FAQs

• The symptoms of COVID-19 can appear similar to those of common colds and the flu.
• If you are experiencing cold and flu symptoms but you haven’t been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 or been overseas recently, stay at home and rest. Contact your doctor if symptoms worsen.
• If you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, breathing difficulties, a cough or sore throat and have recently returned from overseas, or come into close contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, separate yourself from others, call the COVID-19 hotline on 1800 020 080 and isolate yourself at home for the required 14-day period.
• If you have severe symptoms, such as shortness of breath, call 000 immediately and request an ambulance. Inform the paramedics that you have recently had contact with a confirmed case.

Close contact is when you have been face-to-face for at least 15 minutes with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, or you have been in the same closed space for at least 2 hours, when that person was potentially infectious.

• Isolate yourself and follow the recommendations of your medical professional and the Australian Health Department.
• If you are a CDU staff member, notify your supervisor.
• If you are a student, notify Student Central: student.central@cdu.edu.au or 1800 945 010.
• You must be cleared by a Public Health Officer and determined to be no longer infectious before you can leave your home isolation.

• The symptoms of COVID-19 can appear similar to those of common colds and the flu. It shouldn’t be assumed these symptoms are connected to COVID-19.
• If you are concerned for a friend or co-worker’s health and wellbeing, encourage them to make an appointment with their doctor.

• Proper handwashing not only reduces the spread of COVID-19, it can prevent the spread of other viral illnesses such as cold and flu.
• Staff and students should clean hands often, by washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol may be used.
• If hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.
• Additional key times to clean hands include:
  • After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
  • After using the restroom
  • Before eating or preparing food
  • After contact with animals or pets
  • Before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance (e.g. a child)
  • If you have been in close contact with someone who is unwell.
• People should follow normal preventive actions while at work and home including recommended hand hygiene and avoiding touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• It is also important to clean frequently touched surfaces (e.g.: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, taps, sinks) with household cleaners and disinfectants that are appropriate for the surface, following label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.
• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces (tables, keyboards, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, handles, reception areas, toilets, sinks etc) daily.

• The following Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should not be shared:
  • Safety Glasses; Hearing protectors (ear muff type); Hard hats – unless the sweat band is replaced and the harness and helmet are cleaned with anti-bacterial wipes; General safety gloves.
• Recommend PPE such as Welding Masks and Chainsaw Masks should only be used by one trainee and cleaned after use with antibacterial wipes ready for the next day.
• Where possible employers should provide welding masks for Apprentices
• Motor bike helmets can be shared but will need to be sprayed internally with a disinfectant when activity is completed
  • Teams can choose to supply disposable helmet liners
• Provide a personal hygiene brief before each session to ensure all Trainees understand PPE use, sharing and cleaning
• The SEW team can assist in assessing additional PPE / shared equipment. Contact sew@cdu.edu.au

• As well as impacting on the physical health of people, the scale and unprecedented nature of the pandemic could impact on the mental health and wellbeing of members of the university community and their family and friends
• All staff have access to free, confidential counselling support through the University’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP):
  • ASSURE:  Confidential Counselling
    T:1800 808 374
  • ASSURE:  Manager Support Program
    T: 1800 505 015

No international travel requests will be approved until further notice.

Travel for study will only be approved where it is deemed essential and outcomes cannot be achieved in an alternate way.

No international travel requests will be approved until further notice.

Travel for work will only be approved where it is deemed essential and outcomes cannot be achieved in an alternate way

• Course delivery and research activity in remote communities is suspended until further notice.
• If you consider a visit to a remote community is essential, requests to travel can be made directly to the Vice-Chancellor.
• Similarly, staff and students should refrain from activities that bring people from remote communities into the larger population areas of the NT.

While the CDU campuses remain open, campus classes will transition to online delivery from week 5 (30 March), wherever possible.

• We encourage students to adopt a flexible, blended approach to their learning, taking classes online where possible.
• International students can undertake S1 studies online due to the impact of COVID-19, even if they have already reached their limit of allowable online study
• Scholarship holders can undertake S1 studies online due to the impact of COVID-19, even if their scholarship requires them to study on campus
• Classes on campuses will adopt social distancing protocols and increased hygiene practices
• Students and staff experiencing cold or flu symptoms, or who have been in contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases, must not attend campuses.

• The Semester One census date has been delayed by one week, from 31 March 2020 to 7 April 2020, allowing students additional time to finalise their enrolment and pay outstanding fees
• CDU will take a compassionate approach to students who make a post-census decision to reduce their study load or take a leave of absence from their S1 studies
• Other students who make a post-census withdrawal will have refund requests considered on a case-by-case basis

• As long as International students remain enrolled, their Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) will not be impacted by studying online.
• Onshore International students must study full-time unless unable to complete a unit due to circumstances associated with COVID-19.
• The university regulator, TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency), will allow student visa holders to enrol in wholly online study, including when this will exceed the allowable one third (or equivalent) online learning for the course of study.
• Students who require a COE extension due to COVID-19 must contact International Student Support at international@cdu.edu.au.
• International students currently employed at major supermarkets and by aged care providers can temporarily work more than 40 hours per fortnight during their studies. More information is available here.
• International students who have still have S1 fees owing (after the 2 March deadline) must make every effort to pay in full by 16 April.

Libraries in the community that act as a social gathering space or youth space must close after the announcement on 24 March. The Australian government has confirmed that University libraries that perform a social gathering function must also close, but those that provide essential access for critical research and teaching infrastructure such as providing IT services to allow access to research and on-line education may remain open. To ensure a safe environment:

• We have closed access to group study rooms, training rooms and the Beagle Deck at Casuarina.
• We have reduced the casual furniture to limit any social gatherings.
• Library computers have signs to enforce social distancing, and some have been turned off to enforce appropriate distances.
• We have removed some chairs from the individual study areas to ensure students are spaced far enough apart.
• We have closed access to members of the public starting from 26 March.
• We have provided a supply of sanitiser and wipes available & cleaning of the equipment is happening daily. 

If you are facing financial hardship as a direct result of COVID-19, you can apply for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Student Assistance Grant.

Applications for Grants are open from 1 April until 30 April and all students are eligible to apply – international and domestic, vocational and higher education and research students. As long as you are currently enrolled in your CDU course, your application will be considered.

Foodbank Food Hamper Program

CDU is partnering with Foodbank to provide students with free emergency food hampers. They will be available once a week and contain essential food and grocery items.A new order form will need to be completed every week. Hamper collections points include:

• Foodbank Warehouse: 9 Mel Rd, Berrimah, NT or
• Casuarina Campus: Outside Student Central, Orange Building 1, or
• Palmerston Campus: Cafeteria, Ground Floor, Building A.

Order a student hamper

The Foodbank Food Hamper Initiative is made possible through the generous support of the CDU Foundation.

Anglicare emergency food vouchers:

• Anglicare NT provides Emergency Relief in the form of food vouchers to young people (aged 12 – 25 years). Vouchers are available to collect Monday – Friday 8.30 – 4.30pm from the following two sites:

  • Anglicare NT Community Service Hub: 5 Nemarluk Drive Ludmilla

  • Anglicare NT Youth Support & Development Office: Shop G6, Satepak house, 11 Palmerston Circuit

• Individuals can access three vouchers per year. For more information call 8946 4800.

Kindness Shake

• A community-led initiative that aims to provide a weekly free meal to those who are affected by the COVID-19, especially international students. Find out more.

• Information on government support for international students affected by the novel Coronavirus
• CDU COVID-19 student assistance grant
• Australian Government superannuation access initiative.

Foodbank Food Hamper Program

CDU is partnering with Foodbank to provide students with free emergency food hampers. They will be available once a week and contain essential food and grocery items.A new order form will need to be completed every week. Hamper collections points include:

• Foodbank Warehouse: 9 Mel Rd, Berrimah, NT or
• Casuarina Campus: Outside Student Central, Orange Building 1, or
• Palmerston Campus: Cafeteria, Ground Floor, Building A.

Order a student hamper

The Foodbank Food Hamper Initiative is made possible through the generous support of the CDU Foundation.

Anglicare emergency food vouchers:

• Anglicare NT provides Emergency Relief in the form of food vouchers to young people (aged 12 – 25 years). Vouchers are available to collect Monday – Friday 8.30 – 4.30pm from the following two sites:

  • Anglicare NT Community Service Hub: 5 Nemarluk Drive Ludmilla

  • Anglicare NT Youth Support & Development Office: Shop G6, Satepak house, 11 Palmerston Circuit

• Individuals can access three vouchers per year. For more information call 8946 4800.

Kindness Shake

• A community-led initiative that aims to provide a weekly free meal to those who are affected by the COVID-19, especially international students. Find out more.

From Monday 6 April until 27 April 2020 we are pausing face-to-face, on-campus VET teaching.

Pausing face-to-face teaching will provide VET teams with the opportunity to accelerate the development of online resources.

Where it is not practical to develop VET online, the pause will be used to change physical infrastructure to allow for a 1.5-metre physical distance or make adjustments to timetables

Please note: This does not impact VET teams who already have transferred their resources online and are engaging with students through our online portals. This engagement will

continue.

• All students, including international students, can choose to study from home during Semester 1 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia
• Many of CDU’s units are available fully online, or as a blended on-campus and online experience

• Some activities will remain on-campus (workshops, labs)

• On-campus activities will adopt social distancing protocols and increased hygiene practices.

• Students and staff experiencing cold or flu symptoms, or who have been in contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases, must not attend campuses.

• Students attending on-campus activities will be required to declare that they have no symptoms and haven’t been in contact with confirmed cases.

CDU will take a compassionate approach to students who need to reduce their study load or take a leave of absence from their S1 studies due to the impact of COVID-19. Please contact Student Central to discuss your options student.central@cdu.edu.au or 1800 945 101.

The coronavirus will delay or impede the research endeavours of many candidates and researchers worldwide. Amid all the devastating effects of COVID-19, these impediments to research might seem trivial, almost inconsequential, in comparison. Yet, research is particularly invaluable during these challenging times. In response to these impediments, you can:

• accept that your research may be delayed significantly and request extensions or other provisions to accommodate these delays
• consider alternative methodologies and methods that are more resistant to pandemics
• change the order in which you complete various phases; you might prioritize tasks in which personal contact is unnecessary, such as systematic literature reviews
• utilize this time to develop skills that might expedite your research later, such as writing ability.

To help us accommodate your needs, we will continue to seek feedback from all candidates. For example, during this year, and in the future, we will instruct candidates to complete annual reports during September instead of May. When completing this report, you will be prompted to:

• indicate how COVID-19 has impeded your progress and,
• consider how the university could perhaps help you address these impediments.

But, to improve efficiency, we have decided to discontinue the interim reports in November. Furthermore, to help you thrive during these times, we will develop and deliver as many resources as possible, from training sessions to mental health services. The research enhancement program, scheduled in May, will be delivered online. Workshops that cannot be delivered online will be postponed to a future research enhancement program.

The university will offer extensions to deserving candidates—that is, candidates whose research and progress was genuinely impeded by the virus, in addition to the extensions:

• RTP scholarships, although otherwise limited to 3 years with a possible 6-month extension, could be extended to 3 years with a possible 12-month extension if necessary.
• International candidates can apply to extend their visas by 6 months.
• International candidates who are paying fees may be able to apply to seek a leave of absence—a provision that is usually limited only to compassionate or compelling circumstances; however, seek advice from CDU Global first
• The usual limit to leave of absences can be extended by 6 months.
• Extensions to Confirmation of Candidature can be approved if needed. These extensions are likely to be infrequent, because the presentations can be completed online with a limited audience. But, occasionally, these extensions may be warranted, especially if candidates have needed to modify their methods as a consequence of COVID-19 or needed to change their lives to accommodate family.

To help you respond creatively to the challenges you experience, we will attempt to facilitate some changes.

If you need to change your topic substantively, seek advice and approval from your principal supervisor, in conjunction with the Assistant Dean of Research or HDR convenor in your college or the Dean of Graduate Studies.

International students who want to change topics substantively should also consult CDU Global to determine whether they comply with visa conditions.

During this period, if you want to collect data in person, such as conduct interviews, you must contact the Dean of Graduate Studies first. The Dean, in consultation with relevant authorities, can then determine whether your protocols are safe and comply with university and national regulations.

If you decide to change your study—such as the methods, participants, or settings—you should send an email to ethics@cdu.edu.au to request a variation. Specifically, you should:

• outline the changes you plan to introduce
• justify these changes
• discuss the risks of these changes relative to the benefits.

The chair will then decide whether to accept the changes, to seek advice, or to request a new ethics application. 

CDU campuses are currently open, with modified arrangements in place to ensure the health and safety of our community

• Staff and students on campus must practice social distancing, including when in teaching or training rooms, meeting rooms or service hubs (Library, cafeteria, bookshop etc)
• Efforts must be made to limit the need for staff or students to congregate in small areas or queue without adequate distancing
• The University is relying on every member of the community to take responsibility for their own personal hygiene, including regular hand washing and cough/sneeze hygiene
• Signage reminding people to maintain a safe social distance and regularly wash their hands is available from the SEW team and must be displayed prominently
• Supervisors with staff in open plan areas where social distancing is limited (less than 1.5 metres) must arrange for staff to be located at a greater distance, or roster staff to limit the number of people in attendance at one time

• Your personal leave, annual rec leave or long service leave is available to you in the usual way. If you want to take leave at this time you are encouraged to discuss the matter with your supervisor.

Pending approval from Council

• If you are self-isolating due to a Government travel directive or in receipt of a positive COVID-19 test result, contact your supervisor to discuss your situation. A special temporary COVID-19 leave provision is being made available to assist staff in this situation.

• You are encouraged to discuss any COVID-19 personal work/health/family concerns with your supervisor or the SEW team sew@cdu.edu.au.  
• Flexible work options including working from home will be considered wherever possible.  You may also seek to use your personal and other leave entitlements.

Working remotely or from home will be considered wherever possible if you are self-isolating due to a Government travel directive or in receipt of a positive COVID-19 test result and feeling well enough to work.

• Casual team members will also have the possibility of entering into a working from home arrangement and these will be considered as a first option. 
• A special ex-gratia pay provision of up to 10 working days may be made available to casual staff who may require support in dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 virus.