From Emma Mires-Richards | Liaison Librarian

Sign up to the Resourcing your module workshop on Monday 5 July at 14.00.

In this workshop we’ll support you in creating and revising your reading list so that first student experience is a positive one.

We’ll share our best practice tips and techniques for curating reading lists. We’ll consider wider implications of resourcing your module including e-book licencing models and what these mean for your teaching. We’ll also explore how to ensure your reading list is inclusive and representative.

This event will be livestreamed via Microsoft Teams.

Register for a place and a link to the event – Resourcing your module Tickets, Mon 5 Jul 2021 at 14:00 | Eventbrite

The launch event of this year’s Summer Music Week, the Music Department’s annual musical farewell to the academic year, takes place this Sunday, features the University Big Band, and will be livestreamed for the first time!

The concert launches this year’s more modest event series, and features final-year Social Anthropology student, Elle Soo, singing with the band, conducted as usual by the irrepressible Ian Swatman. It will be a welcome return to live music-making in Colyer-Fergusson for the first time since last year, and the inaugural livestreaming of a formal public concert by the Music Department.

Tickets for a socially-distanced live audience have sold out, but the event can be enjoyed live online on the Music Department’s YouTube channel.

The livestream will then remain online for future viewing.

Would you like to engage with a world outside of academia but are struggling to find a good space in which to do so? Perhaps you’d like to run a local skills workshop, set-up an arts exhibition, offer outreach activities, knowledge exchange seminars, focus groups or engage local community groups and businesses.

If so a pop-up shop in Ramsgate High Street might just be the ticket. This amazing opportunity is open to all staff and postgraduate students who would like to offer outward facing activities and events that underpin the University’s civic mission and help to cement its sense of place in the community.

Space in the shop is available thanks to the generosity of colleagues in the Division of Natural Sciences and their partner Discovery Planet who have secured funding to deliver science workshops to the region from September 2021 for two years.

Interested?

To gauge demand for the space we are asking for initial proposals for activities taking place in the academic year 2021/22.

The next step is very straightforward. For informal discussions or to apply simply email a free text expression of interest (maximum 500 words) to researchexcellence@kent.ac.uk by 1 July 2021 telling us:

• Who you are and where you work
• A little bit about your project and the audience
• Potential dates you’d like to use the shop between Sept 2021 – Aug 2022 (including set-up and take-down days if known)

Good luck – we look forward to hearing from you!

From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chair of Covid-19 Silver Command

Following last week’s update, Canterbury has had confirmation of further cases of Covid-19 and in particular those linked to one of the new variants of concern.

Whilst the number of cases remains low, to ensure any spread is limited as quickly as possible, Public Health England (PHE) have launched an enhanced testing programme for everyone living, working or studying in either the CT1 or CT2 7 postcodes. This precautionary measure includes our Canterbury campus and the majority of the city.

We strongly encourage all of you living, working or studying in the target postcodes to play your part by getting one of these additional tests as soon as possible. As the enhanced testing is specifically to locate cases of the new variant, this includes those of you who have been regularly completing asymptomatic tests in recent weeks, even if you have recently tested negative.

What you need to do

PHE have requested that anyone living, working or studying in the target postcode areas should attend an enhanced testing centre between the 1-15 June.

Two mobile units will be situated in Keynes College and Darwin Car Parks from Tuesday onwards, and will be open to staff, students and members of the public from 09.00-19.00 daily. There will also be several enhanced testing units around the city, with more information on locations online.

After your test, you can resume your normal activities whilst awaiting your test result. If you receive a positive test result, please inform us immediately by emailing StaffWellbeing@kent.ac.uk. You can find out more about what to do following a positive test on our Coronavirus staff information pages.

Please note that you do not need to be tested if you have had Covid-19 in the last 90 days.

Staying safe on campus

While we have not been asked to make any changes to current activity on campus, the recent developments show how vital it is that we all continue to keep each other safe in the weeks ahead by sticking to the latest government guidelines and the NHS guide on how to avoid spreading the infection. Infection. We have also carried out additional health and safety checks on campus to ensure key areas such as the Templeman Library are as safe as possible.

Finally, we will all need to remember to continue to get tested twice a week and report all positive results even after the enhanced testing has finished. This can be done either at our on-campus asymptomatic test centres or by using one of our home-test kits. Find out more about Covid testing.

I’m proud of how everyone has come together to keep each other safe over the last year –all of us keeping that up and doing our bit during this additional step will be a key part of supporting our community, so I want to thank everyone in advance for their continued cooperation.

With best wishes,

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chair of Covid-19 Silver Command

From September 2021, a number of University staff will be able to choose where they work for part of the week.

Under our new Hybrid Working Scheme – open to all professional services staff on UK employment contracts – you can request to work off-campus for up to two days per week.

The new scheme underlines the benefits of hybrid working for both the University and our staff. We believe that giving you more choice and control over where you work helps build mutual trust, employee motivation and wellbeing, and can result in enhanced performance. 

How will it work

Staff who are contracted to work on four days per week or more will be able to apply to work remotely up to two days per week. Staff who work on fewer than four days can apply for one remote working day per week.

Applications will be assessed by your line manager, with oversight by the departmental director, in line with agreed criteria. This will take account of what is operationally viable for you in your role, service requirements and the overall needs of your team. We will be encouraging managers to facilitate hybrid working wherever operationally possible.

The Hybrid Working Scheme has been developed in consultation with a JSNCC Working Group and cross-section of other key stakeholders across the University. Documentation will be shared with JSNCC in mid-June and the scheme will be open for applications after that. 

Find out more

Further information on the new Hybrid Working Scheme, including FAQs, is available now on our HR pages.

An inter-disciplinary team of researchers from the Kent Buisness School, led by Prof Scaparra,
used analytics tools to analyse the impacts of flooding on urban road networks in Vietnam
and identify cost-efficient flood mitigation investments to minimise social and economic flood
impacts.

Building on lessons learned from projects in the UK with companies such as Port of Dover
and Eurostar, the team are currently working with researchers in 5 Southeast Asia countries
to build analytics capacity and address challenges in the areas of transport infrastructure
development, smart cities and disaster management.

Attend this event to find out more:

Analytics for Sustainability Event – WEDNESDAY 9 JUNE, 12.00-13.00 BST

• Virtual Interactive panel discussion
• Speakers: Prof. Maria Paola Scaparra, Dang Thu Phuong, Ngô Công Chính

For information and to register please visit the Eventbrite website.

Welcome to Trevor Pereira who joins as our new Director of Commercial and Facilities Management on 1 June.

Trevor brings with him a wealth of experience from senior leadership roles he has held at Intu, Heathrow Airport Ltd and BAA.  Within these roles he has successfully driven up commercial income and managed extensive property portfolios with responsibility for large numbers of staff across a number of operational areas.  With these skills and knowledge demonstrated of the HE sector and the University, Trevor will be a valuable addition to the University’s leadership team.

Initially, Trevor will be based in the Estates Department but will spend his time working with Estates and Commercial Services colleagues across the two areas.

He will also be working closely with Peter Pentecost and Richard Bradford to ensure a robust handover of Estates and Commercial Services matters, as well as with Jane Higham on the development of the longer term Commercial and Facilities Strategy.