A message of support for students and staff affected by the invasion of Ukraine
2 August 2022
We deplore the invasion of Ukraine, condemn attacks on Ukrainian citizens and fully endorse the Universities UK statement on this issue.
We acknowledge that the war in Ukraine is upsetting, particularly for our students and staff from Ukraine, Russia and surrounding areas. Our focus has been on supporting those who have direct links to the region.
We are proud to be an international community and we ask everyone to continue to respect and support each other.
We are monitoring this rapidly developing situation closely and recommend that you follow Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice, which currently advises against all travel to Ukraine and Russia. If you are currently in the UK and attending College, and you are distressed by the current situation or have a personal connection to events, we are here to support you.
Support for students
We understand that some students may find it difficult to focus on their studies at this time.
Anyone struggling with their academic or performance commitments should speak to their Head of Faculty or Personal Advisor in the first instance. We would like to remind students who experience sudden, unexpected difficulties that may affect their performance at assessment of our Mitigating Circumstances policy on learn.RCM.
Please remember that a range of online support is always available to you, wherever you are. This includes 24/7 mental health support from Togetherall and the UK government’s Student Minds initiative.
We do not tolerate any harassment directed against anyone. If you experience bullying or harassment, or witness any examples of bullying or harassment, please report this via the RCM’s Incident Reporting form.
The Department for Education is aware of the potential impact of economic sanctions on Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian students’ access to finance or scholarships, and expect to be able to share some clarification of the guidance on hardship funding shortly.
Visas
The Home Office has confirmed that Ukrainians who are on work, study or visit visas in the UK will have their visas temporarily extended or be able to switch onto different visa routes. We will continue to work with the Home Office on what further visa and immigration measures may be necessary as the situation unfolds.
If you are an international student with questions or concerns about visas, please email the Registry international team at international@rcm.ac.uk for advice and support.
Support for staff
Please speak to your line manager if you are concerned that the situation is affecting your ability to work.
If you are planning any travel to the region, you should keep up-to-date with Government travel advice. You must also inform your line manager of any plans to travel to the region, prior to travelling.
The College provides an Employee Assistance Programme to all employed staff. All employees can get free, confidential professional, help from Confidential Care (CiC), the College's Employee Assistance Provider, 24 hours per day, via the web. The service (other than face to face counselling) is also available for members of your family living with you.
You can also access the Confidential Care website at www.well-online.co.uk.
