The Careers and Employability Service are excited to announce details of Employability Festival 2016. The four week festival was a success last year and will continue with the same format this year, taking place on the Medway campus from 10 October to 21 October and continuing at the Canterbury Campus from 24 October to 4 November.

This year’s programme is packed with industry professionals offering advice on etiquette, networking, interviews, presentations and more. The Academic Schools and Professional Services have also kindly offered their expertise with information on topics such as self-employment, volunteering, and working as an international student.

As usual the Festival is home to the Employability Fair, taking place on Wednesday 12 October from 12-3pm in the Pilkington Open Space. Exhibitors this year include Enterprise Rent-A-Car, IBM, SEO London, Nuffield Health, Civil Service Fast Stream, Young Lives Foundation and many more.

For a full list of events please see our website.

The annual University Employability Festival starts soon across the Canterbury and Medway campuses. It is free to all University of Kent students!

• Medway campus: 10 October to  21 October
• Canterbury campus: 24 October to 4 November

With more than 100 organisations taking part in over 130 events this is your chance to meet graduate employers, industry experts, Kent alumni and academics. Take part in competitions, get expert advice on CVs and skills development, interviews, assessment centre tips and much more.

EmpFest programmes will be available to download or collect from the Careers and Employability Service or student helpers on campus. Some events have limited numbers so check out the programme and book your place ASAP.

Highlights include:

• The Employability Fair: Wednesday 12 October, 12.00 – 15.00, Pilkington Open Space, Medway campus
• The Careers Fair: Tuesday 1 November, 12.00 – 15.00, Sports Centre, Canterbury campus

Plus four Keynes Atrium Mini Fairs!

• Work and Study Fair Tuesday 25 October
• JobShop Part-Time Recruitment Fair Thursday 27 October
• Teaching Fair Thursday 3 November
• Languages Fair Friday 4 November

Check out the exhibitors attending the Fairs at www.kent.ac.uk/ces/events/empfest

Follow us at www.facebook.com/ukces @unikentemploy

After a screening at Shambala Festival in August, acclaimed award-wining contemporary visual artist and School of Music and Fine Art Lecturer Adam Chodzko’s Deep Above will continue its tour at Manchester Science Festival on October 22 at Texture in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

The work uses moving image and sound to explore, short-circuit and abstract our slippery self-deceptions regarding climate change. Exploring the zones between the rational and irrational, and mind and body, whilst adopting the languages of meditation, hypnosis and ‘self help’ he addresses the behavioural psychology analysed in George Marshall’s book Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change.

Deep Above is commissioned by Invisible Dust, advised by Adam Harris, experimental psychologist University College London and Paul Wilkinson, Environmental Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It has been part of Bristol European Green Capital and is produced in association with Watershed and Shambala Festival and is funded by an Arts Award from the Wellcome Trust.

Exhibiting internationally since 1991, Adam Chozko works across media, from video installation to subtle interventions, with a practice that is situated both within the gallery and the wider public realm. http://www.adamchodzko.com

Manchester Science Festival is running from Thursday 20 October to Sunday 30 October. For more info go to http://invisibledust.com/

Kent Union is proud to present Black History Month 2016 in partnership with the University of Kent Student Success (EDI) Pilot Project, hosted by your Ethnic Minorities Officer Hillary Juma, with support of UKC student volunteers and societies.

We hope this month will be a catalyst for all to explore Black and Minority Ethnic history (which is so diverse and rich), to highlight the positive contributions to society within it and to show support for Black and Minority Ethnic individuals in their struggles against oppression.

The joint union and university Black History Month campaign will reflect on the cultures of African, Caribbean, Asian, Arab and Latin American origins. All University students are welcome to contribute ideas and participate in the events organised.

Events running throughout the month include The Black History Month Exhibition in Keynes, film screenings, evenings of spoken word and debate and many more for detailed information on each event please visit: www.kentunion.co.uk/bhm

Now the Welcome Week madness is over, it’s probably a good time to start exploring Kent and the support services we have to offer. Watch our support, health and wellbeing video. 

You can also read our short pdf guide to support at Medway.

Support with your studies

Studying for a degree is very different to studying at school. You have a lot more control over your learning and greater independence.

You will also be asked to do things you’ve never had to do before (eg referencing in a certain way, dissertations, vivas…) this is where the Student Learning and Advisory Service (SLAS for short) steps in.

SLAS can help you with everything from perfecting your essay writing to learning how to reference properly. You can learn in your own time using our online guides or attend one of SLAS’ many workshops.

Don’t forget your school is also there to help you with your studies and offer a range of study support.

Have you registered with Student Support and Wellbeing?

If you have a disability you should contact Student Support. They can provide not only academic support but can help with applications for funding.

If you’re going through a difficult time or just don’t feel happy – staff in our Wellbeing Team are always available to listen.

Advice Centre

From money worries to getting on with your housemates, Greenwich and Kent Students’ Unions Together’s Advice Centre are available to help. All advice is free – so make the most of it!

Medical advice

You are advised to register with a practice near to your accommodation.

If you are living in Liberty Quays or within 6 miles of the University, you can register with the Sunlight Centre Surgery.

You can also get a list of local GPs from Student Services in the Gillingham Building.

Master’s Office

When you arrived at Kent you automatically joined a college. Your Master’s Office is there to give advice and can be used as a first port of call for any questions you may have.

Chaplaincy

University Chaplains run a wide range of religious and social events (including a very festive carol service in St George’s Centre on campus). They are also a good contact for advice and support.

It has been agreed with the Historic Dockyard that from 19 September until 14 October 2016, staff and students will be able to park in the Mast Pond car park on production of a valid KentOne card.

This is to allow for the student permits to be allocated via the Medway parking ballot. Find out if you are eligible to apply for a permit to park at Medway.

After this date, a valid University of Kent permit will need to be displayed.

Today, Friday 23 September, is Bi Visibility Day – a day to recognise, support and celebrate bisexuality and bisexual icons and champions around the world. Find out about some of Kent’s role models on the LGBT+ Staff Network blog!

What is bisexuality?

A bisexual person is someone who can be attracted to more than one gender, and studies show that as much as half of the lesbian, gay and bisexual population identify as bisexual. In other words, bisexual–– or bi –– people comprise the largest single group in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community.

How does Kent support bisexual colleagues?

The LGBT+ Staff Network is proud to work with and support members of Kent’s diverse and inclusive community, and to foster cultural and policy change to advocate for LGBT+ people and their supporters.

You can find advice about how you can be part of this in the workplace on the Human Rights Campaign or Stonewall websites.

Think you might by bisexual?

Members of the LGBT+ Staff Network know what it feels like to have questions about your sexual orientation or gender identity and are here to help. Email lgbtstaffnetwork@kent.ac.uk for confidential advice as well as information about support and resources available to you.

About the LGBT+ Staff Network

The Network is open to all members of staff regardless of grade, function, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. We support HR in their work to make Kent an inclusive and safe environment to work in and we work closely with the Kent Union student LGBT+ Society to ensure that LGBT+ issues are represented and promoted. Our next event is on Thursday 3^rd November 12-2pm (venue tbc).

Some people have experienced problems with the way certain electronic calendar providers handle time zone data which has resulted in inaccurate timetables. Our IT department has found a solution and so your timetable in your personal calendar and Student Guide should now match.

Please note that group allocations for stage 0 and 1 and Postgraduate modules will be finalised by Friday 23 September and will appear on your timetables through the day.  Please check your timetables in Student Guide, refreshing the cache each time you view your timetable.

Timetabling Office
timetabling@kent.ac.uk