The Project Steering Group met on Tuesday to discuss launching Staff Connect as planned and previously advised in March’s update. The Steering Group were satisfied that the new system can accurately pay employees and that all staff using the system are fully trained and competent in its use, but noted there remained three critical issues concerned with external processes. Unfortunately, it was therefore decided that together they were significant enough to not Go Live in April. Since that decision, of the three remaining issues; one has now been fixed, one is in testing and the third is still being worked on.

It is anticipated that the remaining issues will soon be resolved and therefore a May Go Live is looking more positive. A decision has yet to be made concerning the exact launch date of employee self-service, but this too is expected to be sometime in May.

Sent in by: Katerina Flint-Nicol, Staff Connect Project Support Assistant.

New Peer Reviewed Advanced Journal of Professional Practice (AJPP) at the University of Kent for academics, professionals and students.

Call for submissions
The Centre for Professional Practice is delighted to announce its new Advanced Journal of Professional Practice (AJPP). The AJPP has a specific remit for contemporary work which addresses trans-disciplinary, work-related, practice-based applications of new knowledge, technology, discussion, research or practice-based innovation. The journal allows for the sharing of experiences and gold standard practices for anyone working in a professional role and is inclusive of student dissertation papers, from all faculties across the University.

As such, the AJPP looks for submissions that do any of the following:

• Offers a critical discussion of any area of contemporary professional practice
• Describes applications of research findings, innovation or other initiative to an area of professional practice; and particularly which might be considered and applied by analogy to other disciplines
• Brings together trans-disciplinary activities in relation to professional practice
• Explores the inter-relationship of professional practice
• Contributes to recent developing conversations within professional practice
• Offers innovative, surprising, unexpected and creative innovations within a professional practice context
• Has an emphasis on a professional work-related application

John Wightman, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, said:
” We welcome the appearance and creation of the Advanced Journal of Professional Practice (AJPP). The founding of the AJPP at the University of Kent will allow for the publication of new knowledge and innovations of a work-related professional practice nature or practical advancements. It will encourage its readers to apply new knowledge and skills or to unearth new found inspiration to develop innovative practices within their workplace.”

If you are interested in publishing your work, please send email enquiries to AJPP@kent.ac.uk and submissions via the website.

To mark the end of World Innovation and Creativity Week on the 21 April, representatives from local businesses and organisations arrived on the Canterbury Campus for the Annual Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise Showcase.

During the morning the guests enjoyed inspirational talks from Dr Dan Lloyd from the School of Biosciences and Professor Aylish Wood from the School of Arts, as well as Dalia Halpern-Matthews from local arts organisation Nucleus Arts. From crocheted DNA to high heels to animated pandas, guests were given a unique view into how art and science can work together.

Following the talks the guests were able to find out more about how they themselves can work with the University to develop their own businesses in breakout sessions on funding support, student talent and new initiatives emerging from the University.

Guests who joined one particular breakout session were given the opportunity to help shape a brand new programme, which aims to be the bridge bringing women from all walks of life together to effect positive change, being launched by Kent Innovation and Enterprise later this year.

The day concluded with a performance of Cellular Dynamics, a collaborative science-music project curated by Dr Dan Lloyd and performed by Dan Harding, Deputy Director of Music. The project fuses music from composers Philip Glass, Tarik O’Regan and John Cage with specially selected images and video taken from research data from the School of Biosciences. The performance gave guests an exclusive and remarkable insight into cutting-edge biological research, and created a suitably meditative atmosphere to close the event.

Kent Innovation and Enterprise would like to thank all the presenters, performers, support staff and delegates for making this year’s showcase truly special.

If you have received funding from one the members of Research Councils UK (RCUK), you need to make sure that details of your publications are in the Kent Academic Repository (KAR) and ResearchFish.

For items published between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017, you should report these by Tuesday 9 May.

To find out which publications this applies to, and what you need to do, read [this post by the Information Services Research Support Team.

Following the successful launch of our first courses on FutureLearn funding has now been made available to help develop up to three MOOCs – Massive Open Online Courses – over the next year. We are holding a special elearning forum at UELT on Thursday 18th May, 12.00-13.30, UELT Seminar Room to share our experience and reflections on our first courses, and invite proposals for courses to be developed.

At this event we will provide an overview of the project and our work so far with FutureLearn, explain the process for proposing a MOOC, and clarify the commitment expected from any successful proposer. UELT will provide advice and support as required to those wishing to write proposals, which are to be submitted in June.

The available funding will cover the costs of media production and teaching assistants, while academic time and expertise will be provided by Schools/Centres and project management by UELT. There is also some limited funding to help Schools/Centres in enabling academic staff to contribute.

If you would like to find out more about this exciting opportunity, or just want to learn more about our MOOCs project, please book your place on the elearning forum by emailing us or contacting Dr Mark O’Connor (Distance Learning Technologist.)

You can try the journal Science Robotics until 30 June.

Science Robotics is a new journal in the Science family, covering all aspects of robotics: technology, theoretical advances, practical applications, and social, ethical and policy issues.

Should we keep this resource?
We need your feedback to decide: email your comments to eresources@kent.ac.uk

The Kent research support event will focus on how to maximise the impact of academic research at the University of Kent.

What’s on?
A series of innovative and interactive workshops will be hosted by external, research impact specialists alongside senior academics and experts from Kent. There will also be an opportunity to present your work at a poster exhibition that will run throughout the day.

• Workshop 1: ‘Impact: What is it all about?’ – with Dr Julie Bayley
• Workshop 2: ‘On the road to impact: planning your journey’ – with Professor Mark Reed
• Workshop 3: Building Blocks of Impact: networking, external organisations and public engagement
• Workshop 4: ‘Get Connected for Impact’

The event will end with a drinks reception where the best poster will be announced, with a prize of £300 awarded to the winning attendee.

Who should attend?
The event is FREE and will benefit all staff and postgraduate students involved in research and research support or administration. The day will be particularly useful to those who will be involved in a future REF impact case study or those just starting out who would like to find out what it’s all about.

Once you have registered we will contact you directly to ask which session(s) you would like to attend.

Submitting a research poster
The deadline to register your intention to submit a research poster along with a brief abstract is Friday 5 May, and a PDF poster should be submitted by Friday 12 May. You will be required to bring an A1 printed poster to Woolf College on the morning of the event.

To register your interest and submit an abstract, email j.hurst-853@kent.ac.uk.

Sent in by J.Hurst

During the summer term, the Templeman Library is hosting the JISC Digital Classroom Roadshow.

The roadshow is part of the Future Learning Spaces work being carried out by Information Services, UELT, and Estates. It will inform teaching space developments at the University and act as a pilot for development of innovative teaching spaces during the 2017-18 academic year.

The roadshow will be onsite from 8-26 May 2017, allowing staff and student to experience a technology-rich active learning environment, and investigate technologies and pedagogies that can enhance student learning.

We have prepared several events, and there is an opportunity for schools and departments to book the roadshow room themselves to come and explore teaching and learning. These events will be supported by UELT and Information Services staff.

One highlight is a lecture on developments in active learning at Canterbury Christ Church University.

For more details, visit the Digital Classroom Roadshow website and check out the programme of events. If you would like to book onto any sessions, learn more about the roadshow, or book in your own session, please email us.

Kent Hospitality would like to thank all participants who provided feedback via their Mystery Diner scheme in the spring term.

The catering team aim to deliver a diverse range of outlets across both the Canterbury and Medway campuses, offering friendly service and delicious food to suit all tastes. Kent Hospitality are delighted that their customers have left such positive feedback, and will strive to improve their services to ensure their outlets continue to be of the highest standard.

Here is an outline of the results:

• 76% rated food quality as good or excellent
• 84% rated customer service as good or excellent
• 80% rated outlets as good or excellent overall
• 91% of respondents would recommend Kent Hospitality outlets to someone else

Customer feedback included:

• ‘All your staff are cheerful and friendly, and welcoming. Lovely.’
• ‘The food is of an excellent standard, the staff are friendly and efficient and the food in Rutherford dining hall is good value for money.’
• ‘I’ve eaten here several times, the food is always good and the staff are very friendly!’

Information about Kent Hospitality’s Mystery Diner scheme can be found in their catering outlets.

Sent in by Hannah Brazier