
THE RISING RISK OF RUSSIAN CYBER ATTACKS
31st May
The recent cybersecurity alert issued by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA),...
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By now, new and returning students in the UK have a good idea of what to expect from the next semester at their chosen university. Staff are adapting lectures to be run online and preparing necessary face-to-face activities to be delivered in socially distanced ways, while institutions work with what they have to ensure a safe campus. But, will it be enough?
When we talk of preparing for a safe campus, we are likely to think of practicalities such as sanitiser stations, screens, and procedures for Covid-19 testing. Or for the digital campus – secure, accessible, and versatile learning environments. But in the rush to complete this tick-list of addressable measures, we need to bear in mind that a truly safe campus is more than that: it’s about people, and people feeling safe.
The responsibility of trust
For an environment to feel safe, the user should have trust in the decisions that shape it, and in the people that make them. In normal circumstances we may not think about whether an environment is safe before we enter; but at this time – particularly as for many it will be an entirely new environment – it is likely to be a very conscious consideration. Trust is not only gained through what we do, but how we do it; namely with good and respectful communication, transparent engagement with all parties, listening and responding – being pro-active and decisive, but not afraid to admit mistakes and change direction. A safe campus is no exception. In this context, I think there are a number of principles that if followed, can go a long way to cultivating this kind of trust.
Broad brush principles like these might feel idealistic in the face of a highly dynamic, pressurised situation, but they can keep decision makers grounded and help with long term strategising. They provide a framework for operations, which in turn will inspire confidence in the decisions that are made, and thus cultivate an ethos of safety to which more technical and practical measures can be anchored.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, exercise honesty and vulnerability at all levels and in all strategic decisions. We are all in this together.
Contact us to continue the discussion around your Safe Campus needs.
Tags: Safe Campus
Categories: Blogs, Education in the new normal
31st May
The recent cybersecurity alert issued by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA),...
Read article
14th Feb
The university experience is evolving, with changes that amount to nothing less than an educational revolution. We’re talking about ever...
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17th Jan
We spoke with Sam Robinson, Associate Director of Live Services at NHS Digital, about her current priorities and the challenges...
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