Sir,

The General-Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) has demanded that all university teaching be moved online this coming year (‘Universities risk being generators of a second wave’, 31 August).

As university staff and UCU members, we reject this demand and wish to see a return to face-to-face teaching as soon as possible.

Educational research shows that online learning greatly decreases student attainment and increases drop-out rates, especially for the most disadvantaged students.

This is because teaching is ultimately about creating meaning through human relationships, which can only truly be cultivated in person. Technology can support but never replace face-to-face interaction, which is vital not just between students and teachers but among students themselves.

Students have also been denied sociability long enough. Many have been cooped up for months, with mental health problems soaring. Disadvantaged students, in particular, lack the quiet space and IT equipment needed to engage in online learning.

Compared to these well-established harms, the risk of COVID-19 has declined across society, and has always been miniscule for young people.

Remote-working provisions should, of course, be made for all students and staff who are personally vulnerable or co-habit with those who are. The rest of us should be allowed to return to campuses with modest restrictions.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Lee Jones, Queen Mary University of London; Niccolo Aliano, University of Edinburgh; Dr John Logan, Imperial College London; Emeritus Professor Dennis Hayes, University of Derby; Chris Lyon, Manchester Metropolitan University; Sean Frost, University of Hull; David Lake, University of Surrey; Austin Williams, Kingston University; Prof Peter Sammonds, University College London; Dr Daniel Hadas, King’s College London; Dr Tara McCormack, University of Leicester; Dr Jim Butcher, Canterbury Christ Church University; Dr Penny Lewis, University of Dundee; John Payne, Teesside University; Dr Adrian Hilton, The Margaret Thatcher Centre; Dr Cheryl Hudson, University of Liverpool; Prof David Paton, University of Nottingham; Dr Fiachra Mac Góráin, University College London; Dr Ruth Mieschbuehler, University of Derby; Dr Vijay Tymms, Imperial College London; Dr Shereen Benjamin, University of Edinburgh; Prof Ellie Lee, University of Kent; Dr Richard Blackburn, University of Leeds; Prof Philip Hammond, London South Bank University; Dr Eva Moreda Rodriguez, University of Glasgow; Professor Ewa Mazierska, University of Central Lancashire; Dr Scott Edwards, University of Bristol; Dr Paul Ledger, Swansea University; Dr David Jeffery, University of Liverpool; Dr Jennie Bristow, Canterbury Christ Church University; Nikki Anghileri, St Mary’s University; Dan Williams, University of Derby; Professor Bill Durodie, University of Bath; Prof Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool; Prof James Tooley, University of Buckingham; Jack Burkhill, University of Portsmouth; Dr Ashley Frawley, Swansea University; Dr Andreas Fulda, University of Nottingham; Helen Billington, Northumbria University; Dr Toby Andrew, Imperial College London; Dr Vanessa Pupavac, University of Nottingham; Dr James Heartfield, Independent Scholar; James Keith, University of Derby; Dr Jon Swain, Canterbury Christ Church University; Prof Peter Ramsay, London School of Economics; Dr Philip Cunliffe, University of Kent; Dr Branko Latinkic, Cardiff University; A John Hutchinson, Open University; Nick Langford, University of Chichester; Dr Thomas Raymen, Northumbria University; Prof Ellen Townsend, University of Nottingham; Prof Robert Dingwall, Nottingham Trent University; Prof Jonathan Jones, University of Oxford; Prof Llewelyn Morgan, University of Oxford; Dr Ruth Wadman, University of York; Prof Jon Simons, University of Cambridge; Dr Carlton Brick, University of the West of Scotland; Dr Leah Quinlivan, University of Manchester; Dr Colin Axon, Brunel University London; Clare Dickens, University of Wolverhampton; Dr Jade Norris, University of Bath; Dr Bettina Hohnen, University College London; Prof Heather Ferguson, University of Kent; Prof Alison Pike, University of Sussex; Prof Matthias Schwannauer, University of Edinburgh; Prof Michael Stewart, University College London; Dr Karen Neil, University of Nottingham; Dr Stuart Waiton, Abertay University; Dr Maria Loades, University of Bath; Dr Peter Hewitson, Brunel University London; Dr Svetlana Ignatova, Brunel University London; Dr Migurl Moital, Bournemouth University; Prof Anthony Brookes, University of Leicester; Dr Ali Ahmad, University of Warwick; Emeritus Professor Alan Kennedy, University of Dundee; Prof Paul Dennis, University of East Anglia; Prof Hugh Kennedy, SOAS, University of London; Prof Roger Motson, Anglia Ruskin University; Clive Hambler, University of Oxford; Al Gurr, Birmingham City University; Prof Roger Watson, University of Hull; Prof Tamsin Ford, University of Cambridge; Prof Thomas Ormerod, University of Sussex; Prof David Betz, King’s College London; Prof Jeremy Lane, University of Nottingham; Dr Barbara Turnbull, University of Nottingham; Dr P. A. Henderson, University of Oxford; Prof Emeritus John Fitzpatrick, University of Kent; Dr Lars Iyer, Newcastle University; Katie McCann, University of Nottingham; Dr Matthew Owens, University of Exeter; Dr Sean Broome, University of Derby; Dr Tim Green, University of Lincoln; Robert Peck, University of York; Dr Nicholas Joseph, University of Derby; Professor Alan Floyd, University of Reading; Dr Margaret Hartley, University of Manchester; Dr Simon Peacock, Newcastle University; Dr Simon Mills, Newcastle University; Dr David Guttery, University of Leicester; Dr Nicola Royle, Univeristy of Leicester; Professor Emeritus David Adams, University of Manchester; Dr Salman M. Soltani, Brunel University London; Dr Andrew Calcutt University of East London; Dr David Wainwright, University of Bath; Alan Hudson, Emeritus Fellow, Kellogg College, Oxford; Dr David Dryden, Durham University; Prof Rory O’Connor, Glasgow University; Prof Steve Bristow, University of Glamorgan; Alex Lucas, University of Glasgow; Prof James Steeley, Brunel University London; Dr Charles Devellennes, University of Kent; Dr Maxwell Roberts, University of Essex; Dr Antonio C. Malfense Fierro, University of Hull

Added after publication:
Sarah Longwell, Keele University; William Astle, University of Cambridge; Dr Peter Martin, The University of Manchester; Dr Ken McLaughlin Manchester Metropolitan University; Dr Leah Quinlivan, University of Manchester; Colin Nicholls, University of Westminster; James Wyllie, University of Aberdeen; Dr Frances Maratos, University of Derby