Maintenance
Maintenance services are available throughout the winter break should an emergency arise.
To report a maintenance fault, please contact the Security and Campus Safety Team, who will liaise with our Duty Engineers.
Staying on campus over the winter break? Christmas is a national holiday in the UK so campus may be a little quieter than usual, but there will still be plenty of facilities, food, fun and support for you.
Emergency and non-emergency contact details for first aid or incidents requiring security or police attendance at the Colchester Campus.
Emergency and non-emergency contact details for first aid or incidents requiring security or police attendance at the Loughton Campus.
Emergency and non-emergency contact details for first aid or incidents requiring security or police attendance at the Southend Campus.
Emergency action steps to follow if you discover a fire.
Find out who you can contact if you or someone needs urgent medical or mental health support.
If you need to talk to somebody, support is available at any time of the day or night, see our out of hours support information.
Although services around campus will be reduced, there are a range of different activities and events over the winter break period.
The last Dr Bike is on Wednesday 11 December and will return on the 15 January 2025.
Accommodation services will operate as normal until 20 December and will resume on 2 January. For more information about accommodation services, visit the accommodation pages.
If you're a new student arriving on campus, our Security teams are available to take your enquiries.
Our internet providers will provide a 24/7 service during the winter break.
If you have applied for support from the Hardship Fund, please be aware that applications will continue to be reviewed after the Christmas break, within the timeframe stated within the terms and conditions.
As online shopping increases during the festive season, criminals exploit this by advertising fake goods on social media or auction sites, cloning websites, and requesting payments via bank transfer. Common scams include deposits for non-existent pets, DIY tools, electronics, and fake courier or insurance fees. Warning signs include deals that seem too good to be true, requests for bank transfers, fake invoices, newly launched websites, and pressure to buy quickly. If you suspect fraud, contact your bank using official details and report it to Action Fraud at 0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk.
Monday 22nd December 2025 to Friday 2nd January 2026 (inclusive) CLOSED.
SU Advice will re-open on Monday 5th January 2026.
Are you staying on campus over the winter break? Join us at the Christmas Reception on 29th December at Wivenhoe House for a buffet lunch and a few surprises!
The answers to many of your queries, including how to access documents, can be found by visiting our Student Directory | University of Essex.
If you have a general funding query, you can also contact us by completing our funding enquiry form for help and advice.
Normal IT Helpdesk support and services will be available until 20 December and will resume from 2 January.
The following IT labs at Colchester Campus will be open during the winter break:
For more information about study and lab space, visit the places to study page.
Students can access the Learning Hub and Library floor in The Forum building, via the North access (SMACS) door. Security is on site 24/7 365 days a year.
For full details of Library services across all three campuses, visit the Library website.
All new students starting in January will be able to access Online Pre-Registration, including submitting Right to Study Checks and making fee payments, across the period of the closure.
Please note that the live chat service in Online Pre-Registration will not be in operation whilst we are closed.
If you submit any immigration or ID documents as part of your online Right to Study Check whilst we are closed, these will be checked within five working days of the University re-opening on Monday 5 January 2026. We will contact you with the outcome of any checks via email.
You will not be able to complete your In-Person Registration Appointment during the period of the University closure. This service will resume from Tuesday 06 January 2026 at our Colchester and Southend campuses. Find out more information about this service.
Tuesday 16 December: Hubs will close at 12.30pm.
Wednesday 17 December: Colchester Information Desk will close at 2.00pm, but phones and live chat services will remain available until 4.00pm.
Christmas Break: Student Services Hubs will close at 4.00pm on Tuesday 23 December, and will reopen at 9.15am on Monday 5 January.
Upon reopening, the hubs will return to their extended opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 9.15am to 5.00pm
- Friday: 9.15am to 4.45pm
During the University's closure from 24 December to 4 January, advice, support and information can be accessed via the Student Services Hub pages, including how to access documents.
Our service will remain open until 4pm on 23 December 2025 and will reopen on 5 January 2026.
If you are experiencing emotional or mental health difficulties which is an emergency and cannot wait until the next working day, you can ring NHS 111, option 2 for urgent mental health support. Additionally, in an emergency, our Security Team will be able to assist you.
Students are welcome to complete requests for counselling in the usual way via MyEssex over the Winter Break. Any requests submitted between 22 December 2025 and 4 January 2026 will be reviewed during the week of 5 January 2026.
To receive emotional support during the break, students can still ring the Student Wellbeing Support Line on 0800 028 3766. This will continue to be open 24 hours a day, every day, including on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Students can also access Togetherall at any time or download the Wisdom app. Use the code MHA307573. Find out more about Wisdom.
All Essex Food outlets will be closed on 25, 26 December 2024 and 1 January 2025.
Wivenhoe House Hotel will be open throughout the winter break offering Christmas lunch and dinners.
For more information visit the Wivenhoe House Hotel website.
The Patrol Officers are available 24/7; this service will continue throughout the winter break.
For more information about security on campus, visit the security services pages.
Maintenance services are available throughout the winter break should an emergency arise.
To report a maintenance fault, please contact the Security and Campus Safety Team, who will liaise with our Duty Engineers.
Post Room services will operate as normal until 20 December and will resume on 2 January.
To reduce our environmental impact over the winter break, we’ll be closing buildings that aren’t in use and reducing the heating level.
The following areas will remain open, except between 7pm on 31 December and 7am on 1 January:
Specific opening times for Essex Food and Essex Sport are also available.
The following buildings will be closed throughout
The University will close at the end of the working day on Friday 20 December for the Christmas holiday period and will re-open on Thursday 2 January 2025.
Although the autumn term ends on Friday 13 December, staff will be working as normal to close of play on Friday 20 December.
The last collection/delivery date for the University’s internal courier will be Tuesday 17 December. Any other general outgoing post within The Gateway Building will have the last collection at 4pm on Friday 20 December and taken to ground floor reception.
On Christmas Eve (24 December), Christmas Day (25 December), Boxing Day (26 December), New Year’s Eve (31 December) and New Year’s Day (1 January), The Gateway Building will be closed. No access to The Gateway Building will be possible.
On the 23, 27, 28, 29 and the 30 December, the building will be in partial lockdown and accessible to essential staff only. Students will receive a separate notification re building access over the Xmas break.
This means that ITS, Estates and CMG members will be able to gain access to the building, via the disabled entrance door, up to 10pm Mon to Fri and 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Security are happy to facilitate access for other staff providing they provide notification to security southsec@essex.ac.uk ahead of their arrival.
Please note that the ground floor reception desk will not be manned by university staff during the closure period.
Staff will return on Thursday 2 January and The Gateway Building will be open as normal.
The SU Lounge will close Friday 13 December at 3pm, until 11am Monday 13 January, other than when they run events. Events held over the winter break can be found here.
The Christmas and New Year opening times are as follows:-
Throughout the Christmas period students and staff can still access the Learning Hub and Library floor in The Forum building, via the North access (SMACS) door. Security is on site 24/7 365 days a year.
Clifftown Studios will be closed as of Friday 20 December and re-open on Thursday 2 January.
University Square is open every day including bank holidays (manned by security).