Queensland’s top university’s online for second semester

Students at Queensland's universities won't be returning to campus for second semester as they opt to keep classes online as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the tertiary sector.

STUDENTS at Queensland's top universities won't be returning to campus for second semester as they opt to keep classes online as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the tertiary sector.

The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Griffith University, the University of Southern Queensland, Bond University and the University of the Sunshine Coast and Australian Catholic University’s Brisbane campus will offer classes online for their respective second semesters.

But Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said the government wanted universities to go back to on-campus delivery.

“The Government wants to see our universities return to face-to-face teaching for semester two where it is safe to do so and with the right protocols in place,” he said.

“Our Government’s position remains that it will follow the expert medical advice.”

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The University of Queensland has also extended its first semester, adding two extra weeks between the end of classes and exams for make-up practicals, placements to labs where possible and additional teaching or revision where necessary in the second week.

UQ students this week received a letter which informed them that semester two would be taught online and that classes would start a week later on August 3.

A UQ spokeswoman said the institution was planning for a phased return when possible.

"If there is a second wave of infections when restrictions ease, students can be confident that they will continue to receive a quality education experience, and that their study will not be disrupted or their degrees delayed.”

Federal member for Ryan said UQ students should be able to choose to attend campus, with the decision to stay online was "disappointing and dismissive to the thousands of students who were rightly expecting and paying for more".

A USQ spokesman said while most students study online before the pandemic, changes to the academic calendar were not needed, with plans to start on-campus activities where feasible.

QUT is planning for all contingencies, meaning semester two would be online and on-campus if possible with pay cuts for executive and senior staff expected to come, a spokeswoman said.

Griffith University Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said they had delayed enrolment for trimester two and pushed back the start date by a week to July 13, and was following the federal governments advice having ceased face-to-face classes indefinitely.

A University of Sunshine Coast spokesman said if social distancing restrictions were eased the institution plans to deliver both face-to-face and online teaching.

"It is expected that it will take some time until all students feel comfortable about being back on campus," he said.

The second semester at Southern Cross University, will be taught completely online, and they won’t be using online supervision of final assessments.

"Instead, the University has decided to use open-book online exams and other alternative written assessments which will maintain the academic integrity and quality of assessment for students."

A Bond University spokesperson said the start to the May trimester was delayed to allow for teaching staff to prepare for remote learning for the session.