The Eastern Arc Conference 2021 is now open for registration. Taking place between 10-14 May, it will be a series of five daily 2-hour online sessions, based around the EARC thematic priorities. You can choose to join as many of the individual sessions as you like; the intention is for it to be flexible and fit with your interests and availability.

Entitled ‘Aftermath’, the conference will look at where we are now, after the tumultuous events of 2020. We will look at how agriculture may change following our departure from the EU, the challenges we face in researching the alt-right and other radical groups, whether the new way of managing health will impact research funding in the UK, and how cultural organisations have survived the challenges of lockdown.

We’ll also hear from the British Academy about how the events of the last 12 months have affected its work, and will look at how Eastern Arc itself has evolved in that period.

Click here to find out more about the conference and to register. There’s also time to submit an abstract to host one of our breakout sessions; the deadline for these is 31 March.

It is free and open to all, both within and beyond the three EARC universities of UEA, Essex and Kent.

From Martin Atkinson | Deputy Director of HR  

It continues to be an incredibly busy time, with significant workload pressure on staff being further exacerbated by the ongoing Covid pandemic. Both Executive Group and managers more widely fully recognise this and are hugely appreciative of everybody’s ongoing efforts at what is such as challenging time. There are a number of projects underway to address some of the underlying causes of this, which are summarised below. 

Process Improvement 

Adapting to our divisional structure is a continuing priority as new team structures bed in across the University. Alongside this, we have much still to do at a strategic level to improve our processes. This is a major focus in the weeks and months ahead, with the Project Management Office leading a wider look at how we work and what different areas could do to simplify things. This will be a mix of quick fixes and things that will take longer, but is a key activity for us as a University. 

Future of Work survey 

Part of the pressure at the moment is the continued challenge of working from home, and as we start to look ahead to what a return to campus might look like, we are determined find the right balance between old and new approaches. A number of you have already completed our Future of Work survey to help with our planning around this; do share your thoughts if you haven’t already. 

Closer Working Relationships  

We are also looking at opportunities to do more to strengthen the connection between senior leaders and staff on the frontline. Opportunities like our ongoing staff webchats are part of this, but we are also looking into what else we can do to further build those connections. 

Hopefully this will go some way to reassure staff how seriously we take workload as an issue, and how determined we are to lighten the load for staff in the months ahead wherever possible. 

Each year, the University awards a number of prizes to individual staff or teams for outstanding work in teaching and/or learning support. This year colleagues are encouraged to submitted applications which address three criteria: Excellence in Teaching or Supporting Learning, Dissemination & Influence and Above and Beyond Expectations of Normal Operation. The call for applications for the 2021 prizes is now open.

The closing date for applications is Friday 14 May 2021.

The application form can be downloaded from the CSHE website

Staff are warmly invited to take part in a free online event on ‘Understanding, Accepting, & Embracing Neurodivergent Ways of Experiencing the World’, which will also cover what support is currently offered to Kent students. It’s a free online event from 12.00 – 13.30 on Tuesday 30 March, bookable via Eventbrite.

We are all part of the neurodiversity of humanity, where everyone experiences the world in different ways. In this short online workshop, Dr Chloe Farahar will work with you to discuss the challenges and strengths of being neurodivergent (e.g., Autistic; attention differences; anxiety; etc.); how autistic students’ strengths can make them great university students; and how the University of Kent has dedicated support for the challenges neurodivergent students face in education.

Session overview:

• What is neurodiversity and what kinds of neurodivergence are there?
• Life in labels (trigger warning for non-detailed mention of suicidal thoughts).
• A rose by any other name would smell of…stigma (the importance of language).
• Challenges and strengths of being neurodivergent.
• Being Autistic at university and the support offered at Kent: Q & A ask questions about university life.

You can attend the workshop in a way that suits you, so you can say as little as you like, use the chat function only, or just attend – all modes of participation are welcome.

If you have any queries about this event or support for autistic students at Kent in general, please email autismsupport@kent.ac.uk.

Natalia Crisanti | Student Support and Wellbeing, Student Services 

The annual Graduate and Researcher College Prizes recognises the excellence of Kent’s researchers and the outstanding work carried out by academic and professional service staff members in support of postgraduate research and education.

Nominate someone you feel deserves recognition for their incredible achievements and for the work they do for and with our postgraduate community at Kent. This year there are six prize categories:

Postgraduate Researcher

Postgraduate Professional Service Champion

Director of Graduate Studies (Division/School/Centre)

Postgraduate Teacher

Research Degree Supervisor

Early Career Research Staff

The winner of each category will receive £250 which will be transferred to their school, centre or department to be spent towards their personal research and/or development.

Deadline for nominations is Sunday 16 May 2021, midnight.

Read about last year’s winners .

Article from Kent Sport: 

We’re excited to share with you the proposed phased reopening of Kent Sport facilities over the next few months, starting on 29 March.

While Kent Sport facilities remain closed until this date (with the exception of the Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic), the proposed reopening dates are as follows:

29 March – Outdoor sports under current guidelines (individual bookings and organised training) at The Pavilion will resume and we are excited to introduce a new timetable of outdoor fitness classes. Booking for these sessions will open on 22 March. A full timetable for outdoor classes will be available on our classes webpage shortly. We will also be open on the bank holidays Good Friday, 2 April and Easter Monday, 4 April.

*12 April – The gym will reopen for cardio and weights sessions only, and the Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic will continue to offer face-to-face and online physio consultations and once again be able to offer massages and exercise referrals.

*17 May – Our indoor tennis courts at The Pavilion, indoor sports at the Sports Centre and indoor classes will return.

Please note that all sessions will need to be booked in advance. All Kent Sport facilities follow strict social distancing and a mask or face covering is required on arrival, before and after your activity. A mask or face covering is not required during your activity.

*All dates are subject to change and are reliant on Government guidance. Further updates on the reopening of our services will be shared through @UnikentSports on social media as soon as we are able to.

While we wait for the reopening of our services, make sure you check out our Stay Well @ Home webpage for at-home workouts, virtual classes and wellbeing advice.

See our Coronavirus webpage for specific information and FAQs.

Article from Kent Sport:

We are now rapidly approaching the anniversary of the start of the first national lockdown back in March 2020. A whole year has passed since many people started working from home, and as restrictions stay in place, many will still be working from home for some time yet.

Many of us aren’t equipped with ergonomic chairs, adjustable desks or even a permanent workspace at home, so we’re having to make do with temporary work stations such as the dining room table or the kitchen counter. All of this is a minefield for body aches and pains due to bad posture and a less-than-ideal work setup.

We’ve put together the following links to help support you as you continue working remotely.

Holistic online classes

When working from home, it’s important to inject movement into your day, especially with varied workstation setups. Our range of holistic classes are great for unwinding, relaxing or simply getting you up and moving. Join our instructors in a range of sessions including mindfulness, desk workouts, yoga and stretching. We’ve even filmed a Bedroom Bootcamp which is centered around exercising in a small space.

Our Vimeo library also contains loads of at-home workout videos – conditioning, dance, and cardio sessions will help keep you active at home.

Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic

The Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic remains open throughout the current restrictions, and offers online or face-to-face physiotherapy appointments. Our experienced physiotherapist, Victoria Annis, has helped multiple clients with back pain and other issues throughout the pandemic and is available to staff, students, and the public.

To book an appointment, email physio@kent.ac.uk, or visit our website for further information.

Please read our FAQs to find out how we’re keeping our staff and customers safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stay Well @ Home

Our Stay Well @ Home webpage is our primary space for all things health and wellbeing during the pandemic. Here you’ll find our virtual class library, at-home workout videos, wellbeing blogs, and much more.

Occupational Health at the University of Kent

Occupational Health is a specialist branch of medicine and healthcare that deals with the relationship between a person’s health and the work they do. If you have a health concern related to work, please contact the Occupational Health team for advice.