We often make changes to courses and modules, so we don't want anyone to worry. Any significant changes would be communicated ahead of time (and we have a legal duty to do this and inform you anyway).

Importantly, any changes we make must ensure we maintain the high standards of teaching and research at York. We are a top 10 research university with a gold rating for teaching, and it's vital we don’t compromise this.

We do not close programmes midway through and we will always fulfil the learning outcomes so that students can progress and graduate.

Class sizes vary on an annual basis depending on students that enrol on a programme and options that  students chose. There are different types of teaching formats, from lectures to seminars, workshops and tutorials - all of these vary in size.

We will continue to work towards standard turnaround times for marking and feedback.

We continue to offer the high quality student experience, both inside and outside of the classroom. 

Any changes we make must ensure we maintain the high standards of teaching and research at York. We are a top 10 research university with a gold rating for teaching, and it's vital we don’t compromise this.

If your supervisor leaves the University (which may happen for a variety of reasons, eg maternity leave, personal circumstances or as an outcome of the latest financial measures), you will always be assigned a new supervisor that can support your studies and personal supervision. Your department or school will advise you of your new supervisor's details as soon as possible.

If you are a postgraduate researcher please read the further guidance on changes to supervisors.

As part of their progress, students will likely see changes in the future to how their learning is assessed and marked. For some students, this may mean fewer assessments overall, less bunching of assessments, and fewer assessments per module. This should also mean that feedback is more meaningful. 

We do not close programmes mid-way through and we will always fulfil the learning outcomes so that students can progress and graduate.

Contact hours vary between modules and years/stages of study, as well as what options students may choose.

As students progress, we support students to become more independent learners and prepare for the world of work and future careers.

We consistently review the resources we have within the Library and the services we provide to ensure they meet the needs of our students and staff, and also represent value for money for the University. 

When we make changes to our resources, services and subscriptions, we will ensure that the resources and support you need to undertake your course will remain available throughout your studies.

We continually review usage patterns for different sections and services within the Library to ensure we are meeting your needs, whilst balancing the use of our Library resources as effectively as possible. Sometimes this might lead us to trial different opening hours for parts of our buildings to ensure, for example, that we are not wasting energy. 

We will notify you in advance if we are making changes.

No we are not planning to close any of the colleges. We know there are rumours and speculation around the Colleges at the moment, and we want to make some things really clear.

First and foremost, we know Colleges are an integral part of how students experience university life here in York and we want to make sure every student feels supported, confident and connected in their College. 

We've carried out a detailed review of the current College life offer, which has involved talking to lots of different people, including student leaders and the Students' Union. 

We’ve then also had to take into account the university’s broader financial position. And informed by what we learned during the initial review, we’ve been able to identify potential changes that we believe will strengthen our services – making sure the right support is delivered by the right people, in the right places.

From 1 August 2025, the reception will be closing. Just like all other colleges on Campus West, it will mean that Halifax residents will have access to our central Information Centre, located near Market Square and Library Bridge. This hub is designed to be a one-stop shop for all University services, offering more comprehensive and consistent support.

Our hub receptions are already well-established across Campus West and East, with feedback from students acting as the basis of any improvements. We are committed to making this transition as smooth and seamless as possible, for both current Halifax residents and students in the future.

The Information Centre is always available to help, both now and as we transition to this being the dedicated support for Halifax students. Our team can provide:

• Advice, directions, and information on all University services.
• Support with residential mail, keys, and fault reporting.
• A secure place to receive parcels and packages.

For added peace of mind, our mobile response team also provides additional overnight support, ready to respond to any calls for assistance or security concerns directly to your location. After Halifax reception closes, this will become the normal way of responding to any issues.

How to get in touch

You can easily contact the Information Centre around the clock:

• Phone: +44 (0)1904 323200
• Email: campus-west-reception@york.ac.uk

We use data to understand when our shops and catering outlets are most busy and respond to this accordingly. This may mean staffing up on certain days and times of the year, but also trialling closures at other times when we typically see low usage.

We will notify you in advance if we are making changes.

If your supervisor leaves the University (which may happen for a variety of reasons, eg maternity, personal circumstances or as an outcome of the latest financial measures), you will always be assigned an alternative supervisor that can support your studies and personal supervision. 

We understand that a change to your supervisor relationship is a very significant event. York has policies and processes in place for dealing with changes to supervisory arrangements, which you should read.

You can also find additional information on all the PGR support available to you as you navigate this time.