UniSA drops large face-to-face classes for 2022

UniSA has announced a major change for students that will last for the rest of 2022, after it also backed off on its mask rules.

UniSA has abandoned large-class face-to-face teaching for the rest of 2022 to protect students and staff from the Covid-19 BA. 4 and BA. 5 wave.

The decision is an extension of its “online delivery mode” which has been in place throughout the year.

Chief academic officer Professor Joanne Cys alerted 37,000 students and 2900 staff of the change via an email on Wednesday.

UniSA chief academic officer Professor Joanne Cys

Large classes and exams will be online with some exceptions; “small lectures, seminars, tutorials, studios, practicals, and workshops”.

Her notification states; “In light of continued Covid considerations and broader strategies in support of flexible delivery, I am writing to advise that at the University’s most recent Academic Board meeting (22 July 2022), members endorsed a further extension of modified teaching and learning arrangements for lectures and examinations through to December 2023”.

“We will continue to offer online examinations via learnonline for the duration of 2023.”

Prof Cys said efforts to improve online delivery were continuing; “Academic Board members also endorsed the commencement of work to identify and address current issues experienced by students and staff”.

Executive Dean Professor Shane Dawson said the university had been working towards “blended” online and offline learning for around five years, because it had been proven to be the most effective tertiary teaching model.

David Lloyd, vice-chancellor of UniSA. Picture: Tom Huntley

UniSA backflips a week after mask mandate

By Dixie Sulda

The University of South Australia has backflipped on its mask mandate a week after it was enforced.

In a memo to staff on Monday, August 8, vice chancellor David Lloyd said “based on the state’s caseload and trajectory of Covid-19 since July 25” there was adjustments to the university’s Covid management response.

“Mask wearing is no longer a general mandatory requirement but it is strongly recommended in all indoor shared spaces on all UniSA campuses,” Mr Lloyd wrote.

Lectures and examinations remain online, and face-to-face meetings and research activities can “transition as appropriate” to being conducted in person.

In an email to staff on Monday, August 1, Mr Lloyd said due to correspondence from the state’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier, there was a mask mandate for all indoor learning, and online learning was required for most lectures and tutorials.

“These measures will be in place and under review until such time as SA case numbers significantly subside,” he said last week.

It comes a week after Premier Peter Malinauskas confirmed free masks would be handed out on public transport in Adelaide.

He said authorities were not actively considering reintroducing a statewide mask mandate, which was dropped officially on April 15.

The easing of restrictions came on the same day that businesses were no longer required to have a Covid marshal.