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COVID-19: Reflections one year on

17 Mar 2021

Today (Wednesday, 17 March) marks one year since our working lives on campus changed irrevocably

University campus

It's one year since face-to-face teaching was suspended and non-essential facilities on campus were closed. In a year like no other, we look back on a year of momentous change, and how colleagues rose to the many challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As many staff got to grips with working from home and holding meetings via Zoom, some of our Estates and Facilities, IT Services and PS staff continued to work tirelessly on campus, keeping essential services operating. Some colleagues have also returned to work on campus over the last few months from all directorates and faculties and their dedication and willingness to adapt is much appreciated.

Technology enabled our University community to stay connected and collaborate like never before. Thousands of colleagues were helped to set up remote working and IT Services delivered more than 1,000 laptops to staff and postgraduate students. The launch of Microsoft Teams accelerated to provide a space to chat, hold meetings, make calls and share files. 

We held our first online open meeting with the Senior Leadership Team in April, and since then, more than 11,000 colleagues have virtually attended our regular meetings, with more watching the recorded meetings on YouTube. Our Media Services team has worked tirelessly to enable us to participate in meetings through Zoom.

We've supported the COVID-19 vaccination programme locally by hosting a centre at the former Chancellors Hotel site. Patients in the local community are having jabs administered as part of the national vaccine rollout. So far, around 15,000 local people have received their vaccines at the site. 

Our FoodOnCampus teams turned our closure into a boost by delivering leftover food and sandwiches to a local food bank and charities helping the homeless community. Our Halls of Residences teams played an important role supporting our students as the national lockdown continued.

Many departments became involved in the race to provide PPE quickly. Professor Brian Derby coordinated our 3D printing response, progressing rapidly from concept protective face mask headband prototypes. Model Making Workshop technicians in the Manchester School of Architecture used their expertise to design and build PPE visors. Dr Obuks Ejohwomu helped Manchester City Council (MCC) coordinate and test more than 150,000 pieces of PPE so that they could be delivered to key workers in the city.

Our President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Nancy Rothwell met staff who were on campus to help with Welcome Week and thanked them for their help and hard work.

More than £1.5 million of support has been made available to our students facing financial hardship, thanks to generous donations to our Emergency Hardship Appeal from over 3,000 of our supporters in 80 countries across the world.

Our University community of colleagues may have been apart for much of 2020, and indeed the start of 2021, but more than ever we've come together.

Read more:

  • Read Patrick Hackett's Viewpoint blog on working smarter and living better
  • Read our blog from Gemma Dale, Wellbeing and Engagement Manager on her thoughts of the last year.
  • You can read more about our colleagues' stories in our 2020 review.
  • Find out how our University is helping contribute to the fight against COVID-19 through research and further study.
  • A national day of reflection to remember those who have died during the pandemic will be marked on the anniversary of the UK's first COVID-lockdown on Tuesday, 23 March. Find out more how to take part.