University of Wollongong students will recommence their learning and subjects this week - virtually that is.
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More than 1,000 undergraduate and postgraduate subjects will be ready for online delivery for when students require them on Monday.
That is nearly all of the subjects UOW hoped to deliver this semester to students.
Last month, UOW announced an extension of the mid-session recess to allow academic and professional staff to prepare for and transition to remote learning.
The mid-session recess, originally scheduled to begin on April 13, was moved forward to March 23.
In those two weeks, more than 1700 staff members have been trained in new web platforms and in preparing to teach online.
Professor Theo Farrell, UOW's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), has been leading the move to remote delivery.
He said the university aimed to ensure all students had a positive learning experience in the new online platform, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19.
"This is truly an academic year like no other and one that we could not have predicted when the autumn session began at the start of March," Professor Farrell said. "UOW staff have gone above and beyond in converting subjects to remote learning. It has been a huge task, but our staff, both academic and professional, have delivered.
"COVID-19 has presented immense challenges to the higher education sector.
"At UOW, we are striving to make the coming months as interactive and intellectually enriching as possible for our students."
All UOW campuses in Australia remain open and accessible to students who need access to a computer or internet.
UOW has already implemented measures to assist students, including waiving the Student Services and Amenities Fee for the first half of 2020, providing flexibility in student accommodation contracts, extending the enrolment deadline and deferring census date from March 31 until April 16.
The university has also reassured staff and students that it is continuing to follow all guidance and directions of the Commonwealth and state governments.
Also, global travel restrictions meant UOW's 2020 international student numbers are much lower than planned and also noted that, due to the census date deferral, the availability of confirmed data about current student numbers and enrolments has also been pushed back.
"This pandemic is clearly having a financial impact on the institution through reduced student numbers and the global downturn in investment returns. These impacts continue to be modelled as reliable data becomes available," UOW Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Wellings CBE, said.
UOW, with support from the NSW Vice-Chancellor's Committee and Universities Australia, is in discussion with the Commonwealth and state governments about the significance of higher education in training students needed in the health systems and during an economic downturn to help reskill Australians who are now jobless.
"In an economy where some sectors are going into hibernation in order to ride out the pandemic, the last thing that should slow is the university sector, as high level training is one of the only routes back to a resilient and vibrant economy," Professor Wellings said.
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