Monthly Archives: January 2022

Covid-19 International Travel Update – January 2022

From Mark Reed, Assistant Director of Finance (Procurement)

Following changes to the Government’s international travel guidance, you may now book work travel to regions no longer on the Red List.

Please remember, however, that there are still some specific regions where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises only essential or no travel.

Staff should not travel into regions where the FCDO advises against all travel, and should only travel to regions where the FCDO advises against all but essential travel when it is business critical and genuinely essential.

For any travel into a region where FCDO advises against all but essential travel, you will require a Travel Exceptions Authorisation Form signed by the Director of Division. You will also need a travel risk assessment, reviewed by our Safety, Health and Environment Unit.

Limited international travel

Taking account of both Covid-19 and costs involved, international staff travel should only occur where unavoidable and absolutely necessary. Conference attendance should be online where at all possible for the time being. Adding significant extra time to a trip for personal travel is in breach of our University Travel Policy You should not assume you will be able to travel as often as you may have done before the Covid-19 pandemic.

All travel should follow the Employee Personal Expenditure Policy – always check on our Finance webpages to make sure that you are using the most recent version of the policy.

Student travel overseas

Student travel overseas remains suspended until further notice and should not be booked this financial year unless it is essential to the subject studied and the promised student experience. Any student travel regarded as essential will require written permission, with a Travel Exceptions Authorisation Form, signed by the Director of Division.

Undergraduate students should not travel into any region where the FCDO advises against all travel or essential travel only. Postgraduate students should not travel into regions where the FCDO advises against all travel. Travel into any region where the FCDO advises essential travel only is subject to similar procedures as staff travel.

Find out more

Further information is available on our Finance webpages. If you have any queries, please contact any of us in the Procurement Team.

Mark Reed | Assistant Director of Finance (Procurement)

Latest edition of Kent Magazine: Winter 2021/22 now available

Kent Magazine returns this winter 2021/22 to bring you all the latest news, research, and stories from the Kent community. It’s available a few different ways:

In print – we’ve posted copies to our alumni who have recently updated their postal address with us. If you haven’t received a copy but would like one, please email us with your current address and we’ll add you to the mailing list.
On our campuses, at college receptions and in magazine stands at select locations (available from Monday 24 January).
Online and to download as a PDF file on Issuu.com.

From graduate and staff profiles to news articles, find out what the latest edition of Kent Magazine has in store.

Here are just some of the features included in the issue for you to enjoy:

Passing it forward – with Mike Wilkins MBE

The alumni team caught up with Mike Wilkins MBE, who transformed sports at Kent, to hear about his life, career in football, and time at our university.

Using research to clean up our acts

In this article read about the research that a team of Kent psychologists undertook, which found that using carefully worded road signage can decrease the number of drivers leaving engines idling during queues at crossing barriers.

Abulrazak Gurnah

The magazine highlights the wonderful achievement of our alumnus and Emeritus Professor Abdulrazak Gurnah winning the Nobel Prize for Literature 2021.

From graduate and staff profiles to news articles, find out more what the latest edition of Kent Magazine has in store.

Grab a Jab on Canterbury campus, Tues 1 February

Join the thousands of students getting vaccinated against Covid-19.

Following the success of the last vaccination clinic on campus, we will be running another on Tuesday 1 February, 12.30-16.30, in the Old Santander Bank on the Canterbury campus.

Come along for your free Covid-19 vaccination – 1st, 2nd and booster vaccines are all available.

For 18s and over the gap is 8 weeks after the first dose and 12 weeks for the booster after the second. Anyone who has recently had Covid should wait for 28 days before getting their vaccine/booster.

Can’t make these? Find a Covid-19 vaccination centre near you in Kent and Medway.

Care first webinars w/c 24 January 2022

Our official Employee Assistance Programme provider, Care first offers a numbers of services and provide useful advice and support, including weekly webinars.

This week’s (Monday 24 January – Friday 28 January) webinars are as follows:

Monday 24 January 2022 – ‘How Care first can support you’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please go to webinar link

Tuesday 25 January 2022 – ‘Trying something new by stepping out of you comfort zone’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please go to webinar link

Wednesday 26 January 2022 – ‘Stress awareness’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please go to this webinar link

Thursday 27 January 2022 – ‘Parents mental health awareness‘
Time 12.00-12.30 – to register please go to this webinar link

Friday 28 January 2022 – ‘Coping with COVID uncertainty’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please go to this webinar link

Covid-19 Update: Changes from next week

From Martin Atkinson, Director of HR & Organisational Development

Following the Government announcements on changes to Covid-19 restrictions earlier this week, there are a number of things for us to consider at Kent. While the national guidance has changed, our focus throughout the pandemic has been on keeping our entire community safe and, at this stage, that means making gradual changes so that we continue to limit the risk of infection while we return to our usual working practices.

With that in mind, our intention is that we all treat February as a transition month where we can start to relax some of our existing measures at a pace that suits individuals in different areas while continuing to keep an eye on the situation locally.

Returning to campus

Any staff currently based at home are welcome to start coming back to work on campus from next week, with hybrid working arrangements back in place where relevant. Do discuss this with your line manager ahead of your return, and bear in mind when you do come back that we’ll need to keep safety at the front of our minds in busy areas in particular. In-person meetings can also be booked where it makes sense – however, do consider what the appropriate format is for these, with a continued recommendation that we think ‘virtual-first’ given people will be working in different locations.

Face Coverings

We’ll also all need to recognise and respect the different situations both staff and students may be in and that some, particularly those who are more vulnerable, will be concerned about the changing picture nationally. With that in mind, our expectation is that everyone should continue to wear face coverings in teaching spaces, communal areas of our buildings and other areas where there are lots of people around. As before, in most cases those teaching classes won’t need to wear a face covering as they will have sufficient space at the front of the class.

Face coverings can make a real difference to infection rates, along with reassuring those who are most at risk – we are also writing to students today to confirm that our current approach remains in place.

Testing

Everyone coming onto campus should also continue to test twice a week and register their results with the NHS – free lateral flow test kits are available on the Canterbury campus from College receptions, Campus Security, the Registry, Estates and the Templeman Library, plus at the Old Sports Hall at Medway.

There is a lot to take in with a number of national changes happening in a short period of time – do talk this through with a manager if you have any concerns or via our Employee Assistance Scheme if you want to do this anonymously. Thank you also to all of you for your continued support with keeping each other safe throughout this period.

Martin

Martin Atkinson | Director of HR & Organisational Development

Covid-19 Update: Keeping our campuses safe

From Professor Richard Reece | DVC Education and Student Experience

Following my email on Wednesday about recent Government Covid-19 announcements, I wanted to follow up with a bit more detail on what this will mean for us at Kent. As you know, our focus throughout the pandemic has been on keeping our entire community safe, and our approach at this stage is on taking sensible steps to limit the risk of infection as we return fully to face-to-face teaching.

We also all have a role in recognising and respecting the different situations both students and staff may be in and that some, particularly those who are more vulnerable, will be concerned about the changing picture nationally. With that in mind, our expectation is that everyone should continue to wear face coverings in teaching spaces, communal areas of our buildings and other areas where there are lots of people around. This can make a real difference to infection rates, along with reassuring those who are most at risk.

Vaccinations

It was fantastic to see so many of you at our pop-up vaccination centre on our Canterbury campus earlier this week, joining the thousands of students who have been jabbed across the country. If you are heading into town this weekend, there will another walk-in at Whitefriars in the empty Ernest Jones shop from 10.00 to 16.00 on both Saturday and Sunday – we’ll also have another pop-up centre on Canterbury campus in the Old Bank on Tuesday 1 February from 12.30 to 16.30. Find a Covid-19 vaccination centre near you.

Testing

Everyone coming onto campus should also continue to test at least twice a week and register their results with the NHS – free lateral flow test kits are available on the Canterbury campus from College receptions, Campus Security, the Registry and the Templeman Library, plus at the Old Sports Hall at Medway.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support with this and for everything you continue to do to keep our campuses safe.

With all good wishes,

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | DVC Education and Student Experience

Talking Cultures: Free intercultural workshops

Are you looking to further enhance your intercultural awareness and an opportunity to meet students from various cultural backgrounds? If so, you might be interested in these stand-alone cultural workshops which are free and open to all Kent students.

Workshops will be delivered in-person at the Canterbury Campus. If you need assistance, please email internationalprogrammes@kent.ac.uk.

Workshop 1: Cultural Knowledge and Identity – EWLA3340

Wednesday 2 Feb, 14.00-15.30.

Workshop 2: Considerations of Intercultural Communication – EWLA3350

Wednesday 9 Feb, 14.00-15.30.

Workshop 3: Barriers to Intercultural Communication; Tools & Strategies – EWLA3360

Wednesday 16 Feb, 14.00-15.30.

Workshop 4: Enhancing cultural awareness – EWLA3370

Wednesday 23 Feb, 14.00-15.30.

Feedback from students who have previously attended a Talking Cultures workshops

Laura Prats Cardona: “Personally, my favourite one [workshop] was the culture workshop, where we were put in groups of more or less ten people and each of us discussed the prejudices on our cultures, what we believed to be culture (which is so much more than just food music or clothes) and what culture we identified ourselves with. It was interesting to see how people who had travelled or moved countries during their childhood (myself included) identified with two or more cultures”.

Bilal Hussain: “Internationalisation and global engagement programmes exemplified by GOLD, such as the talking cultures workshops, have helped fuel this new emerging environment of cultural pride and expression for us all. Going back to the previous point about travelling through the people you meet; internationalisation programmes have become even more important in keeping this momentum going in the current COVID climate where we can’t travel. This only amplifies just how important it is in forging global and diverse relationships so that we can see the world through people. Most importantly however, it improves our respect and awareness of different perspectives from different parts of the world which helps us to build a respectful and tolerant society where we can celebrate each other and forge togetherness rather than divisions”.

Weekly Engagement and Impact Surgery launched

The Research Excellence Team are organising a weekly drop-in surgery offering help and support with anything related to public & community engagement and impact.

Are you an academic wanting to find out more about sharing your research with the wider community and identifying different pathways to impact? Are you a business leader looking to find an academic partnership? Do you need help with events management, audience or stakeholder identification, event evaluation, impact evidencing, funding and grants? Then do come along.

Our surgeries take place every Wednesday from 14.00 – 16.00 during term time except in weeks when there is a Kent Public Engagement Network (KPEN) meeting. Surgeries are open to anyone including staff, students and members of the public including community and business groups.

For more information contact Jill Hurst at j.hurst-853@kent.ac.uk.

Returning student accommodation applications now open

Are you and your friends thinking about where to live next year? Take the hassle out of house hunting and worrying about deposits or bill payments by returning to with us again next year.

We’ve set aside a limited number of rooms across the Canterbury campus and Pier Quays exclusively for returning students, so whether you are in your second, third or fourth year you can take advantage of the great benefits of living with us once again when you apply online!

Live with your friends – tell us in your applications and as look as you meet our guidelines we’ll house you together. (Check out our FAQs for more info).
No deposit needed to secure your room – pay nothing until September 2022 for Canterbury campus accommodation and only an advanced rent payment for Pier Quays.
Guaranteed offer– for the first 1,000 Canterbury returning student applications and all Medway applications. You’ll also get quick confirmation with early applicants finding out if their application is successful at the end of January with their room allocation information following from March.
Pay no bills – all utilities are included (gas, water, electricity, heating and Wi-Fi) plus you get to keep your Kent Sport Premium Plus membership for free for another year.

If you are applying for Canterbury accommodation you can apply for any accommodation area except Turing College (which is reserved for new students). In Medway we also have phase 2 rooms available in Pier Quays which returning student applications are given priority for. Rooms are allocated on a first come first served basis so apply early to maximise your chances.

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.

Help make this year’s Celebration Ceremonies and Congregations extra special

Graduation is a key moment in the lives of all our students and, following the impact of the pandemic over the last couple of years, we’re keen to ensure this year’s ceremonies, from March onwards, are extra special for everyone involved.

To do this, we need the support of colleagues from right across the University. We need help with roles such as ticket collection, graduate registration, ushering and handing out certificates.

These are wonderful occasions to share with our graduates and help celebrate their success, but there’s plenty of other benefits including a free lunch/dinner, if you work two or more ceremonies. If you’re on grades 1-6, you can claim for TOIL (time off in lieu) or overtime payments. You may also be able to claim time back if you’re on a higher grade, subject to agreement with your manager.

Watch our video on how you can help make our ceremonies extra special!

Find out more

Further information on what’s involved is available in our Congregations Factsheet and you can find out more about ceremony dates here. You can also email us at congregations@kent.ac.uk if you have any questions.

If you’re ready to sign-up, please complete this form asap.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Liberty Chambers and Chloe Cooper, Congregations team.