Dear Colleagues, 

This time last year, many of us were adapting parts of our homes to become offices at the start of a year of unprecedented change that none of us could have imagined. As we start to turn our attention to what a return to some sort of normality may look like, we will shortly be launching a staff survey looking at the future of work so we make sure we find the right balance between new and old approaches once more of us are able to be back on campus. While much of remote working remains challenging, we have also found new ways to collaborate and share across the University, so I encourage as many of you as possible to share your views via the survey so we get a really good sense of how we want to approach this in future. 

Another key part of looking ahead will be how we incorporate a range of student voices into our plans more widely as we return. On Monday, I was delighted to have our Kent Union officer team join us at Executive Group to share their plans for the weeks and months ahead, with a number of areas identified where we can collaborate and develop shared strategies between us. Congratulations to our new President-elect Aisha and her team, and we look forward to developing these plans together. 

We also continue to step up our focus on attracting next year’s intake, with virtual Applicant Days taking place this weekend for Canterbury and Medway. A huge thank you to colleagues both centrally and in Divisions for all of the work that goes into these fantastic events, which offer a real showcase for the best of what we do. 

With best wishes to you and your families, 

Karen Cox

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President