Monthly Archives: January 2021

Statement on email sent 12.15pm – 14 January 2021

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by recipients replying to an email sent to some of our students on 14 January 2021. In order to minimise this inconvenience, the University’s IT department removed the ability of recipients to reply en masse to the email within a short time of the issue occurring. This means that if you had replied to the email after 14:00 your email would not have been distributed to the list. However, it is possible that many people continued to receive emails after this time. This is because of the volume of emails being sent before the list was frozen, resulting in the release of those emails over the course of the afternoon.

The University’s Data Protection Officer has had the opportunity to review the contents of the email, the manner in which the email was sent and the number of individuals affected by the breach.

They have determined that the data protection risk to individuals is minimal. This is because, apart from the email addresses of the individuals who replied to the mailing list before the list was frozen, no other personal data had been compromised, as the email distribution list was private. Furthermore, the email sent by the University was generic in nature which meant that its contents could not be used to deduce if the recipients shared any sensitive data in common with each other.

We have provided advice to those staff members involved in sending out the communication and have highlighted the availability of University tools the use of which can reduce the likelihood of the breach reoccurring. The University now considers the data protection element of the incident closed. If you would like to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (the body responsible for regulating the use personal data in the UK), please see the link below:

https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

Man running on road near grass fields

Kent Sport – Tips on how to stay active during lockdown

Oli Prior, Head of Physical Activities at Kent Sport gives us his top 10 tips on how to stay active during lockdown…

1. Start Lightly

Whilst it is always tempting to start the new year with high intensity activity this is a sure fire way of making it unsustainable as you will likely give up in a few weeks or worse – injure yourself.  Whatever you start doing, start lightly, if you’re doing Joe Wicks’ morning PE for the first time, just do half of it or take the low intensity options, don’t go straight out for a run, start with a fast walk or walk up-hill.

2. Find an Exercise Buddy

Training on your own is hard, stay motivated by finding a like-minded friend or colleague who can train at the same level as you. Current government guidelines permit you to exercise with either other members of your household or support bubble or one other person (so long as you keep your distance and stay local) so rope in your partner or children or your like-mined neighbour or colleague in your new exercise routine

3. Lounge ‘Hi Lo’

Since the first lockdown there’s been plenty of online content available bringing the gym studio to the nations’ living rooms, with so much choice where do you start? Why not ease yourself in with a familiar face on screen and check out Kent Sports ‘Stay Well at Home’

4. Walk This Way!

Walking is one of the most accessible forms of physical activity and has great wellbeing benefits as well as the obvious physical ones. Just getting up from your desk and doing a lap of the office/house once every hour will aid circulation and engage muscles. We are permitted to go out once a day so make sure you are walking, getting some fresh air and enjoying local surroundings.

5. I want to Ride my Bicycle

This is the last music pun I promise! If you prefer to get out on two wheels instead of two feet then cycling offers many training benefits. If you’re already a regular cyclist then virtual platforms like Peloton or Zwift bring the pro-cycling world to your living room but if you’re not quite ready for the Lycra, you can follow online workouts at home with any stationary bike or invest in a turbo trainer (device that attaches to your real bikes back wheel).

6. Get a ‘Virtual Pet’

This is not an invitation to go online and buy a Tamagotchi, but rather imagine you have a dog to walk every day. It’s easy to look at the drizzle on the window and stay inside, but by donning your rain-mac and going out regardless of rain or shine to walk that ‘Virtual Pet’ you will establish that habit mentioned previously and reap the benefits of daily activity.

7. Create a Power Playlist

We all have our own taste in music, but my next tip is to use this, as it is proven that music makes a difference when you exercise. Nowadays, you can build by voice command on your smart speaker or explore one of the many digital radio stations available on your smart phone.

8. Chill

For low intensity or holistic workouts a podcast can help provide structure to a training session or great company on a brisk walk – again it is so easy to download these to your device – many sports stars have turned their hand to these in lockdown with fresh episodes every week.

9. Park & Ramble

While many of you remain working from home, if you are still commuting to campus I challenge you to ‘Park & Ramble’ as you did before the pandemic. Why not allow an extra 15-20 minutes on your morning commute and park as far away as possible on campus and walk to your desk. Our campuses are great for walking all year round so explore a new route each day if you can.

 10. Stay Well at Home

The final tip is a reminder to access Kent Sports Stay Well @ Home platform, there is a breadth of content to help you stay active and engaged whilst facilities are closed or you are working from home. We look forward to seeing you all again soon, but for now from all at Kent Sport, stay well and stay active.

Professor Iain Fraser

Professor appointed editor in chief of a new journal

Congratulations to Iain Fraser, a Professor in the School of Economics, who has been appointed as the inaugural editor in chief of a new journal called Q Open.

Published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), this economic journal covers agriculture, environment, food, development and climate, and in many aspects covers one of the newly identified university research themes.

This joint venture between OUP and the European Association of Agricultural Economics is an open access journal, with Iain recruiting a high-profile team of journal editors and associate editors to run it.

To take a look at it’s first issue, published on Thursday 14 January and to discover more about the journal, please take a look at the Q Open webpage.

More information about the editorial content included in the first issue can also be found on this Issues webpage.

Change sign

Draft Climate Change Action Plan consultation

Canterbury City Council is currently consulting on its draft Climate Change Action Plan.  We are aware many colleges and universities are not seeing students in person at the moment, but we’d be grateful if you could please share this opportunity to comment with your students and staff who may be interested in responding.

The draft Climate Change Action Plan explains the importance of climate action as part of the council’s work, as well as why we need to act and our planned approach over the next five years.

It shows the scale of activity needed to achieve carbon reduction goals and explains the council will seek money from outside organisations to help pay for any work it needs to, as well as take the opportunity to learn from others.

The draft plan sets out our climate change vision, aims, goals, actions, targets and timescales.

You can read the full draft action plan and respond to the consultation on the Canterbury Council website, consultation is open until 5pm on Thursday 4 March 2021.

overhead view of laptop with person typing and plant on desk

Student advice: how to stay productive in lockdown

During the last national lockdown, we asked Kent students for their tips on how to stay to stay productive in lockdown. Here are their suggestions and tips!

Tanya Iyer (Stage 2 Law Student) – “Make to-do lists the night before and keep them small with specific tasks, rather than vague big ones…You feel more productive and motivated as you can tick things off quickly!”

Daniella Barnes (Stage 3 Law Student) – “Staying productive in lockdown only works if you have a positive mentality. I start each week with planning my prospective workload. I give myself aims and tasks to complete so at the end of the week I have a visual checklist of how productive I’ve been. Be kind to yourself, practice self-care and don’t overload yourself.”

Ismail Abdi (Stage 2 Marketing Student) – “I stay productive by using a schedule, essentially placing times on my calendar to do my university work and other things outside of my course. I also use a checklist so I can tick off and see what needs to be completed for the week.”

Sofia Howard (Stage 2 Law Student) – “I take short breaks, walk around, eat, and spend time away from my screen. If I feel like I’ve been in front of a screen for too long, I will have the day off and continue the next day. I feel like it refreshes my mind! I also work out in the mornings, which seems to give me more motivation throughout the day.”

Shanell Cornwall (Stage 3 Psychology Student) – “I personally stay motivated by setting 3 goals everyday – one big goal and two little ones. I think doing it this way really helps track progress which makes me feel more productive. It’s crucial to take time out and give yourself time to recharge between workloads.”

Faye Farhan (Stage 2 Law Student) – “If you have to tackle a lot of reading tasks, it’s best to allocate a particular time in the day for reading, and to overestimate how much time you need! Plan 5-10 minute breaks for every hour you read for.”

Lauren Whitfield (Stage 2 Marketing Student) – “I have been getting ahead on my work, watching lectures in advance and doing any further reading that could aid me in my studies. I also took this as an opportunity to start my reports in advance, giving me more time to conduct my research and form a thorough plan.”

Ellie House (Stage 2 Law Student) – “Making sure you take a break from work and set time aside for yourself is definitely important. I like to keep evenings away from work to spend time socialising or even just watching TV. I always find doing this helps me feel more productive the next day as I’ve had some time to refresh!”

Gemma Overy (Stage 2 Psychology Student) – “Set deadlines for yourself – not just the deadline for a project but when you want to achieve each smaller section by. Start revision early if you feel like you have nothing to do, even if it’s only a couple of hours a week.’

James Hulme (Stage 2 Biomedical Engineering Student) – “List your tasks and deadlines and try to prioritise them. Try to timetable your work so you have a structure, but still take regular breaks.”

Ayesha Shirgill (Stage 3 Law and Spanish Language Student) – “Set yourself deadlines of what time to work up until each day to ensure you can look forward to enjoying some free time.”

Dylan Thakker (Stage 2 Law Student) – “Take frequent breaks to reward work. Taking a break can be anything from having a call with your parents to having a quick walk – then I get back to work promptly. I break work down into smaller sections and reward myself with breaks when I get certain bits done.”

For more information on managing your studies during lockdown, and particularly how to stay motivated, take a look at Rowena and Megan’s Instagram Live.

Cyber coding graphic

‘Kentish Cyber’ in the final of UK Cyber Challenge

‘A team of Kent students has recently been selected for the finals of the 4th Annual UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge. This is the first time the University and Kent’s new Institute for Advanced Studies in Cyber Security and Conflict (SoCyETAL) will be represented at the competition.

The team of 4, coached by Dr Gareth Mott, is comprised of a 50:50 split of male and female Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from the School of Computing, Kent Law School and the School of Politics and International Relations.

The Kentish Cyber Team:

  • Keenan Jones, School of Computing
  • Nandita Pattnaik, School of Computing
  • Ben Treacy, School of Politics & International Relations
  • Hala Zein, Kent Law School
  • Dr Gareth Mott, School of Politics & International Relations (Coach)

In this strategy challenge, competitors will take on the role of senior advisors to government and industry, in facing a complex escalating cyber-attack. They will use their varied technical and non-technical expertise from different disciplines to assess the unfolding threat, before briefing a panel of senior UK and international cyber leaders on potential mitigation strategies.

Dr Gareth Mott said: “We are elated and proud that Kentish Cyber have made it through to the final of the UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge. We hope that our students make the most of this fantastic interactive learning experience and ‘real-life’ scenario-based challenge. This is a great opportunity for our team to gain first-hand experience with the critical challenge of ensuring cyber-security in an increasingly interconnected world. Our staff and students are delighted to be a part of this endeavour for the first time of hopefully many. Kentish Cyber will embrace the chance to showcase the strength and breadth of ‘big tent’ interdisciplinary teaching and research in cyber security at the University of Kent”.

The virtual event, hosted by the Atlantic Council UK, will take place 16-17 February.

Best of luck to Kentish Cyber!

Three students chatting and laughing in student kitchen

Returning student accommodation applications open for September 2021!

We’ve set aside a limited number of rooms across campus exclusively for returning students, so whether you are in your second, third or fourth year you can enjoy the great benefits of living on campus once again with online applications accepted from 10.00 Thursday 14 January!

We understand the pressure you’re under at the moment and our returning student offer has been designed to make things easier for you by including:

  • Ability to apply to live with your friends (see our FAQs for more info)
  • Not needing to pay anything until September 2021 as there are no deposits needed to secure your room
  • Flexibility for early applicants as we will cancel any legally binding accommodation agreement for the 2021/22 academic year with no penalties if you notify us by Friday 9 April 2021
  • All utilities are included (gas, water, electricity, heating and Wi-Fi) as well as Kent Sport Premium Plus membership
  • Designated returning student rooms are set aside in all accommodation areas (except for Eliot and Turing College which are reserved for first year students). W also have returning KMMS student accommodation
  • Contract lengths that match your academic terms beginning for the start of term in September, meaning you won’t have to pay extra rent over the summer months
  • Quick confirmation as early applicants will find out if their application is successful at the end of January and receive their room allocation information from March.

Check your emails from the Accommodation Team or visit our Returning Student Accommodation page for more information including our handy FAQ Guide.

So, remove the worry of finding a new place to live, and instead apply online now and relax knowing you can live with friends and have the great facilities available on campus to return to next year.

 

Kent logo

Covid-19 update – 14 January 2021

An update for all staff, including latest information on academic progression, working on campus and rent reductions for our students.

Academic progression 2020-21

As you will be aware, we have currently suspended face-to-face teaching for most of our study programmes. This means that a large proportion of our students are being taught via online methods and the vast majority of them are studying from their permanent homes. We are planning for the lockdown restrictions to last until 1 March 2021; however, this date is provisional and linked to whether rates of infection start to decline across our country.

Understandably, many students are questioning how the coronavirus pandemic will affect their academic progression and ultimate degree classification. Staff are working incredibly hard to ensure no students are disadvantaged because of the pandemic and that academic standards can be maintained across the University.

We are currently updating our no detriment policy for the 2020-21 academic year. This includes offering greater flexibility for mitigation applications and making processes easier for students to follow. We will also be extending deadlines where feasible, including offering an additional week’s extension for deadlines due between now and the end of the second week of term (29 January).

Further information on academic mitigations and no detriment will be available online shortly. Students should speak with their academic school if they have any immediate queries.

Staff working from campus

We have received further guidance from the Department for Education concerning which staff are able to work from campus during the national lockdown. The guidance reiterates our current position that all staff are required to work from home unless deemed essential or business critical workers. Whilst it does confirm that Higher Education teaching staff and those providing necessary services for students on campus are considered ‘critical workers’, it is important to stress that presence on campus should only be for cases where this is absolutely vital. We all have a responsibility to reduce unnecessary contact with each other during this time and only travel from home when essential to do so.

The FAQs relating to staff returning to campus have now been updated on our Staff Coronavirus website. For any staff that are working from campus, please note our asymptomatic testing facilities are available for you to use. Details of the campus services currently open are also outlined on our Staff Coronavirus webpages.

Staff should discuss working practices with their line manager and can contact hrcovid19@kent.ac.uk if they have any queries.

Rent reductions

Current restrictions means that the majority of our students are not permitted to return to campus and should remain at their permanent homes.

We will be offering a six-week rent reduction scheme for Canterbury-based students who have university accommodation they are unable to return to during the national lockdown. For our students based at Medway in accommodation from Unite, our private provider, they will receive a 50% rent reduction for four weeks. An additional 4 weeks’ accommodation will be available for Medway students at the end of their contract. Unfortunately, we have limited control over how students’ rents are managed within the private sector; however, we continue to support Kent Union in their representation of these students to help ensure they are not disadvantaged against those based in university accommodation.

Further information about the rent reductions is available in our Spring term rent reduction scheme FAQs.

Professor Karen Cox

Vice-Chancellor’s update – 14 January 2021

It’s hard to believe that it is just over a week since the University reopened after the Christmas vacation. During this time, lockdown has meant that, once again, we have had to change how we work, and a tremendous amount of work continues to take place across University to enable us to comply with Government legislation, as well as delivering our day-to-day activities.

I am grateful for all that you continue to do and know that many of you are facing increasing workloads. I would like to reassure you that this is something the Executive Group is taking seriously, and we are looking at how we might reduce the pressure and seeking to provide additional support at this time.

As we begin 2021, I wanted to say a word about our finances. As you know, thanks to the efforts of all staff, considerable progress has been made towards our underlying savings targets. We have also now reached a further long-term agreement with our lenders, which provides us with a platform to complete our Financial Improvement Programme and return our finances to a sustainable footing. Covid, however, continues to present short-term challenges, which we will have to continue to address in the face of ongoing uncertainty. We are now having to manage the impact of the six-week rent refund we have given to students unable to access their campus accommodation. We need to continue to limit expenditure to essential spend only so that we can protect the critical spend needed on income generation through, for example, supporting student recruitment and our research and innovation activities. Given the ongoing national situation we are also conscious that the return to campus remains very unclear and we are going to have to plan for further income losses.

I am pleased, however, to say that last week’s virtual open day attracted nearly 3,000 visitors, including prospective students from more than 100 countries as well as from the UK. While applications across the sector are lower than normal at this point, predominantly as a result of Covid, and we still have a lot of work to do to increase student numbers at this time, this response was really heartening.

Despite the challenges we face, we continue to make a major contribution to our communities and the region. Kent Business School’s fourth business summit on Friday will bring together business leaders, politicians, local government representatives and academics with the aim of developing an economic recovery roadmap for the region. At the same, through our Knowledge Exchange and Innovation department, we have launched a Recovery Innovation Fund which aims to support businesses to innovate and grow following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Kent and Medway Medical School has got off to a great start with over 108 students and continues to receive unwavering support from across the region, not just from healthcare professionals but from the general public. You can read more about its achievements in the Leadership Blog by Professor Chris Holland, the Dean of KMMS.

I was also delighted to learn of Professor Stephen Peckham’s appointment to a new expert panel as a policy advisor by the House of Commons’ cross-party Health and Social Care Select Committee. Stephen, who is Director of the Centre for Health Services Studies, is one of the country’s leading experts in this field.

Finally, at 15.30 today, we will be holding the first of our weekly staff web chats. Chaired by Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Education and Student Experience, who is leading on our Covid response, these meetings will give all staff the chance to get the latest updates and to ask questions of the senior management team. If you have yet to sign-up, please do so and I look forward to seeing many of you at today’s meeting.

With my very best wishes to you and your family,

Karen

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President