Kent’s Centre for Professional Practice is launching a new online short course: Introduction to Master’s Level Study.

This short self-guided study resource introduces you to the concepts and skills required for successful study of the Master’s programme delivered by the Centre for Professional Practice. Participating in this course gives you the opportunity to develop academic writing and critical reasoning capabilities and manage complex information effectively. This is an online short course, no attendance is required. To access it you will be using the University of Kent’s Virtual Learning Environment.

For more information and how to sign-up, see the CPP webpages.

This is a self-guided study resource comprising two parts plus a third part for those wishing to gain academic credit.

• Part I: an introduction to the skills needed to research and write assignments at Masters’ level.
• Part II: an introduction to concepts of learning at Master’s level.
• Part III: assessment details (only required if seeking to gain academic credit).

From the course, you will develop skills in the following areas: the ability to communicate clearly in written formats in academic and professional workplace settings; manage complex information effectively and present this using a comprehensive range of learning resources; demonstrate a capacity for autonomous learning and the ability to access professional resources as appropriate.

On successful completion of Parts 1, 2 and 3, you will be awarded 15 credits.

You can purchase Parts 1 & 2 at a total cost of £100 (this is non-credit bearing option).
For those wishing to go on to gain academic credit, the cost for Part 3 is £550.

The University was saddened to learn that Reginald (Reg) Brown passed away peacefully on Thursday 1 December.

In the early years of the University there was an arrangement whereby selected students from the Rose Bruford college of Speech and Drama were permitted to complete a degree in English at Kent in two years. Reg was one of the first beneficiaries of this scheme, arriving at Kent in 1968. The Gulbenkian opened in June 1969 and the post of Director fell vacant just as Reg graduated a year later in 1970. He was already seeking other possibilities of employment, and was led to apply for it almost by chance, but was duly appointed.

Reg was Director of the Gulbenkian for 22 years, during which time, being a prodigious and versatile worker he directed, acted, sang, built and painted scenery and even serviced the theatre’s van. He fostered excellent town-gown relationships, directing and performing for amateur companies, and importing local talent into University productions. He inaugurated, with the help of the then Music Director Alan Laing, the summer pro-am operatic productions which ran for many years even after Reg’s retirement, and featured large international staff-student choruses. All this he achieved on a shoestring budget.

Widely known and liked, Reg was a defining figure in the University’s first quarter of a century; it is largely thanks to the achievements of Reg that the Gulbenkian gradually expanded into a central University arts complex.

Following Reg’s retirement he continued his long association with the University and with Rutherford College, as a valued Honorary Senior Member. Reg visited the University very recently to attend the 50th anniversary lecture on 14 October and also to attend the memorial service for another former member of staff, Bob Gibson, less than a fortnight ago.

The Rutherford flag is flying at half-mast in recognition of Reg’s long-standing association with the University and College. Reg will be greatly missed by all, and our thoughts are with his wife Janet.

Please contact the Rutherford Master’s Office if you would like to receive funeral details when they are known.

Picture shows: Reg Brown (left) and Bob Gibson (right) as the ‘Porters’.

Kent alumnus and human rights lawyer Jonathan Cooper OBE of Doughty Street Chambers will give a guest lecture on Brexit tomorrow, Wednesday 7 December.

Entitled ‘Has Brexit Broken Britain – Is it time for a Written Constitution?’, the lecture is open to all staff and students and will take place in Woolf Lecture Theatre from 11am to 12pm.

The guest lecture is being delivered as part of the Public Law 1 module co-convened by Dr Suhraiya Jivraj.

Jonathan Cooper read History at Kent and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University in July 2013 for his contribution to human rights law. Before training for the bar in 1991, he was the HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator for the Haemophilia Society in London, working also in Montreal for the World Federation of Hemophilia. He became an Associate Tenant at Doughty Street Chambers while working as Legal Director at Liberty and Deputy Director of JUSTICE. He became a full-time member of Chambers in 2002.

Jonathan Cooper’s legal career has been principally in the field of public law and international human rights law. He has been involved in some of the most important human rights cases of the last two decades at the European Court of Human Rights and domestically. He has also conducted training sessions for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence, as well as in Turkey, Syria, Georgia, Central Asia, the Caribbean region and West Africa.

In addition to being the editor of the European Human Rights Law Review, he is currently Chief Executive of the Human Dignity Trust and a Trustee of the Sigrid Rausing Trust. Until 2012, he was Chair of the Executive Committee of the Human Rights Lawyers Association and in 2007, he was awarded an OBE for his work in human rights.

• There will be a special Uni1 timetable between 19 December 2016 and 14 January 2017
• There will be no Uni2 buses running during this time
• Route 4 and Triangle* buses will continue to run to usual timetable with the exception of 25, 26, 27 December 2016 and 1 and 2 January 2017

The University and Stagecoach have listened to last year’s feedback to improve the 2016/17 Christmas timetable. This year the following changes are in place for the Uni1 service which is running Monday to Saturday:

• The 8:10 will continue to operate from Canterbury bus station to campus as usual
• Buses will continue to run to and from both Darwin and Keynes as usual
• The Keynes times have been adjusted to allow more time for you to reach the Keynes bus stop, for example changing the times from 17:05 to 17:10

The timetables are linked above. You can also pick up a physical copy of the special Uni1 timetable from reception areas around campus and at the Travel Shop located at Canterbury bus station.

Don’t forget to check out the new Stagecoach bus app which is free to download for iPhone and Android. You can plan your journey, check live bus times and even purchase mobile tickets on the app.

The Centre for Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP) at the University will be delivering its ten-week evening course in forensic psychology again next year, starting on Wednesday 22 February 2017.

Over ten weeks join some of the UK’s leading experts in forensic psychology and go beyond what you see on the TV shows to learn about the psychology of victims, offenders, crime investigation and rehabilitation. Please note, this course is only suitable for people aged 18 and over.

The course is made up of a series of lectures, delivered by a variety of esteemed experts in the field. More information on the course content and facilitators can be found on the e-flyer.

The lectures will take place on Wednesday evenings on the following dates: 22 February; 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 March; 19 and 26 April; 3 and 10 May. Each lecture runs from 18.00 to 19.30, and will take place in Keynes College, University of Kent, Canterbury Campus.

The course costs £160 (£110 for current University of Kent staff/students) and places can be booked here.

Please feel free to pass this information onto your colleagues and friends. For further information or if you have any queries, please contact Jackie Fotheringham at j.c.fotheringham@kent.ac.uk or on 01227 824 804.

Canterbury City Council, working with the University and partners, has published a comprehensive review on the impact of higher and further education in the city, which is now open for consultation.

You can now view the full report, two-page summary and key findings and recommendations.

It is the largest piece of work of its kind to be carried out in Canterbury and looks at three themes – the economic, social and physical impact of being a university city. We are pleased to have been involved in such a substantial review and welcome the acknowledgement of the hugely positive impact the university has on the city.

The University, along with Kent Union, have worked closely with the council to represent our staff and students. Other partners include; residents’ associations, community groups, landlords, Kent Police and local businesses, working alongside independent experts on university towns and cities.

A public consultation runs until Monday, 19 December. You can:

• Complete a survey
• Comment on Twitter using #canterburyhefe
• Write to: Strategy Team, Canterbury City Council, Military Road, Canterbury, CT1 1YW

We encourage staff and students to contribute to this valuable piece of work to ensure a balanced conclusion reflective of all communities within the city.