Monthly Archives: November 2017

Alumni Pub Nights – November 2017

Alumni Pub Nights, the new social and networking series for Kent alumni and students, will take place in local pubs in Canterbury or London on the last Tuesday on the month every two months and we would love you to join us!

What are the events?
The events aim to bring together alumni, students and staff from a range of disciplines with each night themed to different subjects surrounding workplace skills, networks and employability opportunities. Events could include speakers, or they may be geared to people interested in a particular sector or skillset, but all events will be a great opportunity for you to meet up with local alumni to network and think about your future.

When is the next event?
The next event will be at the Miller’s Arms in Canterbury on 28 November from 18.00 – 20.00. Meet TeachFirst’s Graduate Recruitment Officer and former teacher, Ross Cooper, who will lead a short, interactive discussion on working in education and teaching. This is a great chance for budding teachers to meet up to find out more about the profession and meet others who are interested in education. However, all are welcome to come along and catch up with Kent graduates.

Please register and join the event on Facebook for relevant updates.

First drink free! If you have any questions regarding this event please email us.

Kent Gives Back: Canterbury and the world

A team of 10 alumni and students will work together to support social activities for the elderly at The Chase care home in Canterbury on Saturday 25 November 2017, 10.00-13.00. If you would like to get involved please contact us.

Alumni in Boston (27/10), Washington DC (02/11), Chicago (11/11) and Los Angeles (09/12) have also volunteered for local community projects through the scheme including creating and serving meals for critically ill people and children and supporting food banks for the homeless.

So far 10 students and 28 alumni have volunteered their time through the scheme for community projects in 2017.

The next project will be in Canterbury, Medway, the US, France, Belgium and Greece in May 2018 we are happy to take suggestions for projects from anyone who would like us to support their cause, just email us.

Network, donate your time and share stories with Kent students and alumni!

CSHE Research Seminar – Insecurity and Inequality in Academia: The shape of things to come?

Colleagues are invited to attend the CSHE Research Seminar taking place on Thursday 16 November 2017, 13.00-14.00 in the UELT Seminar Room. Professor Carole Leathwood from London Metropolitan University will be presenting the seminar on Insecurity and Inequality in Academia: The shape of things to come?

The academic workforce has become increasingly casualised, with over 50% of all academic staff in the UK on some form of insecure contract. In this paper, Professor Leathwood will draw on both secondary data and primary research with academics (conducted with Barbara Read, University of Glasgow), to explore inequalities in the prevalence and distribution of insecure contracts and the experiences and concerns of academic staff.

Current trends suggest that increasing precarity in academia may be the shape of things to come, with serious implications for academics, research and the future of higher education. Such trends are not, however, inevitable, and Professor Leathwood will conclude by opening up a discussion of ways in which they might be resisted and challenged.

To book a place please email us.

Card access to Library

From 22 November students and staff will need to scan their KentOne card to enter and exit the Templeman Library.

Visitors are still welcome and will be allowed in too.

What this means for you

If you forget your card or do not have one, staff can let you in at the Main Entrance.
You won’t need a card to access the lecture theatre, seminar rooms or digital classrooms in A Block.

Library Road access

If you have mobility issues and forget your card or do not have a card, there will be an intercom at the Library Road Entrance. This entrance is closest to the car park.

Welcome Desk staff will be able to open the gates to let you in and out at Library Road. You can also use the Main Entrance.

If you don’t have a KentOne card

Staff: how to get a KentOne card
Anyone without a card can use the Main Entrance, where staff will let them in.
From next term, if you forget your KentOne card you will be able to get a Day Pass at the Main Entrance.

Visitor access

All visitors are welcome and will be let in by staff at the Main Entrance.
If you are a regular visitor we are looking into ways to offer you a visitor card; more details will be available soon.

Why we are moving to card access

Card access will help us improve services and security. We will be able to analyse what types of students use the Library most, ie undergraduates, postgraduates, and their academic school. This data will be anonymised and used to help us review trends.

We will look at it alongside anonymised data that we already collect about how study spaces and PCs are used, and how books, journals and e-books are used.

We want to improve the experience of using our services and collections. We want to identify trends to gain insight into how usage may affect academic outcomes, so that this can lead to meaningful service improvements.

Alcohol and drugs policy

The University is committed to safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of its students, and accepts its responsibility to promote good health by raising awareness of the risks of alcohol and drug misuse.

We respect the privacy of students, but will be concerned if a student’s behaviour impairs his/her conduct, safety or academic performance and/or adversely affects other students, staff, campus life or the wider community.

The University of Kent policies and penalties associated with drug and alcohol related offences are outlined in the following documents:

1. University Policy Statement Concerning Alcohol

2. University Policy Statement Concerning Drugs

These are a part of the general regulations, which can be found here.

If you or any of your friends have any concerns about these issues, you can access support via Student Support and Wellbeing and the Masters’ Offices.

VC Photo Competition

The University boasts campuses and centres in some of the most beautiful cities in the UK and Europe. The Vice-Chancellor is launching a competition for black and white photos of these cities, centres and campuses which will be displayed in her office.

Who is the competition open to?
The competition is open to University students, staff and alumni and participants are encouraged to submit black and white photos that capture the essence of these locations.

Judging and prizes
A panel of judges will choose the best entries , which will be displayed in the Vice-Chancellor’s office. There will also be a cash prize for the top entry for each location of £50.

When does the competition close?
The competition will close on Monday 4 December 2017.

Please read the competition rules and submit your photo on Flickr.

Postgraduate Open Morning – 25 November

Have you thought about postgraduate study for career progression or personal interest?

If so, come to Kent’s Postgraduate Open Morning on Saturday 25 November, from 10.00-13.00 in Darwin to find out more.

We will have the latest information about funding for research degrees as well as loans for Master’s and you may also be eligible for a staff discount on your fees.

Most of Kent’s programmes are available part-time and there are also some taught online and at weekends. All Kent’s UK and EU locations will be represented.

Park Wood Footpath – Coppicing

From Monday 6 November 2017 to 1 March 2018, coppicing will be taking place alongside the Park Wood footpath.

Coppicing increases the structural and compositional diversity of a woodland by opening up the canopy to provide varying light levels and encouraging a range of different aged trees in the woodland. This encourages growth of different species of flora on the woodland floor which in turn attracts a wider range of fauna increasing the overall biodiversity of the area.

There will be some noise disruption and a footpath adjacent to the main Park Wood footpath will be closed while the works are carried out.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and if there are any queries please contact the Estates Helpdesk on ext 3209.

Chris Wright
Senior Groundsman (Sport), Estates

Aurora @Kent event: Progressing your career

To support the University’s commitment to the LFHE’s (Leadership Foundation for Higher Education) Aurora programme, a number of initiatives, discussions and events are open to ALL members of staff throughout the year.

The next University of Kent Aurora @Kent Event will be on Thursday 23 November, from 13.00 to 14.00, on our Canterbury Campus. This Aurora @Kent event offers informal tips and advice for the promotions process and how to maximise development opportunities. It is timed to run alongside this year’s promotions round, but does not replicate but complement the official briefings run by HR. The panel will be made up of senior staff with experience on promotions committees, experts in professional services development opportunities, plus colleagues with recent success stories and advice. The format will be brief talks followed by informal Q and A.

This is an open event and everyone is most welcome – in the interests of equality, diversity and inclusivity, please note that very few male colleagues have attended in the past. These events support an important initiative for us all in the University community, so can I particularly encourage male colleagues to consider joining us?

To confirm your attendance at the event, please could you kindly email the Learning and Organisational Development team ldev@kent.ac.uk by Wednesday 15 November 2017.
Further details, including room location, will be sent once your attendance has been confirmed.

In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding this Aurora @Kent event or the Aurora Programme, please do not hesitate to contact Jena Dady, Learning and Organisational Development Adviser or a member of the Learning and Organisational Development team.

Tree planting – Canterbury campus

This week (from Monday 6 November until Friday 10 November 2017), a contracting team will be working in different locations planting trees that have been purchased as part of the University’s biodiversity plan.

All native species, the trees listed below will be planted in the following locations:

Stacey – Tillia cordata
Outer Campus University Road – Pinus sylvestris
Registry – Quercus suber
Darwin Rose Garden – Prunis avium
Becket Court – Alnus incanna
Wigoder – Taxus baccata
Rutherford Sothern Slopes – Cedrus atlantica

There may be some noise disruption and some pathway closures whil the works are carried out.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and if there are any queries please contact the Estates Helpdesk on ext 3209.

Chris Wright, Senior Groundsman
Estates