 May

The Home Office has published guidance for non-EEA nationals currently in the UK who are unable to leave due to travel bans / lack of flights / self isolation and have a visa that is expiring before 30 May. 

• A visa will be extended to 31 May 2020 if an individual cannot leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to coronavirus (COVID-19). Individuals must contact the Coronavirus Immigration Team email to advise of their situation.
• The Coronavirus Immigration Team contact details are:
  - Email: CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk. Individuals should include the following in their email:
  Full name (include any middle names)
  DOB (dd/mm/yyyy)
  Nationality
  Existing visa details
  Reason that has required them to extend their stay (for example, the suspension of all flight to their place of permanent residence)
  The email must be in English.
  - Telephone: 0800 678 1767 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) Calls are free of charge.
• The Coronavirus Immigration Team will update relevant details on UKVI databases. Individuals will be advised that UKVI have noted their details; they will not be subject to enforcement action; and this period will not be held against them in future applications.
• This requirement to contact Coronavirus Immigration Team applies to individuals of any nationality whose leave expires between 24 January 2020 and 30 May 2020.

 Students with further questions about their visa should contact the International Student Support team for advice. Staff can find more information on the HR webpage.

Students unable to return to the UK from overseas 

If you are a student and you are not able to return due to being kept in areas affected by COVID-19 or due to the lack of flights back to the UK, you should be aware that the College has made some changes to teaching and assessment which mean you should be able to continue with your teaching and assessment remotely.

These include:

• From Monday 16 March we will be delivering all teaching remotely.
• From Wednesday 18 March we will be delivering all formal written examinations remotely. This includes all formal written examinations in the Summer Term.
• Where it is not possible to deliver exams remotely they will be rescheduled.
• There are some exceptions in place for students on the MBBS programme. The Faculty of Medicine will contact you directly about these.

Please speak to your Senior Tutor or equivalent roleholder with any questions or concerns.

If you haven't heard from your team about plans for working from home, please contact your line manager for guidance. While there are some teams that will need a physical presence on campus, such as security, our expectation is that the vast majority of staff will transition to working from home with immediate effect. This is a temporary adjustment to the College’s flexible working policy in light of the current exceptional circumstances.

Visit the dedicated webpage on accessing ICT resources remotely.

Imperial has made some temporary changes to its absence and sickness policy in response to the outbreak. 

All absences related to COVID-19 should be logged on Teamseer. There is now a COVID-19 category in Teamseer, which sub-categories for isolation, emergency leave and sickness due to Coronavirus. Please notify your line manager of any COVID-19 related absences.  (Please be assured that the nature of your absence will remain private from colleagues in your TeamSeer teams).

If you need to self-isolate but you feel well, don’t have symptoms, or only have minor symptoms which would not normally stop you from working, you should make arrangements with your line manager to work remotely if possible. Please make sure to log this on TeamSeer.

If you have symptoms and you are unable to work, this will be considered sick leave. This will be considered separately to other kinds of sick leave and will not count towards your sick pay entitlement. It is important that you use the COVID category in Teamseer to enable this to happen.

Imperial will not be making pay deductions for sickness and absence relating to COVID-19.  

• Log in to HR's Policy changes in response to COVID-19 page for additional guidance, including recruitment and new starters guidance, plus additional TeamSeer guidance for departments and end users.

How do I record my absence? 

Teamseer now has a separate ‘Coronavirus’ category and all related absences should be recorded within this category.  There will be sub-categories for isolation, emergency leave and sickness due to Coronavirus. 

You should seek approval for emergency leave or working from home from your department before logging this type of absence on Teamseer. 

The sickness subcategory will not be deducted from sickness entitlements or analysis of your sickness patterns.  The sickness type will not be visible to your colleagues. 

I am not able to work remotely

If it is agreed with your Head of Department that you are unable to attend work and that working remotely is not possible then this will be treated as an authorised absence. Deductions will not be made to your pay in this circumstance.  

What if the absence takes me over my sickness entitlement?  

Your pay will not be affected, even if you need to take more sick leave than you are entitled to under the College policy.   

I am not able to come to work due to caring for dependants  

Please notify your line manager. The existing Special Leave Policy allows for 3 days’ paid leave. Your department may approve an extension to the paid period if required. It is expected that staff should find a pragmatic solution where possible, making use of the current flexible working policy and special leave policy and work remotely where they can.

The HR team is making amendments to the College’s HR policies in the context of the current and likely future implications of the Coronavirus situation in the UK.

Their dedicated page includes detailed amends to:

• Absence and sickness
• Remote working
• Working overseas
• Recruitment
• New starters
• Right to work checks
• Payroll

Log in to view the full HR policy changes in response to COVID-19

Staff currently working overseas

HR are issuing revised guidance to staff currently working overseas or those who are planning to do so. It is an extremely complex situation that has immediate tax and social security implications. HR will monitor the situation as it develops, but please visit the Policy changes in response to COVID-19 which provides advice for staff and managers.

As part of our contingency planning it’s really important that everyone has an up to date emergency contact and their personal phone number in Imperial College Information Systems (ICIS). 

Please make sure these details are correct by:

• logging in to your ICIS Self Service area
• Expand the 'My details' folder
• Click on 'Personal details'
• On 'Personal Phone Numbers and Email' click 'View/Update'. When inputting mobile phone numbers, please make sure to select ‘Mobile’ in the ‘Type’ dropdown menu.
• On Emergency Contact Details click 'Update'. When inputting mobile phone numbers, please make sure to select ‘Mobile’ in the ‘Type’ dropdown menu
• Then press 'Submit'

You can find guidance on the impact of coronavirus on research applications and awards on this dedicated site.

Car parking

Currently, members of staff that have been deemed essential are able to park free of charge at South Kensington campus. Localised arrangements are made wherever possible to facilitate essential staff.

UCAS Updates

UCAS has also made available a dedicated COVID-19 information page for applicants, which will be regularly updated as new information is confirmed. We encourage our applicants to review this periodically in addition to other updates that UCAS may provide you with via your UCAS track.

Contact us

The College’s admissions service is currently operating remotely, so if you need to contact us please ensure you send your enquiry via email. Please note that we are experiencing a high volume of enquiries currently.

New students concerned about obtaining or renewing their visas should contact the International Student Support team. Where there are delays in obtaining your visa, the College will make an assessment of your situation on a case by case basis, to determine whether you can start your programme a bit later.

If an interview is part of the admissions process for your programme, this can be arranged via a video interview.  Please contact the department to which you have applied.

The College is aware of the difficulties students are facing due to school closures and is monitoring the developing situation and assessing the subsequent implications for affected students. This will be taken into consideration when confirmation of places takes place following the release of exam results.

If you have been made an offer of admissions, you may have been asked to supply evidence of qualifications by posting the original, physical documents to the Registry. However, we are aware that a number of business services, including postal services are currently disrupted or delayed and Imperial’s Admissions service is currently operating remotely. As such, currently Admission will permit applicants to verify their qualifications in the following ways and we advise against posting your original documents or bringing these to the College in person. Please note that these measures are being implemented to support applicants with their admission process, but the College reserves the right to amend this information and to ensure that original academic credentials are verified at appropriate stages.

Verifying English documents

If you have been asked to demonstrate your English language proficiency we may be able to verify your test results online if you have taken an IELTS, Pearson, TOEFL or Cambridge Advanced/Proficiency tests:

• For IELTS, you can provide your Test Report Form Number or a scanned copy of your certificate to the relevant admissions team
• For Pearson, ensure you have sent your scores to Imperial via your PearsonPTE account
• For TOEFL, you can send your 16 digit registration number or a scanned copy of your certificate. Please ensure that you quote your CID number in any email correspondence with the relevant admissions team
• For Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency Tests, email your Candidate ID No (3 Letters + 6 Numbers) and Secret No (4 digits) to the relevant admissions team
• If you have completed another one of Imperial’s accepted English language qualifications, please email a copy to the appropriate relevant admissions team

Verifying high school documents

• Please email a copy of your official results to the relevant admissions team

Verifying degree documents

• Students from UK universities may use the statement of qualifications‌ form in place of transcripts. This form will need to be downloaded and completed by your previous university (including the university stamp). Your university should then email this to the relevant admissions team
• If your university has a secure e-transcript sharing service, we recommend that you use this and share your transcript with us registering it to the relevant admissions teamrelevant admissions team email address.
• If you have been provided the option to verify your degree via the qualification check service, you can opt to do this and this will be accepted as official verification. If you do not wish to opt to use this service and your university does not have a secure e-transcript sharing service, then you may email your official degree documents to the relevant admissions team. If you send your documents via email, you will be required to present your original documents as part of registration (providing your place is confirmed).

We are processing applications as quickly as possible, but during these difficult times it may take longer for us to assess your application than is usually the case and we apologise if you are experiencing delays.

If your offer from Imperial contains an English language condition, we will have specified that your English results need to be submitted no later than the 16 July. We are aware that English language testing centres have been closed in many regions, delaying applicants’ ability to schedule a test date. In light of this, we will be extending this deadline to 18^th August and will keep this under review. Please note your offer details won’t be updated to reflect this change.

We recommend that applicants with an English language condition review the information that is being made available by:

• Cambridge Assessment
• IELTS
• Pearson Test of English
• TOEFL

Please note ETS will make an online ‘At Home Testing’ TOEFL test available in particular regions. Imperial will accept this version of the TOEFL examination in lieu of a TOEFL IBT.

Early High School Verification Deadlines

Imperial typically operates an earlier deadline of the 31 July for some non-UK qualifications. Where this applies, we will have specified this deadline in your UCAS offer conditions. However, in light of the situation faced by applicants this year, we have taken the decision to remove this deadline and to extend it in line with our academic conditions deadline of the 18 August. Your offer won’t be updated to reflect this, but this formal extension has been publicly confirmed on this page. 

We are writing to all current offer holders following the UK Government’s announcement on the 18 March that schools will be closing from Friday 20 March and that the summer examinations will be suspended.

The UK Government has confirmed that students will still receive their qualifications, but have not yet confirmed the specific details of how this will be managed.

We appreciate that at this time, the current situation will undoubtedly be causing uncertainty and that you may have lots of questions. Please be assured that we will keep you updated when new information is available and further details from the UK Government and examination boards has been confirmed.

Do I need to send you mitigating circumstances?

No. We are aware that due to the unprecedented nature of current affairs that all applicants to the College will have faced disruption this year and we do not require applicants to submit individual mitigating circumstances.

Will you be changing my offer?

Not at this stage. The College will need to await further information from the UK Government regarding the awarding of qualifications before we can review or confirm any decisions in this regard. We will keep all offer holders updated in light of any new information or changes that may affect your offer of admission to Imperial.

How can I find out more?

We will also be providing regular updates on our website and we encourage you to review this periodically.

UCAS have also made available a dedicated COVID-19 information page for students, which will be regularly updated as new information is confirmed. We encourage our applicants to also review this periodically in addition to other updates that UCAS may provide you with via your UCAS track.

How do I change or update my email address?

If you need to update or change your contact email address, please ensure that you do this via UCAS track.

How do I contact the College's admissions team?

The College’s admissions service is currently operating remotely, so if you need to contact us please ensure you send your enquiry via email. Please note that we are currently experiencing a high volume of enquiries.

Information for International Baccalaureate Diploma candidates

IBOrg have announced that their May 2020 examinations have now been suspended, but provided reassurance that students will still be awarded their Diplomas with grades determined by their established procedures. A number of coursework and component deadlines have also been extended. IB Diploma students should refer to IBOrg for further information. Imperial expects to receive your results from IOBOrg in the summer as normal.

Information for International A level candidates

As the impacts of COVID-19 are affecting regions in different ways, with different Governments implementing changes at a local level, the international A level examination boards have confirmed that the summer examination schedule will be cancelled. The examination boards have provided assurance that students will still receive their qualifications with grades and that the awards/grades will be determined according to the procedures that they establish. This will follow similar principles that the examination boards are implementing for their UK equivalent qualifications. Further information can be found at:

• Pearson Edexcel International A Levels
• Oxford International AQA
• Cambridge Assessment International

Information for Advanced Placement candidates

The College Board have confirmed that traditional face-to-face examinations will not take place, but that online examination methods will be made available in two sittings.

See College Board for further information.

Information for Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education candidates

The Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority have announced amendments to the examination schedules and process. Information can be found at HKEAA.

No. We are aware that due to the unprecedented nature of current affairs that all our applicants will have faced disruption this year and we do not require you or your school to submit individual mitigating circumstances.

With the move to remote working for the majority of staff, the College is advising that all non-essential events and meetings should be held remotely or postponed/cancelled until further notice. 

Virtual Events

We are looking at creating some more detailed guidance around what kind of virtual events are possible. In the meantime, Microsoft Teams can be used for virtual meetings. See information as well as a video about how to do this.

Essential steps in cancelling / postponing your event or moving to a virtual event

If you are cancelling or postponing your event, it is your responsibility to ensure the following is done as soon as possible:

1. Contact all your attendees to ensure that they are aware of the postponement / cancellation / change in event format
2. Contact your speakers to ensure that they are aware of the change
3. Cancel any outlook or diary appointments
4. Notify Campus Services and any other relevant teams or suppliers that may be involved
5. Update the event on the Imperial College What's on pages (this will happen when you update your event)
6. Update the event on Eventbrite (see below) if you are using it
7. Update or remove any other registration methods (e.g. Qualtrics) 

Updating the Imperial College What’s on page

Please do not delete your event from the What's on pages as attendees may be checking the website for information. For each event please do the following:

1. Enter the word ‘CANCELLED’ or ‘POSTPONED’ or ‘VIRTUAL EVENT’ in front of the event title
2. Under ‘Event status’ click the most appropriate radio button: ‘postponed’ or ‘cancelled’. If you are moving to a virtual event, please leave the status as ‘open’.
3. In the ‘Event details’ section, please enter the relevant text as per the below:
   
   This event has been cancelled.
   
   This event has been postponed.
   
   This event will now be held virtually.
    
4. Ensure that event organiser contact details are up to date so that attendees can contact you
5. If moving to a virtual event, in the ‘Location’ section, please tick the box for ‘online only event’
6. If you have it, for virtual events, please enter the relevant link into the ‘Link’ box for livestreams

For assistance with anything related to the What’s on pages, please contact your Faculty Web Officer or events@imperial.ac.uk.

Eventbrite

If you have used Eventbrite to register attendees, please take the following steps to cancel your event as per these Eventbrite instructions.

Please note that Eventbrite automatically sends a reminder email 48 hours ahead of your event even if you have cancelled it. You therefore need to disable this email as part of the cancellation or postponement process.

If you are moving to a virtual event, please ensure you update your description on Eventbrite to reflect this.

Social Media

We recommend the use of any social media channels to make any cancellation, postponement or virtual event announcements where relevant.

Move Imperial

Our facilities at Ethos, Hammersmith, Charing Cross, St. Mary’s Pool, Harlington and Heston are closed until further notice. We will be keeping our community informed of updates as we know it on the Move Imperial app, social media and the website. Members have already been contacted regarding the status of their memberships during this period.

Early Years Education Centre

In line with the College’s transition towards remote operations, EYEC will be closed until further notice. Parents have been informed and will continue to receive regular updates via email.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the postponement of Postgraduate Graduation on Wednesday 6 May 2020. The risks of such a gathering combined with the absences due to illness or family obligations made it impossible to have a fitting and suitable celebration.

We are working hard to schedule alternative gatherings in the coming months, and we thank everyone for their understanding. We will be in touch across the next few weeks with further information.

Full refunds will automatically be processed for any tickets and gowns that you have already purchased, but it may take a couple of weeks for the money to reach you.

As always, our sympathies are with those who are most affected by this and any other health problem and we look forward to the day when this has passed.

The Graduation Team are ready to help with any further queries you may have and can be reached at graduation@imperial.ac.uk

In response to government advice to the public on the coronavirus, and for the safety and wellbeing of our visitors, volunteers and staff, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Great Exhibition Road Festival on 4-5 July 2020. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Festival on 3-4 July 2021. 

Imperial researchers are at the forefront of efforts to analyse the global outbreak and help work towards its solution.

The MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial is publishing regular reports on the development and potential health impacts of the virus. Read the latest reports.

A microbiology lab at Imperial’s St Mary’s campus is at the centre of a scientific race to develop a vaccine against a global viral outbreak. Read about the vaccine development.

We will continue to keep this webpage updated. Should there be any major changes we will inform the community directly.

Further advice and updates are also available on these sites: NHS 111 online service, Public Health England, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you have any specific concerns not covered here you can email coronavirus-guidance@imperial.ac.uk and your query will be directed to the most relevant person.