Over the winter break we close down most of our campus to reduce our environmental impact and ensure our buildings are secure. For those areas we’re closing, we will shut down at 8pm on Monday 23 December 2024 and re-open at 8am on Monday 6 January 2025. This applies to all areas other than those listed below.
If you do use any BU facilities over the holidays and experience or notice any issues with buildings or facilities, please inform the member of staff in Poole House or Bournemouth Gateway Building receptions who can let our Estates team know. If you are involved in, or witness an emergency on campus, call 01202 962222.
Please also check our cost of living support page for resources both on and off campus.
For urgent welfare issues, BU’s Welfare Duty Officers are on call and can be contacted by calling 01202 962222.
Check the alternative opening hours over the break:
Additional Learning Support (ALS)
The ALS office will be closed from 4pm on Monday 23 December, but the team will be available via email and phone until 12.30pm on Tuesday 24 December.
AskBU
AskBU will be available at The Hub in Poole House until 1pm on Tuesday 24 December, and Bournemouth Gateway Building until 4.30pm on Friday 20 December. The phoneline will be open until 11am on Tuesday 24 December. During the break, you can access our online FAQs.
The Hub at Poole House and the AskBU desk at Bournemouth Gateway Building and the AskBU phoneline will also be closed from 1pm on Wednesday 18 December, for a staff event on that day only.
CareersBU
The CareersBU Team will be available in The Careers Zone at Talbot Campus until 4pm on Friday 20 December. On Monday 23 December and until 1pm on Tuesday 24 December, there will be some availability for online career appointments.
Over the winter break you can access the online resources on MyCareerHub 24/7.
Faith & Reflection
The Faith & Reflection Centre will be closed from 8pm on Friday 20 December until Monday 6 January. Prayer facilities in P221/P226, Poole House and in BG-301, Bournemouth Gateway Building will available. Please check in with the building reception on arrival and departure.
Should you require support around accessing a Muslim prayer space over this period please email Sister Tama Merdaci; [email protected].
Future Students Enquiries
The Future Students Enquiry Team service will be closed for the winter break from 11am on Tuesday 24 December and will reopen at 9am on Monday 6 January 2025.
IT Services
There will be no live chat service on the IT Services Portal on Tuesday 24 December, and any self-service tickets logged on the portal will be looked at once the university reopens on Monday 6 January.
However, the IT Service Desk phone lines will remain open over the winter break between 8am and 5pm (call 01202 965515 or freephone 0808 196 2332). From 5pm on Tuesday 24 December to 8am on Monday 6 January, you will be transferred to the Out of Hours team who will help with basic IT issues. Any major issues will be escalated by the Out of Hours team to BU on-call staff to action, so please continue to report any issues you come across.
Off-campus access to computers
Over the break, you will still be able to connect to a BU computer to access the software and applications you need using the VMware Horizon or VPN services for your work or studies.
Libraries
The Weston Library on Lansdowne Campus and parts of the ground and first floors of The Sir Michael Cobham Library on Talbot Campus will be open 24/7 throughout the winter break. There won’t be any library staff on site from 1pm on Tuesday 24 December until 9am on Monday 6 January, but self-service will be available.
Please be aware that you’ll need your student or staff ID card to get into both libraries.
Library staff will be operating their online chat service until 1pm on Tuesday 24 December and it will reopen at 9am on Monday 6 January. We will continue monitoring emails sent to e-resources help and library support throughout the break (other than bank holidays), but please allow one working day for a response to your query.
Medical Centre
The on-campus medical centre will close at 5pm on Friday 20 December and will reopen on Monday 13 January at 8.45am. If you need medical advice, you can:
- Speak to a local pharmacy for minor illnesses
- Call Talbot Medical Centre in Wallisdown, 63 Kinson Road, BH10 4BX on 01202 636400 or use the online service klinik.co.uk
- Call NHS 111 or download the NHS App
- If it is an emergency, please call 999
- For emergency contraception please contact Sexual Health Dorset on 0300 303 1948.
Residential Services
Residential Services and LettingsBU will be closed from 1pm on Tuesday 24 December and will reopen at 9am on Monday 6 January. The teams will not be responding to emails or telephone calls during this time.
- If you are a first-year student living in one of BU's halls of residence, you will have a site-based member of staff available 24/7 for all enquiries over the period. Your accommodation team should have sent you out who to contact over the Christmas and New Year period, but you can also call or go to the hall's main reception desk for assistance.
- If you are living in St Johns, Unilet, Student Village or a university-managed LettingsBU property, you should continue to use your usual out of hours support. If you are unsure, please call 01202 965001 for assistance.
- If you are living in any other private student accommodation, you should have been given contact details to call by your landlord, agent or halls of residence provider. If you are yet to receive these, please contact your accommodation provider directly.
If you are staying in one of BU's student halls of residence, the Student Village or a Unilet property over Christmas and New Year, the ResLifeBU team has activities lined up for you. The team will be sending you details of how to get involved or you can visit their LinkTree for more information.
For emergency situations, please call the main BU emergency number 01202 962222.
SportBU
SportBU will be closed from 1pm on Tuesday 24 December (last entry 12pm) and will reopen at 8am on Monday 6 January. SportBU will also be closed from 1pm on Wednesday 18 December, for staff training on that day only.
Student welfare and support
If you need wellbeing support over the winter break, you can call our Student Assistance Programme, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to speak to a trained counsellor or adviser. The team can offer emotional and practical support on a variety of issues.
The University Retreat will be closed from 9pm on Saturday 21 December and will reopen at 2pm on Monday 6 January. During this time, you can access The Retreat at Hahnemann House, Bournemouth town centre, or virtual support is available at Community Front Rooms, or you can call the 24/7 mental health helpline Connection on 0800 652 0190.
Depending on your circumstances you may also wish to contact the following organisations: Shelter on 0344 515 2000 for housing support, the Samaritans on 116 123 for personal support, the NHS 111 (for physical and mental health support).
Please also see the external and online resources section below.
For urgent welfare issues, BU’s Welfare Duty Officers are on call and can be contacted by calling 01202 962222.
Student Wellbeing service
The Student Wellbeing service will close from 4:30pm on Friday 20 December.
From Wednesday 1 January 2025, colleagues in our Student Wellbeing Service will be employed directly by BU, having previously been employed by the NHS. This change is part of our ongoing commitment to enhance student support services and ensure the wellbeing of every student on campus. To support a smooth transition, the Student Wellbeing service will have an extended closure over the winter break, reopening as a BU provided service from Monday 3 February 2025. The service will also not be taking any new referrals between 19 December 2024 and 3 February 2025.
You can find out more about this change as well as information about an extended drop-in service being held in The Hub, Poole House between Monday 20 January and Monday 3 February 2025 on the BU website.
University Music
The Music Practice rooms will be unavailable from 4pm on Friday 20 December until 9am on Monday 6 January.
The Music Office will be closed from 4pm on Friday 20 December until 9am on Monday 13 January, when we’ll respond to enquiries via [email protected].
Vacation bus services
A reduced vacation bus service will operate during the university closure period. Please check www.unibuses.co.uk/vacation-service-dates for details.
Bus services operated by Morebus will continue to run over the Christmas period, if you need to travel to either campus. Please visit their webpages for more detailed timetable information.
Campus food outlets
All outlets will close from midday on 24 December and reopen again on 6 January. For the week commencing 23 December they will be open as follows:
Monday 23 December
- Fusion Café, Fusion Building: 8:30am – 5pm
- Alumni Café, Bournemouth Gateway Building: 8:30am – 4pm.
Tuesday 24 December
- Fusion Café, Fusion Building: 8:30am - 12:30pm
- Alumni Café, Bournemouth Gateway Building: 8:30am - 12:30pm.
Between Monday 6 - Friday 10 January, the following food outlets at Talbot and Lansdowne Campus will open at reduced hours:
- Alumni Café, Bournemouth Gateway Building: Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4pm
- Atrium Café, Poole House: Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm
- Fusion Café, Fusion Building: Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5pm
- Uni Food Hub, Hot Counter, Fusion Building: Monday – Friday, 12pm – 2pm.
External and online resources
While the university services are closed over the winter break, you may find the following external services helpful if you need immediate support:
- NHS 111 (the non-emergency number to contact the NHS)
- Police 101 (the non-emergency number to contact the police if it is less urgent than a 999 call)
- Student Assistance Programme (free 24/7 confidential helpline and digital resource)
- Connection (24/7 mental health helpline)
- Dorset Mind
- Samaritans or Samaritans Bournemouth & District (for urgent emotional support)
- Steps 2 Wellbeing (for anxiety, depression, stress, mental health and wellbeing)
- Student Space (for wellbeing resources and advice from Student Mind)
- The Retreat (mental health support from 4.30pm-11.30pm every day)
- The Shores (if you have experienced sexual abuse)
- UKCISA (for concise and student friendly guidance on all aspects of international student support including immigration)
- GOV.UK - Find an immigration adviser (if you need urgent immigration representation).
Returning to BU
As we prepare for re-opening the campus on Monday 6 January 2025, we will notify you if there is a weather warning for ice and snow. We will endeavour to open the campuses for business as usual, however, if weather and travel conditions are severe, updates will be posted on X, Facebook, the university website, Brightspace and by email to your university accounts. You can also call BU’s Information Line – 01202 968999 – which will provide regular recorded updates in the event of adverse weather. Please be aware that the campuses will remain open unless otherwise notified.
