
University Services Availability
Christmas & New Year 2024/25
The University Christmas vacation runs from Monday 23 December 2024 – Thursday 2 January 2025.
During this period, many University services will be closed or offer a reduced provision.
The following information outlines when each service closes, re-opens and the support available during this period.
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All library services, including librarian appointments, will be available until 5pm on Monday 23rd December. Library staff will leave at 5pm, but the library building will continue to be open on a self-service basis for an additional hour.
The library building will be closed from 6pm on Monday 23rd December until 7.30am on Thursday 2nd January.
Normal staffing and services will resume from 9am onwards on Thursday 2nd January. In the meantime, online guidance (including video tutorials and answers to frequently asked questions) can be accessed via the library website.
If you experience any technical errors or service outages when trying to access the Library’s digital resources, such as Library Search, journals or databases, please email athens@newman.ac.uk. This mailbox will be checked intermittently during the closure period.
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Room ST104 is available 24 hours a day throughout the Christmas closure period.
Enter the building via the Security Lodge in the St Chad’s building.
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Student Success, including Careers, will remain open and accessible in-person up to and including Monday 23rd December.
Students will be able to access support and information relating to mental health and wellbeing, welfare issues, funding queries, Academic Support Advisors (ASAs), Learning Development, and careers advice.
The Service will be closed between the 24th of December and the 2nd January however information on external support will be provided in the studentsupport@newman.ac.uk out of office message.
Students living in Halls of Residence on campus will be able to access 24/7 support for mental health and wellbeing via our partners at Health Assured.
Access can be via telephone 0800 028 3766 or via downloading the ‘My Healthy Advantage’ app on your mobile device.
Students can call the number to access professionally qualified mental health support which could be a quick chat, a more in-depth exploration of a situation, or to arrange a series of BACP registered counselling sessions.
Detailed instructions will have been sent out by the Accommodation team prior to the break.
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E-Learning is available as normal at the following times over the Christmas period when we can be contacted via the Self Service Portal, via email (ElearningServiceDesk@newman.ac.uk) on MS Teams (look up e-Learning Service Desk in MS Teams) or face-to-face (we are in room BA109 in the Study Lounge).
- Monday 16th December to Monday 23rd December inclusive
- Thursday 2nd January and onwards
E-Learning is not staffed at the following times while the University is closed:
- Tuesday 24th December to Wednesday 1st January inclusive
However, you can access our pre-prepared online help on the Self Service Portal, which provides many videos under the Learning and Teaching tab for how to use the E-Learning systems at Birmingham Newman.
If you email us between 25th December and 1st January, we will respond to your message from 2nd January 2025.
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The IT Service Desk will remain open up to and including the 23rd December.
Over the Christmas period, systems and emails to the Service Desk will be monitored for emergencies. Any non-emergency messages will be handled when the Service Desk re-opens on the 2nd January.
You can use the Knowledge Base on the university’s self-service portal to solve a range of common issues, so take a look at that first before reporting any issues.
If there is a broad service disruption, this will be communicated on the front page of the University’s self-service portal.
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The Estates Department will be on call over the Christmas and New Year period with a skeleton staff.
Please report any issues to Security, who are on campus throughout the Christmas break.
You can log your requests onto top desk and they will be picked up on the 2nd January 2025.
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All Registry services will be available for the usual hours up to and including 23 December 2024, however, please be aware that the Student Helpdesk will not be staffed on the 23 December, but on this day registry services will be available by email and telephone.
For queries relating to:
- Assessments: please contact assessments@newman.ac.uk
- Timetabling and Student Records: please contact registry@newman.ac.uk
To contact Registry by phone, please call 0121 3874509, where a member of the Registry team will be available.
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Bistro 32
Bistro 32 will be closed for the staff Christmas meal on Wednesday 18th December, open on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th December. It will then be closed over the break and reopening on Monday 6th January 2025 at 11am. Limited availability with on campus vending.
Atrium Café
The Atrium Café will be closed from 4pm on Monday 23rd December, reopening on Thursday 2nd January 2025 at 8am.
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The Sports and Fitness Centre will be closing all facilities for Christmas on Monday 23rd December at midday. The Centre will then be re-opening on Thursday 2nd January at 7am.
Either side of the Christmas break, normal opening hours will be in place:
- Weekdays: 7am-10pm
- Saturdays: 10am-5pm
- Sundays: 10am-3pm
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Regular services and activities stop from 12 December until 14 January.
Chaplains’ availability:
- to Thursday 19 December – as normal
- Friday 20 December to Friday 3 January – CLOSED
- Monday 6 January onwards – available as normal
Community Pantry, Chapel and the Prayer Rooms remain available during campus opening hours.
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The Union offices will be closed from Thursday 19th, re-opening on Friday 3rd January.