Trinity 2020/21 teaching to start on September 28th
Posted on: 03 June 2020
Trinity College Dublin has today [Wednesday June 3rd] announced that its first teaching term of the 2020/21 academic year will begin on September 28th.
Orientation for all new students will take place in the week before teaching resumes, starting from September 21st.
There will be face-to-face teaching for all students.
Tuition will follow a hybrid model that combines online and face to face teaching, with online lectures for larger class groupings and face-to-face seminars, tutorials and laboratory classes for smaller groups.
As much face-to-face teaching and learning as possible will be provided under prevailing health and safety requirements. Trinity expects some requirement to observe social distancing in light of the Covid-19 outbreak to continue at least into early 2021.
The university has undertaken extensive strategic planning to prepare for the new academic year, informed at all times by the developing challenge to public health posed by Covid-19.
Last week, Trinity decided that Erasmus exchanges – as part of the long established EU-wide programme for students – will proceed in the first semester, should students wish to avail of them.
Semester 1 will run to December 18th, with end-of-term assessments to be scheduled for the week starting 11th January 2021. These assessments will take place online. Semester 2 will run for 12 weeks from February 1st to Friday, April 23rd 2021.
Provost Dr. Patrick Prendergast said:
“We are delighted to be able to offer our students the certainty of a start date, the promise of a rewarding and absorbing learning experience and our full commitment to making their Trinity education as distinctive, varied and intellectually stimulating as they expect and deserve it to be.
The outbreak of Covid-19 has led to enormous changes for Trinity students and staff and we are proud of how much has been accomplished in such a short time. For the rest of this year, and potentially into 2021, it will mean that education will involve a hybrid of face-to-face and online teaching and learning.
We are committed to continuing with face-to-face education as a core element of the experience of attending Trinity and our intention is to facilitate seminars, laboratory classes and tutorials as far as possible for all students, while at all times following Government guidelines on social distancing.”
Trinity is working on further safety precautions and spacing adjustments to be made on campus to be sure that operations can resume safely for all.
Students will be kept fully informed of all developments. The university will continue to be guided by College health authorities and Government advice.