Monthly Archives: April 2015

CES summer term events

Don’t miss the Medway Careers and Employability Service events this summer term.  Offering help with CVs, job applications and interview skills.  You can earn Employability Points by attending.

  • CV writing with a creative twist, 19 May, 3-4pm, Clocktower 202
    • Advice on creating a good quality CV with additional information on creative CVs (useful for applications for creative roles).
  • Help! I’m graduating and I don’t have a job yet! 29 May, 12-1pm, G2-21
    • Not sure where to start with your graduate job hunt?  This workshop will introduce you to a range of different job searching methods including the use of vacancy websites, networking and social media.
  • Making applications, 3 June, 12-1pm, G2-21
    • Get to grips with job applications. Learn to master the STAR approach, find out how to beat applicant tracking systems and get your applications noticed by employers.
  • Interview Skills, 9 June, 1-2pm G2-21
    • Have a go at a practice interview in a safe environment.  Overcome your nerves and build your interview confidence.

Please email medwaycareers@kent.ac.uk to book your place.

Summer membership at Kent Sport

The summer vacation provides the perfect opportunity for you and your friends and family to enjoy a wide range of activities at Kent Sport during our quieter months.

From 1 June to 1 September 2015, why not purchase a one-month membership at Kent Sport from as little as £26? Membership can be taken out at any point during this period. A one-month Gold adult membership is just £33.50, and a one-month Gold junior membership (16 to 18 years) is now £26.00. Under 16’s pay £3.90 per activity.

The one-month membership provides unlimited access to modern sports facilities including the fitness suite, squash courts, all outdoor facilities and entry to all fitness and dance classes.

To purchase your summer membership, visit the Sports Centre or Pavilion receptions from 1 June. For further details and terms and conditions, please visit our website kent.ac.uk/sports/membership.

To stay up to date with Kent Sport news, events and special offers, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @UniKentSports.

Keynestock

Keynestock happens just once a year, and it’s definitely not to be missed! The University’s annual music festival is held in the grounds of Keynes College where a range of acts battle it out to be crowned the winner and get a gig at the Summer Ball.

The festival this year takes place on Saturday 30 May, and sees the whole college take on that festival vibe – with bars in Dolche Vita and K-Bar, a tasty BBQ, one awesome stage and a whole load of student acts showcasing their talent. You might even see the next rising star, like Ellie Goulding, who performed at Keynestock when she was a student here.

Tickets are £5 in advance from K-Bar or Mandela, or £7 on the door, and festivities begin from Midday.

LGBT Staff Network welcomes new chair

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Declan Kavanagh as the new chair of the LGBT Staff Network. Declan is Lecturer in Eighteenth-Century Studies and Co-Director of the Centre for Gender, Sexuality and Writing

All members of the LGBT Staff Network and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Team look forward to working with Declan to continue the work of the network and to build on its already considerable success. If you would like to discover more about the LGBT Staff Network, Role Models and Straight Allies Campaigns and forthcoming LGBT themed events click here

In addition the network and EDI Team would like to thank Dr Joseph Brooks for all of his commitment, enthusiasm and support during his time as Chair of the Network. Joe oversaw significant developments in the work of the group, including raising its online and social media profile, liaising with local LGBT groups and the outstanding progression of the University in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index ranking.

New Social Sciences Consortium to respond to ESRC DTP call

We are delighted to announce the formation of a new consortium to promote the Social Sciences. This important and exciting new research collaboration extends across eight universities in the South and East of England (University of East Anglia, University of Essex, Goldsmiths University of London, University of Kent, University of Reading, Royal Holloway University of London, University of Surrey and the University of Sussex).

The Consortium has confirmed its first commitment which is to bid for an ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership.  The Economic and Social Research Council announced in February 2015 that it will be delivering its postgraduate training strategy and studentship funding through a network of approximately 15 Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and 5 Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) from 2017 onwards.  The ESRC call will be announced in September 2015.

The Consortium will build on the achievements of current ESRC Doctoral Training Centres in the region and unite partners who have had previous success working together as part of a number of existing academic collaborations and formal partnerships, including the ESRC South East Doctoral Training Centre, NERC EnvEast Doctoral Training Partnership and the AHRC Doctoral Training Partnerships (Consortium for the Humanities and the Arts South-East England (CHASE) and TECHNE).

The first meeting of the Consortium was held in London on 20th March 2015 at which the proposed vision for the collaboration was set out as a strong and collegial partnership at the forefront of disciplinary and interdisciplinary development and recognised internationally for the strength of its social science research and training.

We look forward to working in partnership with academic staff and postgraduate researchers from across the Consortium to develop this shared vision and to enhance the future research and training environment for the next generation of social scientists.

A further update on the Consortium will be provided to staff in June 2015 and this will include additional advice on how preparations for responding to the ESRC DTP call will be taken forward.

The University of Kent lead academic representative on the Consortium Steering Group is Prof Diane Houston, Dean of the Graduate School and the senior administrative lead is Suzie Morris, Graduate School Administration Manager.  Please direct any queries relating to the formation of the new consortium to graddean@kent.ac.uk (copied to s.m.morris@kent.ac.uk).

Further information about the ESRC DTP and CDT commissioning process is available at: www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/postgraduates/dtc/dtc-policy/commissioning-doctoral-training.aspx

Get On Your Feet Kent!!!

On Friday 24 April 2015 Get Britain Standing.org is partnering with the British Heart Foundation to promote On Your Feet Britain.

Recent studies show that British people sit on average for 8.9 hours each day and that regardless of level of physical activity, sitting for more than 4 hours each day can lead to increased risks of;

  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Cancer
  • Back ache
  • Dementia
  • Depression
  • Muscle degeneration

The University has many members of staff working in predominantly sedentary roles and we would like to encourage everyone to commit to trying out three of the small actions outlined below, on Friday 24 April 2015, as a first step to increasing the time you spend on your feet and in turn improving your general health and minimising the risks outlined above.

Research also suggests that standing for just 3 hours of your working day may increase calorie burn by up to 144 calories per day, which equates to over 8lbs of fat in a year!!!

Commit to just 3 actions;

  • Stand during phone calls
  • Stand and take a break from your computer for 5 minutes, every 30 mins (do some simple stretches)
  • Use the stairs instead of lifts or escalators
  • Have a standing or walking meeting
  • Eat lunch away from your desk, at a location which requires a short walk to reach
  • Walk to your colleagues desk to talk to them rather than emailing or phoning
  • Stand at the back of the room during presentations
  • Organise a group walk at lunchtime

Come on – Stand Yourself Healthy!!

Please visit these links for more information about Health & Wellbeing and the facilities and services provided by Kent Sport.

Big 50th Anniversary Quiz

As part of the 50th celebrations we are holding a ‘Big 50th Anniversary Quiz’ between staff, students and Alumni on Wednesday 17 June at 6.00pm. The free to attend quiz will be held in Rutherford Dining Hall with food and drink refreshments provided during the event.

The three teams with the highest scores will be awarded prizes.

Teams need to be made up of a maximum of six people and have a team suitable team name, preferably based on your department or school.

Some of you have already registered your team, but for those who haven’t, please note places are limited and tables will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Please confirm your quiz participation, together with your team’s name, to Rooie Thomas: R.J.G.Thomas@kent.ac.uk.

The deadline for this is Thursday 30 April.

However, if you only manage to get your team together after this date, please still do contact Rooie to see if there is space remaining.

School achieves Athena SWAN Bronze award

The School of Computing has been awarded an Athena SWAN award for gender equality work.

The Athena SWAN award recognises the School’s commitment to combating underrepresentation, and advancing the careers of women in science research and academia.

The University was awarded an institutional Athena SWAN Bronze Award in April 2014, which recognised that Kent has established a solid institutional foundation, through the development of policies, practices and systems, to advance gender equality.

Professor David Chadwick, Chair of the Computing Athena SWAN committee, led the School application. He commented on the award: ‘I am pleased that Athena Swan has recognised the good work that we have doing to improve the equality and diversity within our school. We have made significant improvements to our recruitment, advertising and promotion procedures in order to make up for the severe national shortage of women in computing at all levels. We will continue to press ahead with our changes, and we plan to achieve a Silver Award in three years time.’

Kent Hospitality catering – University Business feature

Keith Williams, Head of Trading, has been interviewed for the May issue of University Business magazine in which he discusses Kent Hospitality’s award winning catering outlets.

Keith describes how we retain our customer base not just through pricing strategies and loyalty offers, but the quality of the food, outstanding customer service and the extended service periods.

Menu variety and providing outlet choice are also key to adding customer value for both Kent and the University of Sheffield (who also feature in the article). Keith Williams is emphatic about its importance: This has been our focus for a decade to create unique spaces across the campus, both to provide for the different types of experience that our varying student demographics are after, and to avoid duplication so that we offer a huge amount of choice.

The four page article can be read in the University Business online magazine (titled Fickle Friends).

For those with hard copies of the magazine, the article is pages 45-48.

Student Meditation Mix

The School of Music and Fine Art in collaboration with the Counselling and Wellbeing team and the Student Learning Advisory Service have produced a CD of guided meditations and original compositions to help students deal with stress and anxiety.

This is available free online for students to download http://www.kent.ac.uk/smfa/currentstudents/meditationmix2015.html . There are also a number of facilitated group sessions planned to help students during the run up to exams.

For more information on meditation and mindfulness please contact the Wellbeing Team http://www.kent.ac.uk/studentwellbeing/contact/index.html