The Learning and Teaching Network provides sessions based around the categories used in the National Student Survey for staff working towards enhancing learning, teaching and assessment.

Details of sessions arranged for the Spring Term are now available to view at https://www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/networks/ltn/index.html

All staff are welcome to attend.

To confirm your attendance please email cpdbookings@kent.ac.uk

The next Pub Night will be on Tuesday 30 January with the theme of business start-up. This will be a great opportunity to network with fellow alumni and current Kent students and catch up on news from Kent.

The Kent Hub for Innovation and Enterprise will be joining us to talk about how you can start your own business and what help the University can give students, staff and alumni.

Come along to find out about business start-up workshops, online modules, mentors and workspace facilities that may help you get your business going.

You’ll also get the chance to hear from and speak to Kent graduate, David Browne, who started his own business with help from the University so it will be great for those who are not sure where to start or those just starting. David founded Convert Energy, a renewable energy design and project management company based in Canterbury, with his business partner Ben Glancy.

We will be at the Miller’s Arms in Canterbury on Tuesday 30 January from 18.00 – 20.00. Please come along even if you aren’t thinking of starting your own business to meet with current students and fellow alumni!

Click here to register and get your first drink free.

You may have seen in the news that a vulnerability has been found which affects central processing units (CPUs) in many of the devices we all use.

What we are doing:

Information Services are working hard to ensure that University Infrastructure is updated appropriately, and that any potential risks are mitigated.

What you should do:

We advise you to apply security updates for your own devices as you would normally. It is always important to keep your device updated with the latest security updates.

We will offer further advice through IS News as manufacturers respond to the issue. Further details and advice can be from the National Cyber Security Centre and on the BBC News website.

We are delighted to announce that the Student Success Staff Seminars will be taking place on a monthly basis, both Medway and Canterbury Campuses throughout the Spring and Summer terms. The purpose of these events is to update staff on the work of the project and allow colleagues from across the University to have input and exchange ideas. All staff are invited to attend so please do circulate this invitation to colleagues.

For full details of the seminars please visit the Student Success website

The first seminar “Virtual Student Advisor (Codename: MyDot)” will be delivered by James Grant, Systems Development Manager and Paul Sinnock IT & Technical Services Manager for EDA.

Thursday 18 January 2018, Canterbury Campus, Keynes College, Keynes Seminar room 16, 13.00-14.00

Friday 19 January 2018, Medway Campus, Pilkington Building, PK104, 13.00-14.00

University services are often presented according to the university organisational structure, rather than according to student need. The Virtual Student Advisor (codename: MyDot) aims to change this. The Student Success Project is proud to be working in partnership with the school of Engineering and Digital Arts, with the aim of consolidating the presentation of university services to students.

This seminar will explore how local need within a school is being used as a starting point to explore the narrative of innovation within the university. We will explore our processes, the system, and uncover some interesting and difficult questions.

To register attendance at this, or any of the other seminars published online please email through to studentsuccessproject@kent.ac.uk

There will be the opportunity to meet teams across Commercial Services (Kent Hospitality, Kent Sport and Gulbenkian), taste lots of delicious food samples from our catering outlets as well as chat about your forthcoming events and find out about the wide range of services and facilities we can offer including:

•       Event Management and delegate registration services

•       Conferences and Events – Canterbury and Medway campuses

•       Leisure and Special Interest groups

•       Bed & Breakfast

•       Beverley Farmhouse accommodation

•       Delivered catering

•       Beagle fine dining

•       Our catering venues

•       KentOne Card

•       Student accommodation

•       Housekeeping and reception services

•       Kent Sport

•       Gulbenkian

This event is not to be missed, so please register online today, make sure it’s in your diary and we look forward to seeing you on Thursday 11 January.

(Please note, registration closes on Monday 8 January).

For any queries relating to the Showcase, please contact the Conference Office on 01227 828000 or eventregistrations@kent.ac.uk

Why not start the New Year learning a new language?

The Centre for English and World Languages (CEWL) is offering four ten-week beginners’ courses in French, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish at a reduced price for Kent staff.

Classes will take place on Monday evenings from 18:00-20:00 at the Canterbury campus starting on 22 January 2018.

People who have taken the Language Express courses say it not only increased their knowledge of the language of a country, but also its culture, and encouraged them to continue learning the language.

For more information on classes, fees and how to book your place, visit the Language Express webpages.

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the LGBT+ Staff Network are pleased to open the call for papers for the Researching the Rainbow Conference on Thursday 15 February 2018, 15.00-19.00 in GLT1 on the Canterbury campus.

The conference, which takes part during LGBT History Month, is to showcase the vast array of excellent research being done at Kent on or related to LGBT+ people and issues, and to encourage multi-disciplinary collaboration and networking. The conference will be opened by University of Kent Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Karen Cox, who also acts at the Executive Group’s LGBT+ Champion.

Speakers last year included academics and students from the Schools of English, Law and History, discussing topics such as British colonial laws on sodomy, transgender and parenting identities within the law, homosexual WWII clandestine operatives and queer exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Art.

Research posters from students and academics from across the University are also welcomed for display. If you would like to do a talk (30 minutes) or display a poster, please email lgbtstaffnetwork@kent.ac.uk by Monday 15 January.

The conference is free and open to all.