Hillary Clinton to be inaugurated as Queen's University chancellor

The former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be at Queen's University on Friday to be inaugurated as chancellor.

The ceremony will be held at the end of the first week of the new academic year.

Before that, more than 50,000 students return to campuses in universities in Northern Ireland on Monday.

They will receive face-to-face teaching on campus again after most spent the 2020/21 year being taught remotely.

However, elements of some degree courses may still be delivered online.

Mrs Clinton was appointed to the role of chancellor of Queen's in January 2020.

But she has not been able to visit the university as chancellor since then due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She will be formally inaugurated as the 11th chancellor in the university's history in a ceremony in the Whitla Hall on Friday.

During the ceremony, Mrs Clinton will deliver a speech and confer honorary degrees on a number of individuals.

She has also served as a US senator for New York and was first lady during her husband Bill's two terms as US president.

Her inauguration ceremony will come at the end of the first week of the new university year.

The majority of students at Northern Irish universities spent the 2020/21 academic year taking their degree courses online.

Face-to-face teaching only continued in some subjects where it was regarded as essential.

Graduation ceremonies were also held "virtually" in both 2020 and 2021.

However, universities and colleges will make a return to more extensive face-to-face teaching for the 2021/22 academic year.

In an email to students on Friday, for instance, Queen's said "our intention continues to be to deliver teaching face to face".

The university is, for example, planning both a virtual and "in-person" freshers' fair at the end of September.

Ulster University has also said that it will "deliver an on-campus learning experience on all programmes for this academic year".

However, parts of some degree courses may still be taught online.

Safety measures

The Queen's email also detailed a number of safety measures that will be in place on campus.

The university recommends students and staff take lateral flow tests twice a week if they are coming on to campus, and will provide these free of charge.

"All lecture theatres, teaching spaces and laboratories on the campus are able to be ventilated using mechanical ventilation, natural ventilation, or a combination of mechanical and natural ventilation," the Queen's email said.

Students have been advised to take account of ventilation in deciding what to wear as temperatures indoors may be cooler.

Face coverings also have to be worn in university buildings, including the library, classes and lecture theatres.

Ulster University has also told its students that face coverings will be worn on campus, while other safety measures such as one-way signage, ventilation and hand sanitiser will also be in place.

Pop-up clinics have been put on to try and facilitate more students being vaccinated

A number of vaccination centres will also be operating on university campuses and further education (FE) colleges over the course of the week.

While it is not mandatory for students and staff to be vaccinated, universities and colleges are encouraging them to do so.

In Northern Ireland, about 72% of 18-29 year olds have had at least one dose of vaccine against Covid - though the proportion of students who have been vaccinated is not known.

Demand on rooms

The return to widespread face-to-face teaching is one of the factors behind "unprecedented" demand for places in halls of residence at Queen's.

The university has said it is "unlikely" to offer a room to any student living less than 40 miles from the university.

Some students will not know if they have been allocated a room in university accommodation until after the new term begins.

Among the new courses to be offered by UU is the first paramedic sciences degree in Northern Ireland.

Forty students will be begin the three-year course at UU's Magee campus which will train them to work as paramedics.

A specially designed simulated ambulance has been custom built on the Magee campus and students will also undertake placements with the ambulance service and in hospitals.