As we start to look forward to 2021/22 – and following a challenging 18 months for us all – we’re planning a week-long series of events for colleagues to join together to mark the start of the new academic year.

Our proposed Staff Conference will take place virtually and on our campuses from Monday 13 – 17 September between 11.00 and 13.00 each day (till 15.00 on Friday). The idea is that you can dip into the sessions that most interest you over lunch or in work time, or catch up with recordings later on.

Over the week, we’re planning a number of activities, both informative and informal, that you can choose to join in or to run yourself. These may include:

• Talks and discussions about projects, initiatives, and activities of the University
• Sessions focusing on wellbeing support available to staff
• Informal events to take part in individually or as a team
• Staff awards to celebrate the achievements of all our staff over the last 18 months.

The Staff Conference is all about you so we’re keen to hear from staff across Kent, whether in Divisions or Professional Services, what you would like to do during this week – what would be helpful in your role at Kent or something you’d like to share with colleagues!

If you would like to present a session – either a short, interactive session or a longer discussion – forward your suggestions to our Staff Conference organising team via communications@kent.ac.uk by Friday 13 August at 17.00. Please outline your proposed session using no more than 300 words, indicating in particular how you propose to engage and interact with your audience.

We hope that this will become an annual event to mark the start of the academic year. But for now, we look forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions soon!