Monthly Archives: November 2023

Events roundup: 13-19 November

Find out what’s on this week. Disability History Month starts on Thursday, and it’s also Transgender Awareness Week.

Monday 13 November: Support session and dodgeball

Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) are running a support session for students affected by the recent terrorist attacks in Israel and ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This is a drop-in session taking place from 13:00-14:00 on Monday, upstairs in Locke Building near the Coop, staffed by a mental health adviser and counsellor from SSW. All students are welcome.

On Monday afternoon you can join the ResLife Ambassadors for a fast-paced game of dodgeball in the Sports Centre. With the added inclusion of inflatables, it’s dodgeball with a difference!

Tuesday 14 November: VC Question Time, navigating the job market as an international student and designing a good research proposal

Do you have a question for your Vice-Chancellor? Get your free student ticket for VC Question Time on Tuesday from 13:00-15:00 in the Colyer-Fergusson Hall in Canterbury.

Are you an international student? There’s lots of careers events for international students this week including a session around navigating the job market as an international student on Tuesday lunchtime.

If you’re a PG student and you are looking into writing a research proposal for a PhD project, join this workshop on how to design a good research proposal.

Wednesday 15 November: Therapy Dog, wild your wellbeing and PG Open Event

Take a break with Coco the therapy dog, a certified Pets as Therapy dog with Pause for Paws in Nexus, Templeman Library. Coco is very friendly, calm and loves to be fussed over.

Wild your wellbeing on Wednesday afternoon – join this seasonal crafting session at Kent Community Oasis that makes use of natural materials to create mindful creations. The session is complimented by guided discussions on a range of wellbeing topics.

Are you considering postgraduate study? Book a place at our Postgraduate Open Event to find out more about our courses, meet staff and postgraduate students and to find out how Kent can help you make your ambition count. Plus, you can find out about scholarships including some that are exclusively for Kent alumni!

Thursday 16 November: Spotting trends and relaxation session (both Medway)

Find out how to do market research and spot trends at this in-person Business Start-Up Journey session at the Medway campus. You can also enjoy free pizza at the session!

Treat yourself with a soothing 15-minute massage or a gel manicure at The Hub. These relaxation sessions are first come first served so be quick!

Friday 17 November: UV games (Medway) and board games evening

Have fun playing UV Games – badminton and table tennis edition at The Hub. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a casual enthusiast, the UV ambiance adds a fun twist.

Join your ResLife Ambassadors for an evening of board games and puzzles in Keynes. A wide range of games and puzzles are available to choose from.

See more student events.

Opportunities

There’s only one week left to sign-up with Santander’s Scholarships programme online for the chance to win £1,000! 10 Kent students will win so sign up now.
The Annual Student Success Expectations Survey is now open to all students. The Student Success Team want to understand what you hope to achieve during your time here and how we can best support you. There’s a chance to win a £300 amazon voucher if you complete the survey.
Kent 2030: Help us bring together our next five-year plan for the University. We’re looking into big changes (from 2025 academic year) which include making it easier to fit study around other activities and making sure we build in better links with industry in our courses. Find out more and give feedback
Flexible casual paid role – become a Umii ambassador. We’re partnered with Umii, an app to help you make friends with other students at Kent.

See more student opportunities.

Transgender Awareness Week, 13-19 November

Did you know that one in every hundred students in our Kent community has said that they identify as transgender or gender non-conforming? However we suspect this number might be much higher.

13-19 November is Transgender Awareness Week, which aims to:

raise awareness of the experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming people
share stories of transgender people in our society
advance advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community.

Recent figures show that the number of UK students who define themselves as neither male nor female has more than doubled in the last two years. LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall explains that people are becoming increasingly confident to be themselves, thanks to more social acceptance and visibility of different sexual and gender identities.

The big impact of small actions

At Kent we hope to further our inclusive community, eradicate prejudice, and support one another.

On this subject, Lynne Regan, a senior member of the Student Support and Wellbeing team on the Medway campus, who also recently completed her Doctorate on the experiences of trans students at uni, explains how small actions of recognition and awareness of trans students can have a big impact:

“Rainbow lanyards are available for staff and students from most college and library receptions at Canterbury and Medway. Designed around the ‘Inclusion Flag’ which incorporates the Pride rainbow flag with pink, blue, brown and black representing the trans community and people of colour within the LGBT+ community. Wearing the lanyards shows students that they can ‘bring their whole selves’ to you without fear of judgement or an unsupportive reaction. One of the interview participants in my study stated “I love that many of the lecturers wear these lanyards with the rainbow pattern on them, which signals to the students that they are LGBTQ+ allies and can be approached… I like that I have someone I can actually turn to very visibly… It makes me feel very welcome.”

“Another thing you can do is to use inclusive language and respect pronouns. If someone has told you the pronouns that they use, then respect this. Use the pronouns they have asked you to use. Do not assume pronouns based on the way someone looks or sounds.”

Support for students at Kent

There is a support group in Canterbury that meets twice a month. It is open to trans, intersex and non-binary people at Kent. The group is run by trans/non-binary people for trans/non-binary people. Family and partners are welcome.
There are gender-neutral toilet facilities across our Canterbury and Medway campuses.
Student Support and Wellbeing offer free mental health support, counselling and peer support groups to all students and have an advisor with specialist LGBTQ+ support knowledge.
Check out our directory of LGBTQ+ self-help resources including details of free, confidential, specialist helplines and support group networks, such as Metro, The Be You Project, and Gendered Intelligence.
You can also update your gender and preferred name (which shows on your Microsoft Teams account) on KentVision.
Have you heard of the Gender Affirmation Fund? The fund supports students who identify as transgender, non binary or gender non-conforming with the purchase of gender affirming items such as binders, clothing, packers, makeup, hair extensions, pouches, Stand To Pee devices, gendered religious headwear or clothing and minor cosmetic procedures such as ear piercing or for managing body hair.

Experienced hate or discrimination because of your gender identity?

You can report incidents of assault, harassment, and hate via the REPORT + SUPPORT tool, with or without giving your name. Even if you don’t choose to request support, by reporting an incident you will help to make the University a safer place for all.

Help us create a university community which belongs to all students, and where all students feel they belong by sharing this information on transgender awareness. #InclusiveKent

Israel and Gaza reflections

Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Karen Cox

In recent weeks I have followed the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza with deepening horror and upset. Since the attacks on 7 October and ongoing war since, our thoughts first and foremost have been with our Israeli and Palestinian students and staff with family or direct ties to the area, along with all those affected by the escalating conflict and dealing with unimaginable terror and distress. They continue to be of great concern to all of us at the University.

I have also been listening to the testimonies of Palestinian and Jewish students and staff, as well as many others, and have been greatly moved and humbled by their experiences. The outrage, distress and anger is palpable. In listening to these, our first response has to be to affirm above all the humanity of all victims of violence, terrorism and war; in doing so, we uphold the sanctity of every life in the region and, like others, we call for the space for humanitarian aid and support and, more broadly, a fair and lasting peace.

In these conversations I have been greatly concerned that some students and staff are not feeling safe in the current climate. As part of a large and diverse learning community, we have so much that binds us together, including a commitment to peace, tolerance, freedom of expression within the law, the right to peaceful protest, democracy and of course our responsibilities towards one another. We want to be a place where people can talk openly about their experiences and about the things that matter to them, and be heard respectfully and attentively; these things lie at the heart of learning, scholarship and our lives together.

I am always aware that as a university we don’t have all the answers, but in listening we commit ourselves to learning, challenging ourselves, and to understanding and doing better. I hope this is a commitment we can all make at this time so that we can all have what we need and deserve – a sense of safety and security, the ability to speak out, to protest, to share experiences and demand change, combined with a sense of wellbeing and fulfilment – as we learn, teach and work in a difficult world and at a challenging time.

Finally, I want to underline that there is advice and support available to all staff and students and I would urge all those who feel they need help and support to reach out.

Advice and Support

If you are worried about the ongoing situation in the Middle East then please get in touch with our Student Welfare teams who will advise you on how we can support you at this difficult time. You can also check out our blogpost on coping with distressing events, which outlines support for Kent students, and some advice on ways to manage the intense feelings which can come with hearing about traumatic events.

Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) are running support sessions every Monday from 13.00 – 14.00. These are drop-in sessions taking place upstairs in Locke Building near the Coop, staffed by a mental health adviser and counsellor from SSW. All students are welcome.

The UK Foreign Office also has advice on what to do if you have friends or family who are travelling to the region at the moment, along with guidance on who to contact if you need advice or support overseas.

We appreciate the strength of feeling generated in both staff and students across the university by recent events. We strive to be an organisation where all individuals feel welcome and supported and take a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination on campus. If you experience any discrimination, please use our Report + Support tool so that we can quickly connect you with appropriate support within the University.

Flexible casual job opportunity with Umii

Umii has an exciting role open to all Kent students! Read below for more:

Who are Umii?

Umii was created by students, for students. The Founder of Umii suffered from
loneliness and poor mental health at university, finding it difficult to easily meet
like-minded people. Umii combats the issues of student isolation and loneliness
by offering an easy way for like-minded students to meet across campus and
build real-life friendships.

What Umii do:

Umii partners with Higher Education Institutions to provide a preventative
measure to loneliness and isolation to their students. They have developed a digital application that is used by students to connect with others at their university, in a safe and secure environment. The app is designed to create individual, meaningful friendships, by connecting students based on their interests, course types and society preferences, allowing them to expand their social circle outside of their course and accommodation. We work closely with our partners to promote the app to students and encourage real-life friendships to form as a result.

Umii are looking for people who thrive in a startup environment and want to build
tech for good. Interested? Read on…

Job purpose

To help grow Umii at your university by taking part in Freshers fairs and
promotional campaigns, spreading the word about Umii to your fellow students.

Job Activities

Stall setup: Prepare and arrange all necessary materials, banners, and
promotional items at the freshers fair stall to create an inviting and visually
appealing display.
Student engagement: Proactively approach and engage students passing
by the stall, initiating conversations to explain the features and benefits of
the Umii app.
App promotion: Communicate effectively about the Umii app’s
functionalities, emphasising how it facilitates student connections,
enhances university life, and provides valuable resources.
Interactive activities: Develop and execute interactive activities or games at
the stall to attract and engage students, fostering interest and creating a
positive brand experience.
Sign-up support: Guide interested students through the process of
downloading and registering for the Umii app, answering any questions
they may have and addressing concerns.
Relationship building: Establish and maintain a friendly and approachable
demeanour, actively listening to students’ feedback, suggestions, and
concerns, and providing assistance whenever needed.
Brand ambassador: Act as a brand ambassador for Umii, maintaining a
professional and knowledgeable image, and representing the company’s
values and mission to create a positive impression among students.

This is a casual and flexible role. See Umii Ambassador Job Description.

If interested in the role, reach out to Umii at hello@umii.app providing a little
information about yourself.

Join our Postgraduate Open Event, 15 Nov

Discover how to reach your goals at our Open Event on Wednesday 15 November, 17:00-19:00, in Sibson.

Choosing where to progress your career ambitions is a big decision and we’re delighted to invite you to our Open Event.

Open Events are a fantastic way to meet our staff and postgraduate students and to find out how Kent can help you make your ambition count.

You can also find out more about all our scholarships, including some that are exclusive for Kent alumni!

This event is for potential postgraduate students (Master’s and PhD) and their supporters.

Book your place

Kent 2030: give your feedback

Help us bring together our next five-year plan for the University.

We’re looking into an number of big changes which include making it easier for you to fit study around other activity and making sure we build in better links with industry in our courses.

The earliest these changes would come into effect would be the 2025/26 academic year.

Find out more about Kent 2030 and give your feedback.

Water Supply Issues: Resolved

Updated at 9:45 on Monday 13 November 2023

The water supply issues at Canterbury campus are now fully resolved.

Thanks for your patience while the issues were fixed.

Student Success Expectations Survey closes 17 Nov

The Annual Student Success Expectations Survey is now open to all students! Make your voice heard in this long-standing piece of academic research.

Why are we doing this?

We want to understand what you hope to achieve during your time here and how we can best support you.
We want to learn more about your academic expectations and your hopes and plans.
We want to use your responses to help develop and improve services for students.
We want to better understand whether there are any potential barriers to your progress so that we can plan to mitigate these going forwards.

Prize Draw

In return for 7-10 minutes of your time you will be entered into a prize draw to win a whopping £300 Amazon voucher and you’ll also be added to a Divisional draw for a £20 Amazon voucher! The number of £20 Amazon vouchers available per Division depends on your engagement, so we are really encouraging as many of you to complete the survey as possible.

Plus you will also earn yourself 5 Employability Points, which can be cashed-in to apply for exclusive internships, placements and training on the Employability Points Scheme. Student Success will get in touch directly with any lucky winners to arrange prize collection.

Complete the survey now.

Talk Money Week 2023

This week (6-10 November) is Talk Money Week. The aim is to encourage you to be more open about your finances with family and friends, as well as getting advice from experts if needed.

Blackbullion

We’re partnered with Blackbullion, a resource for students to improve their finances. Blackbullion has courses you can join and articles including how to build an emergency fund and top 10 money tips.

Help with budgeting

Your student maintenance loan only stretches so far and doesn’t always cover all the essentials. So, it’s important to make sure you’ll have enough money to see you through to your next instalment. Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert guru, has lots of advice and templates to help, check out here how to create a student budget.

As always, if you are experiencing financial hardship and budgeting just doesn’t cut it, please get in touch for financial support and advice.

Don’t get caught out

University students can be a target for criminals. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is:

Money mules – recruiters may try to befriend you and ask you to transfer money between accounts for them, giving you a small cut for doing so. You may think you are doing someone a favour, but you could be transferring criminal money. If you get caught, you could get a criminal record. Find out more about money mules.
Online scams – Protect yourself from online scams with these tips from Dr Jason Nurse of our award-winning Institute of Cyber Security Research Group.
Be suspicious of unsolicited emails, texts or calls asking for personal information.
Be cautious of messages that try enticing you into take some action (e.g. clicking a link or transferring some money).
Be careful with what personal information you share online, using data from previous breaches fraudsters trick people into thinking it’s genuine.
Use unique and strong passwords across online accounts – use a reputable password manager app to keep them secure.
Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible and keep the software updated.

Additional resources and support around your finances

Events roundup 6-12 November

Find out what’s on this week:

Monday 6 November: Writing skills workshops

Brush up on your writing skills with workshops from the Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS) on writing introductions and conclusions and paragraph writing. These are in-person workshops or online access on request. See more SLAS workshops.

Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) are running a support session for students affected by the recent terrorist attacks in Israel and ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This is a drop-in session taking place from 13:00-14:00 on Monday, upstairs in Locke Building near the Coop, staffed by a mental health adviser and counsellor from SSW. All students are welcome.

Tuesday 7 November: Black Student Voices Summit and Go Abroad Fair

One year on from the launch of the Kent Union project Black Student Voices, Kent Union are hosting a summit to present the findings of the researchers and also celebrate the Black community on our campus. You’re invited to join for a full day of community building, learning and fun.

The Go Abroad Team will be joined by providers of Summer abroad opportunities in Nexus on Tuesday afternoon. Come along to hear about the opportunities and funding available for volunteering, internships and study abroad opportunities for Summer 2024.

Wednesday 8 November: Coco the Therapy Dog and pizza making session

Pause for Paws returns to Nexus in Templeman Library. Take a break with Coco the therapy dog, a certified Pets as Therapy dog. Coco is very friendly, calm and loves to be fussed over.

Join the ResLife Ambassadors for a pizza making session. Chef Benjamin Elsbury will show you how to make a pizza from scratch! Places are limited so book on the Home at Halls app.

Thursday 9 November: PGR Yoga/Writing Retreat and Cheese Tasting

If you’re a postgrad researcher, why not come along to this Yoga and Writing Retreat? The day starts with an hour of yoga to prepare the body and mind for writing. You’ll then be encouraged to work in blocks of 50 minutes on your thesis/project, with refreshments provided and a short, guided mediation after lunch.

On Thursday evening you can join the ResLife Ambassadors for cheese tasting in Sibson. Find out how cheese is made and learn how to taste cheese like a food scientist.

Saturday 11 November: Learn how to build an app

Join us for this one-day workshop when you will learn how to build an app in Bubble, with our Tech Entrepreneur in Residence Jon Carroll. You’ll also get a free lunch. This event is part of the Business Start-up Journey series by ASPIRE.

Sunday 12 November: Glass painting and colouring

Enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon of glass painting, canvas painting and colouring with the ResLife Ambassadors in Keynes.

See more student events.

Student opportunities

The Canterbury Safer Streets Survey has been extended. The survey, run by Canterbury Christ Church University, is conducting research with students in Kent and Medway and aims to understand better the experiences of students in relation to a wide range of safety issues.
Student art pass – a year of art and opportunities for £10. Your Student Art Pass lets you dive into culture on a budget with free entry to hundreds of museums and galleries across the UK and 50% off major exhibitions.