Monthly Archives: September 2018

Support at Kent

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.

Free Study Plus workshops to boost your CV

Registration is open now on our FREE Study Plus workshops. There is a wide variety of courses which allow you to explore your creative side as well as learning new skills to help you during your studies and when you graduate. Courses include:

KE192: #DigitalReboot Business Start-Up Workshops
KE125-KE127: Advanced Spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel
KE170: The Ever-Changing Face of Sherlock Holmes
KE158/KE159: Acting for Beginners/Improvers
KE146: Harry Potter and the Literary Phenomenon
KE148: U. N. I. (You and I) Protect
KE178/KE179: Cambridge/IELTS Exam Preparation Taster
KE095: Communicate with Confidence
KE172: A Journey through 100 Years of Art and History (1860s-1970s)
KE155: An Introduction to Sustainability

And many, many more…

Book your place via the Workshops page in SDS.

Study Plus is also a proud sponsor of the Employability Points scheme that rewards students for active engagement in co-curricular activities.

Study Plus offers you the chance to earn up to 60 Employability Points per course (number of points varies depending on the number of hours attended)! The points can then be exchanged for the chance to apply for rewards including paid internships, work experience opportunities, training and vouchers offered by local and national employers.

Discounted Language Express courses for Medway students

The Centre for English and World Languages offers 20 week courses in French (Beginners) and Japanese (Beginners and Post-Beginners) at the Medway campus. The classes take place on Wednesday afternoons and will begin on 10 October 2018.

We are currently offering 50% discount for the first 35 Kent students at the Medway campus who apply, reducing the cost to just £114 for the entire course!

Visit the Language Express website to find out more and to book your place today.

Carers support Autumn events

Are you a carer, or do you think you could be? Would you like to talk to someone about your caring role?

The University of Kent and Carers FIRST recognise that gaining support for your caring role whilst studying can be difficult. We are therefore offering you the opportunity to gain 1-2-1 support in your caring role and share your experiences with other carers on campus.

Join us at the Rochester Building, room R2-05 on the Medway campus on:

Wednesday 3 October, 12.30-14.30
Wednesday 7 November, 12.30-14.30
Wednesday 5 December, 12.30-14.30

Carers FIRST Community staff will be on hand to chat to you about your caring role and to offer support.

U.N.I (You and I) Protect workshops

Places are now available on U.N.I (You and I) Protect workshops running in October 2018.

All of us can take action to protect each other and the wider University community to help promote a culture of dignity and respect at Kent. This programme will help you recognise and challenge problematic and harmful behaviour, such as abuse or sexual harassment.

On completion of the course participants will understand what a ‘bystander’ is and be empowered to be able to intervene in situations safely and with confidence.

There will be two sets of workshops running in October 2018. You can attend on either Monday or Friday mornings from10.00 to 11.30 during weeks 3, 4 and 5. All students who complete the course will receive 15 Employability Points.

If you want to take part or simply want to find out more please visit the Study Plus website. The module code is KE148. Places are limited so please sign up as soon as you can.

Further information about the course can also be found on the Student Services website.

Crowdfunding@Kent – Build the crowd!

One of the stand out events in Freshers Week this year was the much anticipated launch of the University’s new crowdfunding platform , CrowdFunding@Kent

A joint project between Kent Union and The Development Office, Crowdfunding@Kent provides a vehicle for small student projects to be funded throughout the year. The best projects could even receive match-funding up to £1000.

Students, groups and societies are invited to apply online. The most exciting and best supported projects will be first in the queue to try their hand at crowdfunding.

A test project run through the platform earlier this year called The Green Room – From Tree to Building successfully raised more than £6,000 to construct a teaching and social space using timbers cut from campus woodlands.

For further information email crowdfunding@kent.ac.uk or download an application form.

Estates Post Room – Counter Services

Due to unforeseen circumstances it is necessary to reduce the opening time of the Estates Post Counter to 13.00-14.00 from the normal 12.00-14.00.

All existing services will remain available within this reduced opening time.

This interim arrangement will remain for the remainder of this week.

We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause and if there are any queries please contact Estates Customer Services on ext 16666.

E-Learning Forum: MOOCs at Kent

Colleagues are invited to the e-learning forum on Tuesday 9 October, from 12.00-13.30, in the UELT Seminar Room, Canterbury Campus.

We will explore the development and delivery of massive open online courses (MOOCs) at Kent. Find out about the courses we have developed and delivered, the FutureLearn partnership, and how you might get involved.

We will look at the courses we have run, including our latest ‘Politics, Art and Resistance’ and ‘Communicating Effectively with Vulnerable Children’, and examine how these are providing wider benefits for the University.

If you would like to find out more about this exciting project, or just want to learn more about our MOOCs, please book your place on the e-learning forum via the online booking form or contact Dr Mark O’Connor (Distance Learning Technologist) via email: m.a.o’connor@kent.ac.uk

Accessibility tours on Canterbury and Medway campuses

The Staff Disability Network are pleased to communicate that the previously known Day Walks will be starting again – they are now known as ‘Accessibility Tours’, to give a more inclusive feel and provide a greater understanding of the purpose of the tours.

The aim of the tour is to get a better understanding of the campus experience for disabled members of staff and students with a view to improve their experience.

The focus of the tours will be on:

Routes to and from buildings
Access into and out of buildings, particularly the new builds and the refurbished building.

The tours will occur during the following times of year:

22nd November 2018 – 13.00-15.00 – Canterbury, this will be an outside campus tour starting at the Main Library Entrance
13th February 2019 – 13.30-15.30 – Medway Campus , this will be an outside campus tour – start at The Royal Church on the Dockyard
8th May 2019 – 14.00-16.00 – Canterbury Campus – this will be reviewing the accessibility of new builds and refurbished building – Starting place to be confirmed

Exact routes will be communicated nearer to the time to allow for those that cannot complete the full tour to attend any part of the tour that they can. The tours are open to everyone to attend. There is no need to notify us of your intention to attend just meet us at the starting place of the tour.

As only limited numbers of tours can occur during the year, we are also encouraging you to be aware of your surroundings and report any issues that you feel are hindering access to areas or buildings, so we can investigate and action if necessary. Please send any concerns to either: Equality and Diversity equalityanddiversity@kent.ac.uk or disability-network@kent.ac.uk

Kent-Ghent: Joint call for projects

For the sixth successive year the University of Kent, with one of its longstanding international partners, Ghent University, Belgium, is offering funding to support a number of collaborative projects across a range of disciplines. The funding of up to £1,000 per project is offered by Kent’s Dean for Europe, Professor Jeremy Carrette, and aims to support mobility between colleagues at the two institutions.

For full details apply here.