With the festive season upon us, we wanted to provide you with information about the UOW services and facilities that will be operating and available for students during the Christmas, New Year and additional closure period (23 December 2021 – 10 January 2022). Should any of the below details change, we will let students know as soon as possible, and update our website.
- Security
- Teaching and Learning
- Student Services
- Student support
- Future Students Team
- Regional and Metropolitan campuses
- UOW Accommodation
- UOW Pulse
- UOW College
Security
UOW Security is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including on public holidays. During the Christmas and shut down period, they will be available to respond to requests for UOW’s Wollongong, regional and metropolitan campuses. Check the Security website for the different ways you can contact them
Teaching and learning
Many staff (including teaching staff, Heads of Students and Academic Program Directors) will be on leave during this period. Staff may also take additional leave in December or January. Students requiring academic advice are encouraged to seek consultation well in advance of their enrolment decision deadlines to allow for longer response times.
Student Services
Student Services in Student Central (B17, Wollongong Campus) will be available for email enquiries only (askuow@uow.edu.au) from 23 December 2021 to 3 January 2022 (excluding weekends and public holidays).
Phone enquiries will resume on 4 January 2022.
Face-to-face service, which was also due to resume on 4 January, will continue to be unavailable, due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the community.
The Graduate Research School (GRS) will be unavailable during this period. Students can find answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful information on the Graduate Research School website. Alternately, students can send an email to graduate-research-school@uow.edu.au and staff will reply when the office reopens on 11 January 2022.
IT support hours will vary:
- Wednesday 23rd December 2021 - Monday 3rd January 2022: unavailable
- Tuesday 4th January - Friday 7th January 2022: IT support will be available from 9am to 5pm
- Saturday 8th January - Sunday 9th January 2022: IT support will not be available
- Monday 10th 2022 - IT support will be available from 9am to 5pm
You can access IT support in the following ways:
Online: servicedesk.uow.edu.au
Phone: +61 2 4221 3000
For IT user account help, visit uow.info/password
Student computer labs in Building 17, UOW Wollongong Campus will be closed from 23rd December 2021 - 10th January 2022.
UOW Library (Wollongong campus) will be closed from 23 December 2021 to 10 January 2022, re-opening at 8:30am, 11 January 2022. All Library services, including Live Chat, holds and Document Delivery, will be unavailable during this period. Items can still be returned to Wollongong Campus via the after-hours bin at the rear west-side of the Library (opposite the P2 carpark). Visit the Library website to review opening hours for regional and metropolitan campus libraries.
Student support services
Student mental health support, including for distress and crisis:
- The free and confidential UOW 24 Hour Student Wellbeing Support Line will be available 24/7, for students enrolled at any UOW Australian campus. To access this service call 1300 036 149 or text 0488 884 164.
- Counselling appointments will be paused from 23 December 2021 and will resume on 4 January 2022. During the closure period, students who register with the counselling service via the website can expect a response from the service after 4 January. Register for counselling support in the New Year here.
- International Students returning to Australia or still stuck offshore can access confidential, free counselling and wellbeing services in your language 24/7 through LifeWorks. Learn more here.
- For international students who are a member of BUPA, you have access to a specific 24-hour telephone student support line. Advice can be provided in 180 languages, for a range of emergency situations, medical or otherwise. Find out more here.
- See the other online mental health resources that are available on our website.
Student Support Advisors and Accessibility and Inclusion Support will be closed from 22 December 2021 to 10 January 2022. However, the free and confidential UOW 24 Hour Student Wellbeing Support Line will be available 24/7, for students enrolled at any UOW Australian campus. To access this service call 1300 036 149 or text 0488 884 164.
The Safe and Respectful Communities (SARC) team will continue to provide support over this period for any sexual assault or sexual harassment critical incidents. They can be contacted on email: uow-sarc@uow.edu.au or phone: (02) 4221 3344.
The following Learning Co-Op programs will not be running between 23 December 2021 to 10 January 2022:
- Arrive & Thrive
- Peer Assisted Learning
- Peer Assisted Coaches
- Couch Conversations
- Online Drop-in Sessions
- Extended Consultations
However, students can find a range of online resources on the website, which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
International student programs will be available –see the UOW over Summer website. You can also access information about future events and services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the website.
Office of Global Student Mobility (OGSM) will be unavailable from 23 December 2021 to 10 January 2022.
Future Students Team
The Future Students Team will have reduced staff available to take telephone and email enquiries only throughout the holiday period, with the exception of public holidays when this service will be unavailable. See below dates for more information:
- 23 and 24 December 2021: available at a reduced capacity
- 27 and 28 December 2021: unavailable due to public holidays
- 29 and 31 December 2021: available at a reduced a capacity
- 1 to 3 January 2022: Unavailable due to weekend and public holiday
- Future Students will open as per usual from Tuesday 4 January 2022.
Please note that during this period, Future Students will have minimal staff available, and you may experience a delay in response times. Unless the matter is urgent, please consider contacting Future Students on or after 4 January 2022. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Regional and metropolitan campuses
Regional and Metropolitan campus closures are listed below. There will be no coverage of phones and emails at these campuses during the closure periods. Urgent enquiries should be directed to Student Services via askuow@uow.edu.au
- Batemans Bay: Closed from 23 December 2021 to 10 January 2022
- Bega: Closed from 22 December 2021 to 11 January 2022
- Shoalhaven: Closed from 23 December 2021 to 10 January 2022
- Southern Highlands: Closed from 23 December 2021 to 10 January 2022
- Southern Sydney (Loftus): Closed from 23 December 2021 to 10 January 2022
- South Western Sydney (Liverpool): Closed from 23 December 2021 to 10 January 2022
- Sydney CBD: Campus is closed to students for the remainder of 2021. Phone and email enquiries will also be unavailable from 23 December 2021 to 10 January 2022
UOW Accommodation
UOW Accommodation will remain open to residents during this period. Staff will be available at residences, including public holidays and weekends.
Food Assistance
Food Assistance: Any students who requires assistance with food during the closure period can find more information through:
- UOW Food Assistance with updated information for UOW students
- Ask Izzy: a website that helps you find food assistance and other support close to your location
UOW Pulse
Pulse Pantry will be unavailable from 16 December 2021 to 5 January 2022. After this date, the pantry will operate on Wednesdays from 11am – 12pm until session starts.
For operating hours of food and retail outlets on campus, visit the UOW Pulse website.
UOW College
UOW College will be closed from 20 December 2021 to 10 January 2022.