The University has for some time been thinking about its brand and we have now started a project to clearly define the University’s brand purpose.

As part of that project, we would like your views on which areas of the University’s strategy are most important and your thoughts about the future of the University.

This project will lead to a review of the University’s brand identity and tone of voice, ensuring that the way we present ourselves visually and how we sound is aligned with our purpose and values.

Please do take the time to have your say as this will shape our thoughts and thinking.

Many thanks

David Nightingale, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Engagement and Civic Mission

Sunday 8 March is International Women’s Day.

This year’s theme is #EachforEqual and a number of events are taking place across campus to mark the day:

Within the Templeman Library, there will be a display throughout March from our women’s history reading list in the library café.  There will also be a display of women in STEM books from 6 March that will be accompanied by slides of winners of a competition celebrating women in Physics.

Gulbenkian has a number of events planned around ‘This Girl Can Family day’ on 7 March. Kent Sport This Girl Can..lift is also happening on the day, which is part of our Lets Play suite of events/activities.

Kent Union has a number of events, including:

• Quiz in Woody’s on 8 March themed around women’s history and iconic women.
• Kent Uniboob has confirmed a photoshoot for body positivity with the money going towards the National charity. 29 Feb – 1 March. The shoot is £10 per person.
• Movie night on 12 March.

The Athena SWAN team will be hosting a special meeting of the Women’s Network on Thursday 5 March in honour of International Women’s Day, on the theme of inspirational women. We will be holding an informal discussion about the amazing women who have inspired us in work and life.

The event will take place from 12.00–14.00 in the UELT Seminar Room. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in the conversation, or just listen and get inspired. Lunch will be provided. Book your place via Eventbrite.

Engineering and Digital Arts have a an event titled Flexible Working in Project Management: How to make it work, and how not to on Wednesday 11 March, 12.30-13.30 in the upper area of Jay’s Tea bar, Jennison Building. Book your place via Eventbrite. 

Chris Morrison has proved his copyright credentials by winning an award for best dissertation on his Master’s degree course.

Chris, our Copyright, Software Licensing and IS Policy Manager, has graduated with a Master of Arts in UK, EU and US Copyright Law at King’s College London. He passed the course with distinction and was awarded The Dickson Poon School of Law Prize for best dissertation, at his graduation ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall, London.

Chris’ dissertation, now available on the Kent Academic Repository was titled ‘Illustration for Instruction and the UK Higher Education Sector: Perceptions of risk and sources of authority’.

Chris said: ‘The dissertation is the culmination of my work and interest in copyright. At the end of my study, I realised that I knew a lot about the legal side of copyright but not so much about how it affects us in education. My dissertation aims to provide some clarity in this area.’

Chris has worked in copyright most of his working life – first for PRS for Music and then as Copyright Assurance Manager at the British Library. He joined Kent in 2015, becoming our first dedicated copyright manager.

At Kent, he has continued to champion all things copyright – for example, as a member of the Universities UK/GuildHE Copyright Negotiating and Advisory Committee, co-organising an annual ‘Icepops’ conference and co-authoring a regular blog on copyright.

He is currently finalising the Kent Copyright Literacy Strategy, the first of its kind among UK universities and regularly presents ‘Copyright the Card Game’ sessions for Kent colleagues. The next session is on Monday 23 March.

Chris remains a passionate advocate for the importance of copyright: ‘Copyright matters because everybody is a creator these days – but similarly everybody uses other people’s material. As an education institution, it is important that we do things the right way.’

The Joint Staff Negotiating and Consultation Committee (JSNCC) is the main forum for consideration and negotiation between the University and its staff. Its membership includes Management, Union, and Staff representatives who meet each term.

The second meeting of the academic year is due to take place on Thursday 5 March 2020. The Committee website contains links to all of the previous meeting minutes and forthcoming meeting papers, which can be accessed  on the JSNCC webpages.

If you would like to comment on any of the Agenda items (shown under the ‘Papers’ tab – March 2020), please contact your Representatives.

We are half way through our bookable offer of Crucial Conversations sessions this year. The objective of the course is to support leaders at Kent to achieve results through bold, courageous dialogue, with their teams and each other. To enable leaders to create a climate of mutual trust and respect and to provide tools, techniques and materials for participants to take away and apply to real-life leadership situations.

The next course is in Medway and takes place on Thursday 14 May and Thursday 28 May – you must be able to attend both days. We have workshops in Canterbury and Medway and as always, all staff are welcome to attend at either site.

This two-day programme is for academic and professional service leaders. The target audience is primarily Grades 9 &10. However, if you are operating in a Leadership role outside these grades and you feel it would be of benefit to you, please contact us before booking, by emailing LDev@kent.ac.uk

See Staff Connect for more information and to book.

Also, see our previous blog to read more about the session from a Trainers viewpoint.