Monthly Archives: November 2014

Auditions for University of Kent Players

The University of Kent Players are holding a read through of their next play, the farce ‘Cash on Delivery’ on Wednesday 19 November from 6-8pm in Grimond Seminar Room 5. Come along, meet everyone, read some of the script and talk about the production. Auditions will be held on Monday 24 November from 5.30-7.30pm in Keynes Staff Common Room.

If you have ever thought of being part of an Am Dram production but were too nervous to join an existing group, we are the ones for you! We are looking for actors and backstage crew and would love to meet you.

University statement on the UCU dispute

Universities Superannuation Scheme

The University of Kent welcomes the agreement at the Joint Negotiating Committee between the University Colleges Union (UCU) and Universities UK (UUK) on 13 November, to commence a process to close the differences between the stakeholders’ negotiating positions and to consult on the prospect for suspending the current industrial action from 20 November until the JNC scheduled for 15 January 2015.

The University understands the anxieties felt by many staff about their future pension arrangements. We do not, however, believe that an assessment boycott is in any way an appropriate means of achieving a resolution of what is an extremely complex issue which falls within the responsibilities of the Trustees of the Universities Superannuation Scheme. Such a boycott damages an essential element of the teaching and learning process. It is not reasonable to target students in this way.

The University hopes that members of the UCU will respond positively to the call from their negotiators and vote to suspend their action. In the event that the assessment boycott is lifted, it will look to any individual members of staff who have participated in industrial action to take steps, as a matter of urgency, to remedy any backlog of work that may have resulted from this action.

Prof Dame Julia Goodfellow
Vice-Chancellor

Buy charity Christmas cards for Africa

Why not purchase an office Christmas card this year?

It saves buying individual cards and covers everybody in the office.

To order, just ensure you have collected a minimum of £10 which will go towards our work in African schools and communities.

Email amanda@seedsforafrica.org or call 3202 before 5 December 2014 to arrange payment and delivery.

Help us change lives this Christmas!

Watch Cracking the Crinoline on 15 Nov

Combining crinolines, corsets and boxing boots, these Queen Bs remind us not to take little old ladies for granted.

Join them for a performance that is uplifting, life enhancing and will leave you reaching for your Marigolds.

Performance on Saturday 15 November at 13.00, 14.00 and 15.00 at The Turner Contemporary Margate.

StevensonThompson’s (SoA) Moving Memory Company, as part of the ‘Being human’ festival deliver a short, sharp, surprising sting.

Thanksgiving celebration, 26 Nov

This event is now fully booked.

Turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie! The University of Kent would like to invite its students to a Thanksgiving Celebration.

Date and time: Wednesday 26 November 2014, 7- 9.30pm
Location: Darwin Conference Suite
Tickets: only £10

The event will include a traditional three course dinner and festivities. We hope you will all be able to join us to celebrate this joyous holiday with your Kent family and friends.

View the menu and book your place at the dinner now.

For further details email international@kent.ac.uk

How we are enhancing your student experience

A lot of work goes on behind the scenes at the University to make sure we are continually improving your student experience.

The enhancing your experience webpages pulls together, in one place, improvements we have made in the following areas:

Condolences for David Reason

It is with great sadness that we report that David Reason, Master of Keynes College from 2005-8, passed away on Thursday 30 October. Our thoughts are with his wife Alla, the rest of his family and his many friends.

David Reason’s funeral will be held at the Parish Church of St Cosmus and St Damian, Blean on Thursday 13 November at 11.30am. All are welcome. It will be followed by a committal at Barham Crematorium (family only) and a Reception which will take place in the Keynes SCR, QSCR and first floor Teaching Gallery from 1pm-3pm. All are welcome. It is suggested that staff members wishing to attend the funeral may choose to walk to the church via Park Wood and the Crab and Winkle way, or at least car-share (this will help avert parking congestion at the church).

Flowers are restricted to family only please. The family asks that any donations that people wish to make be split between Ebola relief and Blean Parish Church (cheques to Blean PCC).

A tribute to David Reason by his former colleagues is available via this link.

Roller Disco, 14 Nov

Join the fun at roller disco on Friday 14 November, 6-7.30pm and 8-9.30pm, at the Sports Centre, Canterbury campus.

Tickets are £5 and you can bring a friend for FREE.

Simply return a completed application form to the Sports Centre or Pavilion reception desks.

All equipment is provided, so put on your groovy disco gear and let’s boogie on down (leg warmers and headbands are expected!).

Season’s greetings cards for the Kent Law Campaign

The Kent Law Campaign Student Group (KLCSG) is selling a beautiful selection of Season’s Greetings cards in aid of the Kent Law Campaign.

The KLCSG, who are supporting the University to raise funds for the Kent Law Campaign, a £5million fundraising project to build a new home for the Kent Law Clinic and the Kent Law School’s Mooting Programme, sought sponsorship from a local organisation to fund the cards and used stunning images of campus courtesy of Jim Higham from Information Services as their designs.

There are seven designs to choose from which will be available to buy at regular stalls held by the KLCSG, however please note that stock is limited and is expected to sell out fast!

Wednesday 12 November, 12-2pm, Plaza outside Essentials
Wednesday 12 November, 12-2pm, The Registry (Student Reception)
Thursday 13 November, 11am-1pm, Plaza outside Essentials
Friday 14 November, 1-3pm, Plaza outside Essentials
Monday 17 November, 9-10am, Plaza outside Essentials

The KLCSG would like to thank The Headley Pitt Charitable Trust for their generosity in sponsoring the cards this year.

Viv Albertine at the Creative Writing Reading Series

The Creative Writing Reading Series this week (Wednesday 12 November) welcomes the legendary Viv Albertine.

Part of the original “inner circle” with the Sex Pistols and a close friend of both Mick Jones and Joe Strummer of The Clash, Viv is an influential guitarist, singer and songwriter. She is perhaps best known as the guitarist for the all-female English punk group The Slits. After The Slits disbanded in 1982, Albertine studied filmmaking. She worked as a director, mostly for television, throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s.

Albertine’s memoir, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys, was published this summer in the UK by Faber and Faber. The Guardian review said: ‘And now she comes back to herself, and she is certainly playing brilliantly at the moment. She has survived where many were not waving but drowning. What she was searching for was there all along. Long before fourth-wave feminism started critiquing the cosmetic-industrial complex, the Slits – all underarm hair and knickers showing – were chaos magicians. The song that said ‘Typical girls / Don’t create / Don’t rebel / Have intuition / Can’t decide? Well, Albertine decided. Creation is the rebellion. She still has it all to play for.’

The Creative Writing Reading Series takes place every Wednesday in Keynes Senior Common Room at 6pm. Entry is £2 (wine included) and all are warmly welcome.