A new report released yesterday by Universities UK (UUK) and the National Union of Students (NUS) report into the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) student attainment gap in UK higher education says that universities must work to close the attainment gap (white students are statistically more likely to get a 2:1 or a First than BAME students).

The publication of the report, Black, Asian and minority ethnic student attainment at UK universities: #ClosingtheGap, follows contributions from 99 universities and student unions and six regional roundtable evidence sessions with 160 attendees on how the attainment gap should be tackled.

Dr Laura Bailey, Lecturer in the Department of English Language and Linguistics and Student Success Project Lecturer, comments on these findings: “the School of European Culture and Languages is very fortunate to be one of the seven pilot schools in the Student Success Project, which has been working for the last five years to close this gap. We’ve been gathering data and finding out what works. We’ve begun to develop racially diverse and inclusive environments by evaluating our reading lists, inviting speakers from diverse backgrounds and introducing staff awareness training. We need to have open conversations about race at every level, from individual students and staff to the highest levels of university management, and the School is leading the way on this. The BAME attainment gap is one of the most important issues facing higher education today, and we have to make some changes in the way we do things.”

Have you ever entered Eliot College and found yourself walking through corridors which look the same, unable to find your destination easily?

The Estates Department has been working to resolve this issue and Eliot College has been undergoing an internal signage refresh recently. Each wing is becoming colour-coded and each sign will correspond to the colour of the wing.

Jenny Martine, Interior Services & Signage Manager in the Estates Department explains the benefits this will bring “At every stairwell and decision point there will be large maps, directories and clear wayfinding.  The scheme will add colour, improve the wayfinding process and bring the building up to date. This will hopefully reduce the anxiety of orientating around a complicated building.”

Eliot is the oldest College of the University of Kent. It was established in 1965, the same year the University opened, and is named after the poet T. S. Eliot. The nature of this mixed use building, with academic offices, study-bedrooms and several large areas for distinctive uses – teaching spaces, common rooms and the Great Hall with its views of the Cathedral, led to the adoption of a block design with the college divided into several square cores, each containing a distinctive interior space with study bedrooms or offices along all four walls. Given the complexity of the overall building design, and the challenges for internal navigation that this brings, the new clear and comprehensive signage solution should bring significant advantages for all.

The internal signage in Eliot College is scheduled for completion by 5 May and Rutherford College will commence shortly afterwards. Examples of the signage can be viewed on the Estates website here.

If you have any feedback regarding the new signage please let us know by emailing Estates Customer Services – estatescustomerservices@kent.ac.uk

Event: Wednesday 15 May, KLT1 Keynes College, 18.00 to 19.00

On Wednesday 15 May, The School of Economics will have the pleasure of welcoming Prof. Jeffrey Wooldridge from Michigan State University (author of Cengage textbook Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach). He will deliver a Q&A session led by Dr Olena Nizalova, which will examine his work in finding answers to real life questions.

Audience participation is strongly encouraged, please email any questions you may have to econstudentexperience@kent.ac.uk prior to the event.

The Q&A session will focus on:

• Education and what is needed to truly evaluate teachers and schools
• The challenges that analysts face in situations that involve large amounts of money
• His consulting work for the U.S. government
• The challenges of obtaining empirical findings which go against your political beliefs

The Q&A session will be followed by a book signing and drinks reception hosted by Cengage, where Professor Wooldridge’s book will also be available for purchase at a very special 20% discounted rate! You can reserve a copy of Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach here.

Please note that due to the popularity of this event, spaces will book up quickly, so tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Book for your space here.

The Centre for the Study of Higher Education are delighted to invite you to a free one-day symposium on Contract cheating: Implications for academic integrity and assessment design on Monday 24th June 2019 between 09:00-16:00, Grimond Lecture Theatre 2, Canterbury Campus.

Keynote: Detecting and preventing contract cheating: what works? Associate Professor Phill Dawson (Deakin University, Melbourne)

Workshops in the afternoon will cover: training markers to detect contract cheating and discovering new ways to investigate contract cheating with Authorship Investigate (led by Turnitin UK).

Places are limited so please register here.

Our vision for Kent 2025 highlights the importance of signature research themes:

“Our discoveries and research will emphasise existing and new signature areas, where we match the best in the world.”

A development group, including associate Deans of Research and Innovation and representatives of faculties, the Graduate School and professional service departments, has been set up to agree new Signature Research Themes with colleagues across the University.

According to the group, the signature themes should be forward-looking, dynamic and have the potential to build on Kent’s record of innovative, socially aware, radical and disruptive research. They will span the faculties, have an international profile, attract external income, engage and create impact.

During March and April, development group members have been visiting academic schools, talking to researchers, academics and professional services staff about the vision and plans for the signature themes.

If you have an idea for a signature theme, you can submit an expression of interest up until Thursday 9 May 2019.

Successful bids will be notified by 24 May 2019 and workshops on the outline themes will take place from 19-21 June 2019. Once possible themes have been identified, those leading them will be invited to submit a full proposal by 30 September 2019.

You can find out more about the Signature Research Themes and how to submit your idea(s) on the Research Services webpages:.

Laura Thomas-Walters, PhD Candidate from the School of Anthropology and Conservation was awarded funding from the Postgraduates Community Experience Awards to support her ‘Kent PhD Quilt’ project.

The project goal was to provide Kent PhD students an opportunity to explore alternative ways of communicating their research, while enhancing their own well-being through mindful creativity. This visual and tactile representation of the breadth of research undertaken at Kent will provide a unique form of public engagement.

PhD students and the Graduate School participated in workshops led by Laura. During these workshops, Laura encouraged students to distil their research into its core essence, and to think about how that could be represented visually. Laura then introduced them to the concept of fabric applique, and gave tips for creating an appealing piece of artwork. Each student was given a 15” square block to create a fabric collage that symbolises their PhD. These blocks were then sewn together by Laura, with the help and support of the Canterbury Quilters Society to create a stunning research quilt.

The Kent’s PhD Quilt was formally unveiled at a small reception on Tuesday 30th April in the Colyer-Fergusson Foyer. It will now go on tour around the country to be exhibited at a number of quilting competitions and events.

Visit the Graduate School website to see the final quilt and the level of detail that has gone into making each block, you can also learn about the research behind the artwork.

The Code of Practice is a vital document for the University’s REF 2021 submission.  It is a requirement that all institutions submit a Code of Practice outlining the process of defining Researchers and selecting outputs and showing that the university supports equality and diversity in the REF.

We have now drafted the University’s Code of Practice and are inviting all staff to comment from 1 – 21 May 2019.

Following the consultation, any revisions will then be made and the Code of Practice will be submitted to the REF on 7 June for final approval.

For this REF cycle the University intends to submit 100% of eligible staff defined as those on teaching and research (T&R) contracts and some research only contracts.  The criteria for selection will be outlined in the Code of Practice.

You are invited to review the REF2021 Draft Code of Practice webpage for full details.

Each year, the University awards a number of prizes to individual staff or teams for outstanding work in teaching and/or learning support.

The call for applications for the 2019 prizes is now open, and applications must be received by 17.00 on Friday 17 May 2019.

Details of how to apply are available on our Teaching webpages.

The prizes will be awarded by the Vice-Chancellor at a lunchtime ceremony later in 2019, to which all staff are invited.