2020 has been a year like no other. We have all had to adapt, learn new coping strategies and find ways to stay connected with family and colleagues. The same can be said for our students, many of whom have experienced financial and emotional hardship relating to the pandemic.

Returning safely to campus

As we approach the start of our new academic year, it is important to please remember we all have a part to play in keeping our campus safe. For those of you returning to campus, you’ll see lots of new signage reminding us all of the expected behaviours. These messages are important for staff, students and visitors alike as we all have a responsibility to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. The health, wellbeing and safety of our staff and students has been our main priority when making changes to our campus. It has been a long planning process and it is great to see some of our facilities and services now open. If you are on campus, most of our catering outlets are now open, or will be opening shortly, and are offering takeaway or socially distanced seating.

We have welcomed back many students already through a phased return to campus, before term starts on 21 September. Approximately 350 students are arriving back to the Canterbury campus each day and over 600 are now settled into our on-campus accommodation. Thank you to colleagues who have helped make this possible. By reducing the number of students joining us each day, we can keep within social distancing guidelines and keep campus operations running smoothly.

On-site Covid-19 testing facilities

The University has been working closely with the Directors of Public Health for Kent County Council and Medway Council to establish a local testing site (LTS) on both campuses. This is now in place in Canterbury at Rutherford carpark. The Medway LTS will be in place shortly. 

The Canterbury LTS began operating on 5 September 2020 and is open between 8am and 8pm 7 days per week, excluding bank holidays. 

This on-site testing service is open to staff, students and members of the public. All tests must be booked in advance online and no drop in appointments will be available. Each LTS is a self-contained unit, containing all its own power, water, storage and waste facilities. During opening hours there is a dedicated Site Lead. The LTS is also monitored by 24/7 security. Because each LTS is totally self-contained and externally managed, there is no need for individuals being tested or LTS staff to access any University buildings. 

Staff can book a test via the Government Coronavirus website. Further information is available on our dedicated Staff Coronavirus pages.

Community relations

By working together and helping each other through this difficult time, we can create a positive and supportive culture. This is as important in the local community as it is on campus. We are working closely with local partners and residents’ associations on a joined-up approach to community safety. This includes producing a range of communications with our HE and FE equivalents, ensuring we promote a consistent message to all our students. 

Understandably, some residents are concerned about the impact students could have on the spread of Covid-19. Ensuring that our students study, socialise and live safely is of paramount importance to us. Whether living on or off campus, we will treat student households the same way and students will be expected to abide by Government guidelines, including the latest changes in the law which come into effect from Monday.

We will ensure students understand the social distancing guidelines for gatherings of more than one household. This information is also being reinforced by our councils and other local partners.

We are creating a new Community page on our Coronavirus website which will be published shortly. Our Community Newsletter will also be available soon, telling residents all about the work we are doing to ensure students have a positive impact in the local area.

Dr Alvise Sforza Tarabochia and Dr Alex Marlow-Mann, lecturers in Italian in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, are hosting the Society for Italian Studies Themed Conference, ‘Visions of Italy’, taking place virtually at the University of Kent on 10-11 September 2020.

Popular conceptions of Italy typically revolve around the visual: the beauty of its landscapes and its historic legacy of fine art and architecture. This dates back at least to the medieval period, and the innovations of artists such as Giotto and visionary writers like Dante. In the twentieth century, it is in the fields of cinema, photography, art, fashion and design that Italy has had the most marked impact around the world.

Concurrently, Italy has also been a favoured subject of visual representation: from Grand Tour photographic albums to mainstream Hollywood films set in Italy, there is no lack of foreign representations of the country and its inhabitants. This conference will explore Italian visual culture and the way in which Italy and Italians have been depicted.

Alvise says: “This year the Society for Italian Studies Themed conference convenes online only, to bring together members of the Society despite the disruptions that 2020 brought about. We are very excited by the variety of themes and speakers the programme brings together and we very much look forward to Professor Gundle’s keynote address.”

The role of the Society for Italian Studies (SIS) is to further the study of Italy, Italian language, literature, film, thought, history, society and arts in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It represents the discipline, providing a voice for Italian Studies at national and international level and participating in the work of the University Council of Modern Languages to promote the study of Modern Languages.

Registration is open on the Kent Hospitality website.

The PRIDE Award recognises members of Kent Hospitality staff who go out of their way to deliver excellent customer service.

Do you know of a Kent Hospitality staff member (permanent or casual) that showed excellent customer service over the summer helping residential students unable to make it home or prepping for the new look student arrivals this year? If so, please take a few minutes to make your nomination online or email pride@kent.ac.uk. The deadline is midday Wednesday 16 September.

Please make your nominations detailed, providing as much information as possible why the nominee should be considered for the award. The panel are looking for staff who achieve more than just what is expected in their role (i.e. hardworking, professional, positive and friendly attitude).

The award is given out four times a year with each winner receiving £100 of shopping vouchers, a certificate and PRIDE badge.

Congratulations again to our most recent Pride Award winner – Liz Ralph, Assistant Housekeeping Manager, who won the June award. In her own time, Liz produced hundreds of practical, colourful and reusable facemasks for the housekeeping team members working on campus throughout lockdown and for vulnerable people in her community.

For further information or for guidance on submitting nominations please contact pride@kent.ac.uk

Bookings are now open for the sixth annual Medway Festival of Learning and Teaching hosted by the Universities at Medway. This year the focus is ‘Creative and Inclusive Assessment and Feedback’

The Festival is taking place virtually via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 10 September from 9.15 to 13.10, with the  Keynote speakers being Professors Debbie Hollie and Ann Quinney. To register a place for this event please visit the Medway festival website.

About the Festival

The Medway Festival of Learning and Teaching is co-jointly organised by the Universities of Greenwich, Kent and Canterbury Christ Church who share the Medway campus.

The Festival aims to share, celebrate and promote their practice to benefit all students studying on the Medway campus. It is a consistently strong theme that runs through the sector and is a priority for all three universities and their partner colleges.

As in previous Medway Festivals, the event enables the Universities to reflect on their own development needs and career aspirations as they start the new academic year. Attending or presenting at the event can help colleagues to evidence professional development or maintain ‘good standing’ for Advance HE (formerly HEA).

Even though Covid-19 has had an impact on the launch of the Signature Research Themes project, work has been going on behind the scenes and the team are now very excited to invite you to the Selection Event on Tuesday 15 September.

The event will be live streamed on Facebook and YouTube between  9.30 to 13.00 (links available soon) in collaboration with KMTV.

The event will include, opening remarks from the University’s Vice-Chancellor Karen Cox, as well the Themes Task Group. Each of the eight themes leads will then present their vision for Kent’s Signature Research Themes. For more information please take a look at Kent’s first Signature Research Themes.

Questions can be submitted throughout each of the presentations, and after the event a dedicated website will be set up with responses to the questions.

Ahead of the event you can find out more about the shortlisted themes, the people behind them, and how you can get involved.

The team look forward to seeing you there!

A walk-through coronavirus testing facility is now open at Rutherford Car Park in Canterbury, as part of the Government’s UK-wide drive to improve the accessibility of coronavirus testing for communities.

Anyone with coronavirus symptoms, however mild, can get a free swab test that takes less than a minute. Tests should be booked or ordered as soon as symptoms begin on the NHS website or by calling 119. All test most be booked in advance, with no drop-in tests available.

Those being tested will be required to follow public health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout (including when travelling to and from the testing centre). The centre is totally self-contained and externally managed, with no need for individuals being tested or test centre staff to access any University buildings. It is also monitored by 24/7 security.

Anyone attending an appointment at a walk-through testing will be provided with guidance on getting to and from the test site safely, which is easily accessible without a car. Testing is available for everyone, with additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.

The site opened for testing at 14.00 on Saturday 5 September. The opening hours during the mobilisation phase are as follows:

5 September 2020 – 14.00 – 17.00

6 September 2020 – 10.00 – 17.00

7 September 2020 – 08.00 – 20.00

And then 08. 00 – 20.00 thereafter

The site is part of the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities created in British history, including 72 drive-through sites, 53 walk-through sites, 236 mobile units, home testing and satellite kits and five laboratories.

Anyone testing positive for the virus in England will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace to help them track their contacts. This will help people to identify who they may have been in close contact with, protecting others from further transmission.

Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from NHS Test and Trace, advising them to stay at home for 14 days to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus. They will be advised to also book at test if they develop symptoms.

See more information on visiting a local test site

We are hosting our next Undergraduate Virtual Open Event on 3 October 2020, from 10.00 – 14.00 UK.

Our last undergraduate event last July was a great success with 1,652 attendees on the day, as it’s a virtual event we’re able to keep the link live for longer and saw new attendees join the event each day. Virtual open days are a great opportunity to all potential students to engage with course presentations from our specialist academics and attend live Q&A sessions, as well as find out more about our facilities on campus.

It would be a great help if our colleagues could promote the virtual event across their platforms, either on their school websites and on social channels.  As well as forwarding on to friends or family members who may be interested in our undergraduate courses at Kent. Please see further information about the event and register on the Virtual Open Day website.

Here’s some positive feedback from the last event: