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We are looking forward to welcoming all new and returning students at the start of the 2021/22 academic year.
We realise that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all students, and we are doing everything we can to help provide the support you need.
We will keep you updated with the latest information, so please continue to check this page regularly.
Further updates will be posted here and on the main University COVID-19 pages.
If you have COVID-19 symptoms
You should book a test through the Early Alert System (EAS) and self-isolate immediately: https://earlyalert.medsci.ox.ac.uk/earlyalert/booking/bookpcr
If for any reason you need to book a test via the NHS (e.g. when the EAS service is closed), please use https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
Please don't hesitate to contact the college Covid-19 response team with any questions regarding testing, quarantine or food delivery during self isolation by emailing: covid.management@trinity.ox.ac.uk
Our aim this term is for College life to return as much as possible to the activities and sense of community that we enjoyed before the advent of COVID-19, while continuing to keep our community safe from any further outbreaks.
The information outlined below contains guidance surrounding College life to help you make the most of this term and year while staying safe and protecting the College community.
While social distancing and the mandatory wearing of face coverings are no longer in place, all University members are asked to play their part in minimising the risk of COVID-19 by taking the following actions:
Full details of the new guidance can be found on the coronavirus health webpage: https://www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus/health
We will keep our policies and procedures under review as the term progresses, and you will be informed when any COVID-specific guidance is no longer applicable, or if it is revised over the coming weeks and months.
We also strongly encourage all students who are in Oxford, and all staff who are working on site, to take regular symptom-free Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests, twice a week. If you receive a positive result, or develop symptoms, you must immediately self-isolate and book a confirmatory PCR test via the University’s Testing for COVID-19: Early Alert Service.
We are not currently implementing formal households or ‘bubbles’ as we did last year to limit social contact for infection control, but will have grouped student accommodation into lists of ‘shadow households’ for the purpose of controlling any spread of infection should positive cases arise.
To help control outbreaks, particularly in staircases where some students are fully vaccinated and others are not, please enter your vaccination status via this confidential online form: https://www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/form/student-information
This data will *only* be used for infection control in the event of a positive COVID19 case, and will be held confidentially by the College Nurse.
You should feel free to socialise with anyone you wish, but should someone in your staircase, flat or building test positive, we will be in contact about isolation or any other infection control measures as required.
Please also be aware that the University is recommending the wearing of face coverings in indoor areas where there are large groups, particularly small spaces where ventilation is poor.
From 0th week you are allowed to bring friends or family into College to visit. Student clubs and societies can arrange events (see details below), and guest room bookings can be made subject to availability.
Please contact the Lodge to let them know if you have an overnight guest. We need this information for fire safety purposes.
Please also remember that outdoor socialising is safest; if you are socialising indoors with visitors, please be considerate of other people’s space and consider wearing face coverings in larger groups.
If you experience COVID-19 symptoms you must immediately self-isolate and assume you have the virus, pending the result of a confirmatory PCR test, which you should book as soon as possible via the University Early Alert System (EAS). You must take a PCR test (not an LFD test) if you have symptoms. You should wherever possible book the PCR test through the Early Alert Service, the results of which are usually available well within 24 hours (shorter than the usual wait through NHS testing services).
If you develop symptoms that could be coronavirus, please inform the Trinity Covid Management team at covid.management@trinity.ox.ac.uk as soon as you have booked your test, and they can put support in place.
If someone in your staircase or shadow household tests positive, the rest of the staircase/shadow household will be asked to isolate unless they are double vaccinated. The double vaccinated household members will be asked to get a PCR test within 5 days of the index case testing positive.
Please remember: even if you are double vaccinated, you are encouraged to get a PCR test and consider taking precautions when you circulate socially; being double vaccinated means you are exempt from having to isolate if you are a close contact – it doesn’t make you exempt from spreading the virus.
If you have received a positive LFD test you must self-isolate immediately and book a confirmatory PCR test. Please see the NHS website for further information on when to self-isolate.
The Trinity Covid Management team and Wellbeing Advisor will automatically be notified if you require a test, and they will be in touch to arrange food deliveries and Wellbeing support.
If you need assistance, and are not sure who to contact, please call the Lodge at any time on 01865 279900
If you need Wellbeing support, please don’t hesitate to contact the Wellbeing team at wellbeing@trinity.ox.ac.uk. During weekends and out of hours, you should also contact the Lodge on 01865 279900.
The University is offering rapid-turnaround on-site testing for staff and students in two locations. In most cases you should be able to get a test on the same or next day and results within 24 hours of the test. Students who are unable to safely access the two University testing pods can also request a test through the NHS – and should report a positive test result from outside the University service through an online form available here.
If you live onsite, you may place an order via the Covid Management Team for onsite food deliveries from the Trinity kitchen whilst in self-isolation: covid.management@trinity.ox.ac.uk. Food deliveries for onsite students will be prepared by the College kitchen, and delivered to your staircase by the Hall team (Lodge on Saturday and Sunday).
If you live off-site, please use local food delivery services and have these delivered to the main entrance of your building. When moving around communal areas, please wear a mask and maintain 2m distance at all times.
Please email your Director of Studies and Isabel.lough@trinity.ox.ac.uk (undergraduates) or Ashley.maguire@trinity.ox.ac.uk (graduates), so they know you will be following teaching online. If you require IT support so that you are able to log into online teaching, please contact Alastair Johnson, IT Manager Alastair.johnson@trinity.ox.ac.uk.
You must not smoke in your room or other student accommodation due to the risk of fire. If you need to smoke, please only use the smoking shelters if no-one else is there. Otherwise, please find an alternative outdoor area. You should wear a face mask until you need to remove it to smoke and practice social distancing at all times.
Please ensure you dispose of any cigarette butts in the bins provided. Unfortunately, if you have tested positive for COVID, you should remain in your room.
There will be no cleaning of student bedrooms during COVID-19 isolation or quarantine periods for the safety of students and staff. During a period of isolation, your room and other facilities in your staircase will not be cleaned; please email accommodation@trinity.ox.ac.uk if you need cleaning supplies.
We will no longer be operating a one-way system in College for areas like the dining hall and beer cellar; however, we recommend you maintain a safe social distance in crowded indoor spaces and when queuing.
Face coverings will no longer be mandatory but as part of our ongoing health measures to help keep our staff, students, visitors and the wider community safe – and in consideration of each other – we encourage the wearing of face coverings indoors in communal areas.
Please remember: Face coverings are only effective when used correctly and washed regularly; please ensure you are following safe practice when putting on, removing and wearing coverings. Make sure that when you are not wearing your covering you keep it in a separate bag, and wash after each use if possible. Please refer to University guidance regarding face coverings.
Face coverings are not a substitute for other health measures, such as being tested when displaying symptoms and participating in regular asymptomatic testing, self-isolating when unwell or required to by NHS Test & Trace, and regular hand washing. These primary mitigation measures should always be followed.
We strongly encourage you to make use of regular symptom-free testing using the LFD Collect service. The test kits are available in College from the Porter’s Lodge, and we recommend testing twice a week and reporting your results to the University’s Early Alert Service.
In line with government and University advice, we are planning to provide most teaching in-person in the new academic year, as normal, while being sensitive to the needs of everyone. Our plan for the start of term therefore encompasses the following arrangements:
For further details about teaching and learning across the University, including arrangements for exams and assessments, fieldwork abroad, and other FAQs, please visit https://www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus/students/education
Many of the restrictions we have been working under in College will be lifted from this term, including limits on socialising indoors and outdoors. Face coverings are no longer mandatory and social distancing is no longer required; both are now a matter of personal responsibility and choice, though the University is still encouraging their use across University spaces and buildings.
We also recognise that both these precautions in crowded or less well ventilated areas can help to mitigate risk; you are encouraged to use your best judgement and discretion when in crowded spaces or entering other student rooms or communal areas.
We are pleased to be returning to largely pre-COVID meal arrangements in Hall, with a few remaining changes to our service to make sure it’s available to all members, and that we can safely provide meals to all members of College. Please note the following arrangements:
You must sign up ahead of time for all self-service dining hall meals using the online Meals Booking System. The cut-off for booking all meals is 24 hours prior to the meal you wish to book in for, and payment will not be taken at signup. The link for accessing the sign-up system is here: Https://www2.trinity.ox.ac.uk
We are pleased to be returning to Formal Hall Dinners and High Table Dinners, to the Dining Hall on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (guest night). To sign up, use the normal online booking system, where payment will be taken at the time of sign-up: Https://www2.trinity.ox.ac.uk.
The following meal schedule will commence from Monday of 0th week (4th October 2021): BREAKFAST Monday to Friday: 8am–9am: Self-service: Payment with Bod Card.
BRUNCH Saturday & Sunday: 10.30am-12.30pm: Self-service: Payment with Bod Card.
LUNCH Monday to Friday: 12.30pm to 1.30pm: Self-service: Payment with Bod Card.
DINNER Self-service meals: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: 5.45pm to 6.45pm; payment with Bod Card.
Formal Dinners: Sunday: 7.15pm: Formal Hall: Payment deducted at sign-up. Monday & Wednesday: 7.05pm: Formal Hall: Payment deducted at sign-up. Friday: Guest Night: 7.05pm: Payment deducted at sign-up.
If you require any further detail regarding dining, please contact Jon Flint, SCR Steward at jonathan.flint@trinity.ox.ac.uk
The JCR and MCR kitchens will be open again, as well as the Lawns Pavilion Kitchen. Please be mindful of the limited capacity of these rooms and try to use them outside of busy times. University guidance strongly recommends the wearing of face coverings in indoor spaces where distancing is not possible or ventilation is poor.
The College bar will be open for bar service, with screens remaining in place and a maximum of 60 people. Takeaway drinks to the marquee will continue to be available as follows:
Opening times for the Bar will be as follows:-
Monday: 10am – 2pm and 5.30pm – 10pm Tuesday: 10am – 2pm and 5.30pm – 10pm Wednesday: 10am – 2pm and 5.30pm – 10pm Thursday: 10am – 2pm and 5.30pm – 10pm Friday: 10am – 2pm and 5.30pm – 10pm Saturday: CLOSED Sunday: 5.30pm – 10pm
The Marquee in Garden Quad will remain in place throughout Michaelmas Term. We hope you will make use of it for group socialising, but remember to be respectful of those working in the surrounding rooms, particularly in the evenings. You are asked to leave the marquee by 10pm; the lights in the marquee will go off at 10:15pm.
The JCR and MCR are open as normal; please consider wearing face coverings in large groups and respect the space of others when gathering.
This term we are pleased to welcome readers back to the main library from Monday 4 October (0th Week). Students will once again be able to use the study spaces and access books themselves. As before, no booking is necessary. Please note: there will continue to be some disruption from the ongoing building works.
Readers also have study spaces, toilets, PCs, lockers and a printer available in the Lawns Pavilion.
Arrangements are based on current guidance and will be reviewed as needed.
Library: 8am – 10pm for initial reopening
Lawns Pavilion Reading Room: 24/7
Library: 79 seats (readers are encouraged to respect each other’s space)
Lawns Pavilion Reading Room: 52 seats
Nunnery Attic study area: accessible to residents only
Borrowing and returning will be via self-service via touchscreen machine and book bin in Upper Library. No quarantine period required.
You are encouraged to be mindful of seated readers’ personal space when browsing shelves.
Click & Collect and Scan & Deliver options available to disabled readers, clinically vulnerable and self-isolating students; please contact library@trinity.ox.ac.uk for more information.
We will be holding small group tours for new students to familiarize themselves with the library. Any returning students who would like to book a refresher tour please contact library@trinity.ox.ac.uk
To continue to protect our community and ensure the library remains open to everyone, we encourage all readers to observe the following precautions:
We have a range of rooms and spaces available in College for social and meeting use. Teaching bookings will continue to take priority for those lectures and tutorials where larger spaces are needed, and room capacities are slightly reduced to allow for easy distancing.
Please contact Louise Kernahan to book a room for your student event: louise.kernahan@trinity.ox.ac.uk
We are pleased to confirm that student club, societies and events including non-College members are allowed to go ahead; if you have booked a room for an event, you are responsible for ensuring it is cleaned up afterwards and returned to a state where it can be used again.
Oxford SU and the University have developed support for students organising events this academic year:
A risk guidance tool and templates for in-person events, when permitted, has been published by the University. A comprehensive interactive resource is now available from Oxford SU for you to complete, with support on what you need to think about when organising either an online or face-to-face event.
Please contact the College Groundsman, Paul Madden, to book the sports ground for rugby or football: 07785 951680.
You can also book a tennis court using https://teamup.com/kstdwe5pwotigua5ww
To access the tennis courts you need to collect a key from the Porter’s Lodge.
Further advice about sports teams is available from Lynne Adam, Domestic Bursar at lynne.adam@trinity.ox.ac.uk or Oxford Sports Federation
All gym facilities will be open; please sign up using the online booking system to use the main College gym, as this helps manage capacity. You can sign up here: https://teamup.com/ksrqhzz9ihqfdd5bb9
Please do take advantage of all the opportunities to exercise outdoors where possible; the University Sport website will give you a flavour of the options available across the university: www.sport.ox.ac.uk.
Music has always been an important part of the Trinity community. We know the benefits of music and want to make it possible for people to practice and to play.
Chapel Piano – Yamaha Grand is in the antechapel. Sutro Room – Yamaha Upright Staircase 7 Please note the Britton Room piano is not in use this term.
Those using the pianos must agree to wash their hands thoroughly before and after playing. Please use the wipes provided to clean any areas you have touched, but don’t use alcoholic wipes on the keyboard.
The Chapel is used for services and as a space for quiet reflection. Please be considerate if individuals are in the chapel. Email the chaplain if you wish to book a specific time.
The Sutro room will be a teaching room for most of the day but should be available in the evenings if not booked.
The Chapel may be booked for rehearsal space for small groups of musicians If it is an instrument that you can play with a face covering, then face coverings are advised using University guidance.
There will be a small stack of chairs and some music stands in the ante chapel that can be moved to enable a group to play.
A box of cleaning material will be left next to the chairs and students must return any chairs and stands to the antechapel and wipe them down with cleaning fluid.
Please do not use cleaning fluid on the piano, or move the piano into the chapel.
To book please email chapel@trinity.ox.ac.uk
It may be possible to book other rooms such as the Sutro or Britton rooms when they are not in use for teaching or meals. Please book through louise.kernahan@trinity.ox.ac.uk
At Trinity, the health and wellbeing of our College community is our top priority. We are here to help all members make the most of their time in Oxford while feeling safe and supported.
We strongly encourage all students to be fully vaccinated to protect their own health and the health of others. The government’s change to self-isolation rules also means that there is now a benefit to those who are fully vaccinated in that they are no longer legally required to isolate if identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case.
Information about the COVID-19 vaccination and how to book appointments can be found on the NHS website. There will also be a vaccination clinic in Summertown (Ewert House) in October for University staff and students (details tbc).
Mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19
You may feel alone, but you are not alone! Reach out and be proactive – there is always someone to talk to. Your friends, College household, Peer Supporters, Welfare Reps, and the Junior Deans out-of-hours (contactable via the Lodge) are there for you.
If you have to self-isolate because of COVID-19 please don’t worry! We will reach out to you with support, advice and practical help. But life goes on regardless of COVID-19. Reach out if you are anxious or worried about anything, COVID-19 or not. You’ll find our contact details are on the website Wellbeing pages and please don’t forget the Lodge: 01865- 79900; the porters are always ready to help!
Online resources for wellbeing and mental health support
Medical health
If you are feeling unwell, you should contact the College nurse or doctor as detailed in the College handbook. Any consultations with the nurse or doctor are entirely confidential. Please also see our website for further information www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/support-and-welfare
College nurse and surgery
The College Nurse and Doctor will be operating clinics with a mixture of online and in-person appointments.
Please visit the website for more detail on how to contact them at www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/support-and-welfare.
Emergency and urgent medical care
Covid19 is not the only illness that can make you unwell. If your symptoms are worsening and causing you concern, you need to seek NHS help. If you are in College you should call the lodge (01865 279900) who will help you contact the College nurse or doctor, advise you to call 111, or will make a 999 call on your behalf. If you live outside College, contact your NHS general practitioner, call 111, or in emergency dial 999.
For emergency medical attention outside College, call 999 and ask for the ambulance service. If you have an emergency in College, it’s best to call the Lodge (01865-279900), as they can call 999 for you and direct the ambulance to exactly where you are
As a college of Oxford University, Trinity is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its students and staff are respected.
Trinity College, like the rest of the University, expects each student to take responsibility for both their own health and that of others in our community, especially those with vulnerabilities. In order to protect our community’s health and support our collective wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, each student is expected to abide by all national public health regulations and legislation, and follow University and/ or college guidance, and local public health guidance, available at: www.oxford.gov.uk/coronavirus
Where a student has not followed reasonable instructions related to the health and safety of staff, students and others they may be subject to disciplinary action by the Dean, or under Statute XI of the University Code of Conduct. Please refer to your College Student Handbook for details.
Should you believe that someone’s conduct is persistently and unreasonably creating serious risk, in the first instance speak with the Wellbeing Advisor. She can identify what appropriate next steps can be taken, for example a discussion with the individual about their behaviour and if necessary referral for action to be taken under the relevant disciplinary framework.
However please also bear in mind that every circumstance will be different and any response must be appropriate and proportionate.
For all the latest COVID-19 guidance and updates, please ensure you visit the Trinity COVID-19 web pages, and please read any emails with College guidance carefully.
This information in this guide will be regularly updated on the Trinity COVID-19 website pages as needed; please make sure you check online for the latest guidance. Any suggested changes or amendments can be sent to communications@trinity.ox.ac.uk
Please bookmark the following pages which contain important COVID-19 information that will be updated regularly:
Trinity College student COVID-19 pages:
https://www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/support-and-welfare/covid19/covid-19-advice-for-students/
Oxford University student COVID-19 pages:
https://www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus/students
Oxford University information about student life and colleges:
https://www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus/students/colleges
Testing for COVID-19: Early Alert Service:
https://www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus/health/covid-testing
