Monthly Archives: November 2020

What do the new lockdown rules mean for me?

From Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December 2020, there will be a national lockdown across England.

That means you need to stay at home unless for specific reasons such as on-campus teaching, outdoor exercise or going to get food.

Can I leave my student accommodation?

Yes, but only for specific reasons such as attending teaching on-campus, going to the supermarket, and attending a medical appointment. You can also use the library or one of our study spaces.

You can leave your home for exercise outdoors as often as you like.

You can also go out with your household for ‘recreation’ time or on your own with one person from another household (one plus one rule).

Examples of ‘recreation’ include meeting a friend in a park for a walk or picnic. You cannot meet in homes or gardens.

Can I still attend on-campus teaching?

Yes, you can leave your home to attend university.

We will continue to offer a mix of online and on-campus teaching/supervision in a Covid-safe environment.

What changes will there be to campus facilities?

The majority of our campus services and facilities will remain open as they were before the lockdown. Our on-campus accommodation will remain open, as will the libraries and study spaces.

With only a small number of exceptions, our catering outlets will also remain open offering a take-away service with eat-in service still available to those students on catered packages only. Some facilities may need to adjust their hours of operation. The Medical Centre on the Canterbury campus will also remain open.

Please check our Student life information on the student coronavirus pages for more details.

What will close off campus?

Non-essential shops, hairdressers/beauty salons, leisure and entertainment venues will all be closed.

Bars, restaurants, and pubs will also be closed but can offer takeaway services.

What support is available?

We are here for you in these uncertain times!

We offer a wide range of support services for students, including wellbeing and support, finance, online learning, IT, housing, accommodation, and immigration.

Please check out our support pages for more information.

Can I return to my family home?

If you are currently living away from your family home, a recent letter from the Minister of State for Universities is urging you stay where you are. This will help stop the spread of Covid and save lives.

I am a commuting student. Can I still travel to university?

Yes, you can still travel from home for education. Plan your journey in advance and make sure you follow the Government and travel operator’s guidelines.

If you need support during this difficult time, please get in touch by emailing CovidSupport@kent.ac.uk

We are here for you and we will get through this together!

Kent Sport will temporarily close

It has been decided that in order to protect the safety of our customers and staff, all sports and fitness facilities will temporarily close from Thursday 5 November in line with the national lockdown. We will remain closed until Wednesday 2 December, unless otherwise advised. We are, understandably, upset by this news and we know you will be too. Rest assured, we will be back as soon as possible.

Any updates on our service will be shared through @UniKentSports on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as soon as we are able to. We also have a dedicated Coronavirus webpage for more information.

The Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic will still be able to provide face-to-face physiotherapy and GP referral appointments at the clinic, as well as online consultations. Sports massage and other services are currently unavailable.

Although we won’t be able to provide a physical location for your exercise, we are moving more services online to help you stay active at home. We’ve added some fantastic at-home workouts to our Stay Well @ Home webpage, and we’ll continue to build on this content as we move through lockdown. We’re also recording some of our most popular classes for you to access at home.

From the team at Kent Sport, we hope you stay safe and well and we look forward to welcoming you back soon.

Student update on new restrictions from 5 November

From Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience.

With lockdown due to start tomorrow, I wanted to confirm that, in line with Government policy, the University will remain open. Your timetable will not be changed and we will continue to provide a mix of face-to-face and online teaching.

As you will be aware from the letter we sent to you on behalf of the Minister of State for Universities, Michelle Donelan MP, the Government has decided that universities are to remain open to protect your wellbeing and long-term future.

We have now received further guidance from the Department for Education which reiterates the importance of face-to-face teaching, including for the mental health and wellbeing of students, and expects this to continue where it can be done safely.

This guidance confirms that libraries and study spaces will remain open and that we will still be able to provide a ‘sit-in’ catering service to those who are on catered accommodation packages. We will also be providing a take-away service from other catering outlets. Unfortunately, we will have to close the Sports Centre on the Canterbury campus, but we are planning to run online exercise classes.

I would also like to draw your attention to the following Government guidelines which are specifically for students. During the lockdown period (between 5 November and 2 December 2), you should:

Only socialise in household units
Not leave your term-time address to return home
Travel from home to the university for education if you are a student who normally commutes

We will continue to update our online information and will continue to follow the evolving guidance and measures put in place by the Government to keep you and our staff safe. If you would like to find out more about the current situation, please sign-up for Friday’s Web Chat where staff from across the University will update you on the current situation and will share information about the resources that are available to help you make the most of your study and free time over the next few weeks.

Finally, it is important that you continue to attend on-campus teaching where you are expected, as non-attendance that has not been approved will have an impact on your attendance record and learning outcomes. If you cannot attend a teaching session on campus, you must notify your school as soon as possible.

We are committed to supporting you during this challenging time and we are here to support and advise you. If you have any concerns and wish to speak to someone please call Student Support and Wellbeing on 01227 823158, email CovidSupport@kent.ac.uk or ring the University Nursing Service on 01227 823503.

My very best wishes to you and your family

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

Staff update on new restrictions from 5 November

From Professor Karen Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President.

With lockdown due to start tomorrow, I wanted to thank you for all your hard work, commitment and dedication to our university during what has been a very challenging year.

As you know, the Government has decided that universities are to remain open to protect the wellbeing and long-term futures of students. We have now received further guidance from the Department for Education which reiterates the importance of face-to-face teaching, including for the mental health and wellbeing of students, and expects this to continue where it can be done safely.

In discussion with our local Health Protection Team we will continue to operate in much the same way as we are currently doing, although we will have to make some changes, as set out below, to ensure we are compliant with the new Government restrictions. You are therefore expected to continue in your established work pattern unless you hear otherwise from your line manager.

Government guidance has now confirmed the need to close sports facilities and gyms on campus. However, we can continue with the provision of eat-in catering services for those students in catered accommodation and our campus catering outlets will be open on a take-away basis. Libraries and study spaces on campus will also remain open.

The guidelines also clarify that students should only socialise in household units; that they should not travel to and from their term-time address to home for the duration of the lockdown; and that commuting students are able to travel from home to university.

We are working to ensure students are aware of these requirements as well as confirming we will continue to deliver a mix of online and face-to-face teaching and support. On Friday, together with Kent Union, we are holding a WebChat to update students on the current situation.

We will continue to update the information for staff and students on the website and will be touch on a regular basis.

Once again, thank you for all you are doing for the university, our students and our staff, it is very much appreciated.

My very best wishes go to you and your families.

Yours sincerely

Karen

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President

Wellbeing art kits

How about a screen break and something creative you can do to while away some time and make something beautiful to keep or give as a gift?

Espression Arts, working with Student Support and Wellbeing, have designed some small Wellbeing Art Kits, subsidised for students and available to buy online.

What’s in it?

Each Kit comes as a mixed media pack with everything you need to create a personalised work of art wherever you are. Kits include your selected ceramic decoration shape with a hole for hanging (approx 8cm x 8cm), 3 colours of acrylic paints (various colourways available) glitter and sequins can be added (with glue provided) to brighten up your creation and add sparkle!

Get yours before they run out!

Go ahead and purchase your discounted kit (500 subsidised kits available at only £4.50 instead of £10 full price) by 18th November, and then come to collect them in the locations and dates specified according to the code you choose at checkout. If you are isolating on the pick up dates, you can send the email to friend to pick up for you, or email wellbeingevents@kent.ac.uk with your order number and address to arrange delivery.

For more information on peer support groups, online workshops and events you can join, check out Student Support and Wellbeing Events Calendar, or follow @UniKentSSW on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for resources and information to stay well and stay connected.

WebChat – Next steps for study and student experience, 6 November

Student WebChats are designed to help students keep in touch with staff and other students. They include an update from staff at the University and sometimes your Students’ Union and other students. They are on a particular topic and you are welcome to ask questions after the initial presentation, or you can just listen in.

The next WebChat is Friday 6 November 11.00-12.00 and focuses on ‘Next steps for study and student experience’.

Staff from across the University and Kent Union will update you on the most recent UK government regulations. In addition, we will be sharing information relevant to all students and locations regarding resources available to you, to help you make the most of your study and free time, over the next few weeks.

Sign up for the next Web Chat now.

We will email you the link before the event and remind you on the day. If you have any questions or queries please email studenthelp@kent.ac.uk

Are these the same as Web Café events?

No, Web Chats and Web Cafes are different. Web Chats are lead by University staff and focus on a particular topic, whereas Web Cafes are a new, friendly drop in event where we can discuss anything you wish. This could be a topic such as your studies, wellbeing, concerns, current news items and events as well as enabling us to update you on current topics and things taking place on campus.

Need a place on campus to join online lectures or seminars?

Do you need somewhere on campus to watch a lecture online? Want to join an online seminar but don’t have anywhere to go?

Whether you need a student PC or have your own laptop/device, there are plenty of study spaces on both campuses you can use as an alternative to the libraries.

Study Hubs

There are Study Hubs across the Canterbury campus with socially distanced PCs, laptop spaces and printers. View the Study Hubs map. View the Guide to Study Space and PCs on the Medway campus.

Teaching rooms and PC rooms

You can also use lecture theatres, seminar rooms and PC rooms while they are not being used for teaching. You can now view live room availability online:

If you are already outside a room and want to see if it’s available for you to use, scan the QR code outside the room and it will show you!

National lockdown update and letter from the Government

From Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience:

All universities have been asked to forward a letter to our students from the Minister of State for Universities in which she explains how the national lockdown which will come into force on 5 November will affect you and your studies.

As the Vice-Chancellor said in her email which you will have received yesterday, we are committed to providing you with the best possible education and student experience which is in line with Government guidelines for the lockdown period.

We will continue to offer a mix of online and on-campus teaching/supervision in a Covid-safe environment. Our on-campus accommodation will remain open, as will the libraries and study spaces. Our catering outlets will also remain open, but it is likely that they will need to move to a take-away service and some may need to adjust their hours of operation.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the detailed information we have available online to support you during this challenging time. We will continue to update this information in response to changes in government guidelines.

I would also like to stress that we are here for you. We offer a range of services for our students including wellbeing and support, finance, online learning, IT, housing, accommodation, and immigration.

We are currently waiting for further information from the Government and will write to you again as soon as we have more details.

In the meantime, please continue with your current patterns of study and please talk to your School if you have any immediate concerns.

Best wishes

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience

Learn how your colleagues have been delivering sessions online

The E-Learning team is launching a new series of Digitally Enhanced Education Webinars on Friday 13 November from 10.00-12.00.

The first session, on ‘Pedagogy and Practice When Teaching Online’, will feature six speakers from across the University. They will share their teaching experiences and provide some concrete examples that colleagues could adopt or adapt for their own practice.

The E-Learning team is aiming to run two webinars each term with a range of exciting speakers.

If you would like to join the webinar series, please express your interest by enrolling on the Digitally Enhanced Education Webinars Moodle module. You will find links to all sessions on this module page and you will always be kept up to date with the latest talks as soon as they are announced.

VC update following national lockdown announcement

From Professor Karen Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President.

I am writing to update you following the Government announcement that a four-week national lockdown is due to come into force on Thursday 5 November.

The Prime Minister’s speech made it clear that, given the importance of education, universities would remain open during this time. Our aim is to continue to provide the best possible education and student experience which is line with Government guidelines for the lockdown period. Having made the necessary health and safety assessment, we are planning to move to Tier 2 under the Department of Education ‘Tiers of Restriction’ for HE provision. This means we will continue to offer a mix of online and on-campus teaching/supervision in a Covid-safe environment.

All our on-campus accommodation will remain open as will the libraries and study spaces. Our catering outlets will also continue to be open but will need to move to a take-away only service.

The new Government guidelines also provides guidance on travel for students living at university either on-campus or in private accommodation off-campus. This states that they should not move back and forward between their permanent and student home during term time.

The number of active cases of Covid-19 remain low for students and staff, and we also have a local testing site at both the Canterbury and Medway campuses. We continue to work closely with our local public health officials and a huge amount of effort have been put in to ensure that our campuses are Covid-safe. The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our key priority and we will continue to work with trades unions and staff representatives.

We are currently waiting for further information from the Government and will write to you again as soon as we have more details.

In the meantime, please continue with your current pattern of work as agreed with your line manager/school. We offer a range of support for staff but if you have any concerns about the current situation please talk to your line manager in the first instance.

If you are a line manager of staff currently working on campus/essential to the student experience, HR will be writing to you shortly asking that you revisit the assessments you made over the summer and to ensure that Risk and Concern conversations are up to date and that appropriate Tier 2 risk mitigations are in place. Advice will be available to you if needed.

With my very best wishes to you and your family,

Karen

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President