UQ’s big week still going ahead despite epidemic

Queensland’s biggest uni is still planning to hold its Orientation Week despite the global coronavirus scare.

Open Day at UQ St Lucia campus. The university is still planning to hold its Orientation Week despite Bond University cancelling a graduation ceremony.

The University of Queensland is still planning to hold its popular Orientation Week, from February 17-20, despite Bond University yesterday cancelling its graduation ceremony on February 15.

Monash University, which also has a high Chinese population, announced on Friday that it would postpone its orientation week and delay the start of first semester classes.

UQ is also still allowing travel to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan despite QUT banning official staff and student travel to hong Kong last week. Both have suspended deferred travel to mainland China.

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It comes as major student accommodation providers said they expected the full impact of the Federal Government’s decision to ban non-citizens and non-residents from entering Australia from mainland China to be felt next week, their busiest week of the year.

One of the biggest private accommodation providers, UniLodge, said some students had brought forward leases so they could get out of China early.

“We have six buildings with about 400 beds. Half of them usually go to Chinese students,’’ customer service manager Anne Hill said.

“We’ve had some agents contact us to say their students will have to start their leases later.’’

“We’ve had some students ask to start their leases early so they could get out as well.’’

Students may be offered deferments or other options if they cannot get out of China and complete isolation periods in time for the start of classes on February 24.

Overseas student enrolments close on February 21.

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UQ has one of the largest percentages of Chinese students of any “sandstone’’ university, accounting for 14 per cent of its revenue.

Last year 18,074 of its total student enrolment of 53,696 were from overseas, with China the top source country.

In the past five years, 11,624 Chinese students have enrolled at UQ.

Campuses around Australia, such as the University of Woollongong, have sent out communications to staff and students cautioning them to be sensitive to Asian students.

A UQ spokeswoman said it was keeping staff and students up to date and was changing its website as the situation developed.

Nearby schools with large Asian populations, such as Ironside, have emailed parents urging them and their children to show understanding, while also being aware of symptoms.

UQ’s incident management group, led by Vice-Chancellor Peter Hoj, is meeting daily to consider developments. QUT has activated its emergency health planning arrangements and convened a specialist advisory group.