Page last updated Monday 26 April

The College is monitoring the current disruption to air travel which may affect students and staff returning to the UK for the summer term.

During the week commencing 19 April around 140 staff were unable to return to the College from overseas trips and the Registry received over 400 emails from students concerned that they may not be back in London the start of term on Saturday 24 April. Advice for anyone still affected by the disruption to air travel is given below.

Advice for students unable to return for the summer term

You should make every effort to return to Imperial. If, however, you have been unable to return to the College for the start of term, please email exams@imperial.ac.uk.

You should put the following information in the header of your email:

• Your Name
• Your CID
• Your Department
• Your Course
• Your year of study

In the body of email you should state:

• Your current location
• Your intended date of return to the UK based on any information you have from your airline or other appropriate source

Your response will be passed to your department who will be in touch. Upon return to the College you are encouraged, if the timetable permits, to allow two days to recover from the pressures of the journey before sitting any examination.

Examinations

Unless advised otherwise by your department, examinations will go ahead as scheduled.

However, the College is taking steps to ensure that, wherever possible, students who miss examinations because their return to the UK has been delayed are able to sit these at a later date. There should be no impact on the progression of these students to the next academic year or their graduation date.

If you are unable to sit examinations as a result of the travel disruption you should be ready to submit evidence that explains your non-attendance (for example correspondence from your airline) to your department.

If you are able to sit your examination but are concerned your performance has been affected by the travel disruption, you should make your department aware of your mitigating circumstances, submitting appropriate evidence. Full details of the procedure to follow, Extenuating Circumstances Affecting Academic Performance, can be downloaded from the Registry website.

Teaching activities and coursework

Teaching activities will operate as scheduled. If you are unable to return to the College and can provide evidence that this situation was beyond your control, departments will look sympathetically at your case and will take appropriate steps to ensure there is minimum disruption to your studies. You should discuss with your department arrangements for you to catch up on any teaching you have missed. There may be some flexibility around deadlines to accommodate students who cannot submit coursework on time.

Advice for staff

If you are unable to return to Imperial, you should keep in regular contact with department.

Where you are unable to work locally, your manager will advise whether you need to take leave for working days missed. Whilst every effort should be made to return to the College as soon as possible, the emergency leave provisions have been exceptionally and temporarily extended to allow for five days’ paid leave where staff are unable to travel.

Guidance will be reviewed if the travel restrictions continue beyond the end of this week.

Disruptions to travel on College business

Advice for staff and students overseas on College business is posted on the Insurance Office website.

To contact the Insurance Office, please email insurance@imperial.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)20 7594 8666.

Postgraduate Awards Ceremonies

This year’s Postgraduate Awards Ceremonies will take place on Wednesday 5 May. Information for graduands and their guests is available at: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/events/graduationceremonies

If, closer to the time of the ceremonies, the College needs to distribute further advice to graduands and their guests as a result of continuing travel disruption, details will be posted to this website.