Vice-Chancellor Welcomes New Students - Remote learning in Semester 2, 2020

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[Martin Bean]

Hello everyone, I'm Martin Bean, RMIT's Vice-Chancellor. And I'd like to extend a very warm welcome to all the new students starting with us in Semester 2, 2020.

I'm sure studying at RMIT right now is quite different to the way you imagined university life, but it's not forever and you've made a great decision to get started. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we've been adapting the way we do things to keep our community safe as we transition carefully back to campus life. For now, RMIT classes will continue to be taught remotely, as they have been for most of 2020. And our campuses are currently closed to the majority of students and staff. So, when your orientation and classes begin in July, they'll happen online.

Most of you will learn remotely via our online learning management system, Canvas. Which you'll also use to submit your assessments. And is one of the ways you can contact your teachers. Think of it as your virtual classroom and study space. You can log in before semester gets started to get familiar with your course materials. If you have lectures, you watch them in Canvas too. They're generally recorded and uploaded weekly, so you can watch them in your own time.

Then you'll attend tutorials and workshops via Collaborate Ultra, which is a platform like Skype or Zoom that lets you talk to and work with your classmates and teachers in real time. And it also sits within Canvas. Your student email is another tool for keeping connected. It's where you'll receive important information and reminders. And it's another way for you to communicate with your teachers. So, make sure you check it regularly.

To find out more about getting started at RMIT, I really encourage you to attend How2RMIT. These online information sessions are run by current students who give you the inside facts on what you need to know and do as a new starter. From timetabling information, to getting involved with student clubs and online communities. You'll also have the new student's guide, which has lots of information to help you settle in at RMIT. If you have questions about your program or course, reach out to your course or program coordinator. You'll find their contact details in Canvas.

I also want you to understand that there's a plan in place for gradually and safely reopening our campuses and returning to face-to-face study and collaboration. We'll keep you updated via your student email or you can always find the latest information at rmit dot edu dot au forward slash coronavirus.

When the time is right I can't wait to see you on campus. Until then, enjoy your first weeks of study and welcome to the RMIT community. It's a fantastic place to be.

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