Monthly Archives: November 2021

Two students talking via video call

Study support for remote learners

As your first assignments and deadlines start to approach, we want to highlight the study support on offer to you if you have opted to study remotely this year.

Remote study is when ALL teaching and learning is delivered online, and you won’t be on campus.

Study support on offer to remote learners includes:

Access the library resources on your reading list either as e-versions (see all the online resources in Your Digital Library) or use the Templeman or Drill Hall Library to borrow books. Find out more by viewing the Digital Library and IT e-induction on Moodle. 

And, if you haven’t already, make sure you check out our online learning guide for students, which has a section on assessments.

Need a break from studying or want to meet other remote learners?

Studying in your bedroom can be hard, and it is important you give yourself a break every now and again.

Here’s some things you can try to meet other students and take time to relax:

For all support on offer to remote learners read the full blog.

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Research and Excellence workshops

The Research Excellence Team at Kent are hosting a series of workshops designed to help academic researchers and post graduate researchers with stakeholder engagement and raising their public profile through social media.

The aim of this workshop series is to encourage researchers (at whatever stage of their research career they are) to start thinking about building their public profile to benefit their research impact and create and nurture their stakeholder relationships.

Often, research impact is not widely promoted due to researchers not understanding how to create their public profile, how to identify their stakeholders and consequently build relationships with these stakeholders. These workshops cover all these aspects and as they are also at the start of the next REF cycle, it is a great time to start this process for the REF 2028 submission.

From the feedback from the first workshop that was held last week (‘Initiating and retaining stakeholder relationships’), many researchers have just be awarded grants following bid applications and do not know how to engage through research to maximise the impact of their research.

The next two workshops to take place are:

Enhancing stakeholder relationships: using social media to create your profile – 5 November 12.00 -14.00

To find out more about this workshop and how to book your place please visit this Research Policy and Support webpage.

Fast, easy and free audio-visual content creation for academics – 11 and 22 November 15.00 – 17.00

To find out more about this workshop and how to book your place please visit this Research Policy and Support webpage.

Participants suffering with lower back pain wanted for study

Do you have lower back pain, are you interested in exercise, but not sure where to start? The University of Kent are looking for people like you to take part in a study conducted by the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Using ultrasound imaging, they are investigating the effects of an increase in movement and online exercise classes on your lower back.

To be included in the study, you must be:

  • a male or female non-smoker
  • aged between 18-70 years
  • have lower back pain
  • partake in less than 150 minutes of exercise per week
  • able to visit the University on four occasions (before starting, during, upon completion and a 6-week follow up)

With no prior history of:

  • previous lower back, hip or knee surgery
  • a displaced or injured vertebral disc or vertebrae (eg. spondylolisthesis)
  • corticosteroid injections
  • previous surgical interventions including pins or plates near the spine

What the study includes:

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups:

Group 1 – Two weekly online exercise class in small groups for an hour each over the course of a minimum of three months (maximum of six).

Group 2 – Daily prompts to increase movement throughout usual office hours.

Group 3 – A control group where participants should just continue normal activities.

For further information about this study please contact Claire Melanie Boucher at cmb71@kent.ac.uk, or can scan the QR code below.

 

 

 

Staff in library 2

JSNCC non-union representative nominations

The Joint Staff Negotiating and Consultation Committee (JSNCC) is the main forum for consultation between the University of Kent and its staff on matters of mutual interest. Staff membership of the committee comprises representatives of each of the trade unions and four representatives of non-union staff: two from the professional services and research support staff in grades 1 to 6; and two from the academic, research and professional services staff in grades 7 and above.

One of the current representatives, Becky Verlin, will be stepping down from this role at the end of her extended term, and so nominations are now invited for one position to represent staff grades 1-6. Staff members working within Grades 1-6 are encouraged to put themselves forward for this exciting and rewarding opportunity.

Nominations can be made by following the instructions in the staff nomination email which was sent on 1 November 2021. All nominations must be proposed and seconded by two other staff members and nominees must confirm that they agree to be nominated. The deadline for completed nomination forms being submitted is 17:00 on Monday 15 November 2021.

Why join the JSNCC?

Acting as a staff representative is interesting and rewarding. It provides the opportunity to discuss and comment on University plans and policies, to meet a wide range of new people and to gain valuable personal development. Training and support will be provided to the successful candidates.

Further information about the JSNCC and the nomination and election processes can be found on the JSNCC website or by contacting Colin Smith in the employee relations team via c.smith-832@kent.ac.uk

Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Data (EDI)

Your Information is important to us.

Staff Connect puts you in control by allowing you to review and update your personal details to make sure the University always has the most up to date information for you.

As we return to campus and with life being a little different, it is easy to forget to check your EDI data, tell the University about a change in circumstances such as your new address or a change in telephone number for an emergency contact.

Missing EDI information makes it very difficult for us to succeed with initiatives such as Athena Swan, Race Equality and identifying and addressing gender, ethnicity or disability pay gaps, so please would you take just a few minutes from your day to check and update your personal details?

To get a quick overview of the details that you are missing you can log into Staff Connect, click on the ‘Edit Dashboard’ button in the top right-hand corner of the screen (under the Sign Out button) and select ‘Reporting Services’. Click on the ‘⋮’ symbol in the top right of the widget that has appeared and then click on ‘Settings’. Select Personal Data Check and click ‘Save’; the details that are missing will be red.

The data fields are regularly reviewed to ensure that they meet current equality requirements, so check back regularly in case there have been any changes and your data needs updating.

Staff Connecting EDI info

Please note that this widget is only accessible when you are on campus or via VPN when off-campus.

You can review and update your personal information by selecting the ‘My Details’ button from the left-hand menu. Simply edit your details in the ‘Edit’ screens and your record will be updated once you press ‘Submit’.

If you need help to do this, please refer to our users guides found under ‘Staff Guide’ then ‘Staff Connect Support’ in the left-hand menu within Staff Connect.

Viewing and editing your Details – Staff Connect information site – University of Kent