Ready to dust off your racquet, or just looking to take up a new sport, the tennis centre has you covered!

Kent Sport is home to one of the largest indoor tennis centres in Kent, boasting four, full-size acrylic tennis courts, suitable for all levels of tennis from competitive to recreational, alongside high-quality, professional LTA coaching. Based at The Pavilion, our Tennis and Events Arena is open to Kent Sport members throughout the year. Tennis is a great way to meet new people and improve your physical and mental health!

There are a couple of ways you can get involved. For those of you who feel semi confident to just have a go, take out a free Pay to Play membership with Kent Sport. This enables you to book a court through the online portal whenever you fancy a game. Staff Pay to Play sessions are just £5.50! Kent Sport also offers Premium Plus, Premium, and Plus membership packages, all offering different levels of membership access. You can check these out on our website.

Alternatively, if you would like a little more input, book a place on one of our LTA group coaching sessions for just £10 per session. Develop your tennis skills with our fully qualified LTA coaches. Nick Skelton is an LTA Level 5 Coach and leads the team of LTA-qualified coaches at Kent Sport. Sessions run over one hour and are the perfect place to meet new people and enhance your technique.

To find out more about these sessions, read our latest blog!

Great news, Carols around the Tree returns this month! Sadly the event was cancelled last year due to the sudden return of lockdown.  This year however, carols will be sung! So come along on Tuesday 13 December from 17:00 and enjoy singing on the Registry Lawn.

Please take a look at our online song sheet.

What we have in store

17:00 – Staff and students gather on the Registry Lawn for free mulled-wine and warm chestnuts (Brass ensemble and Ukrainian Choir take their places)

17:05 – Ukrainian Choir Sing 2 songs (unaccompanied) in Ukrainian

17:10 – Concert begins with brass ensemble playing Silent Night – Ukrainian choir (only) to sing first verse in Ukrainian. Staff and students to join and sing second verse onwards.

17:15 – Everyone sings remaining carols together

17:40 – Ends

We hope to see you there!

The E-Learning Team are pleased to announce that the next event in our series of ‘Digitally Enhanced Education webinars’ will take place on Wednesday 14 December from 14.00 – 16.30 (GMT), with the theme ‘What role does Learning Design play in student retention, progress and success?’

Agenda:

• 14:00 – 14:05 – Dr Phil Anthony (University of Kent): Introduction
• 14:05 – 14:20 – Professor Susan Orr (Pro Vice Chancellor: Education, De Montfort University): A Review of Blended Learning in Higher Education
• 14:20 – 14:35 – Molly Edwards & Yuvin Kim (Students at UCL): Students’ perspectives on the impact of learning design on progress and success
• 14:35 – 14:50 – Dr Martin Compton (UCL): Digitally accessible learning design
• 14:50 – 15:05 – Catriona Matthews & Paul Astles (Open University): The role of Learning Design at The Open University in supporting student retention and success
• 15:05 – 15:15 – Break
• 15:15 – 15:30 –  Mary Jacob (Aberystwyth University): Designing Active Cognitive Tasks to promote learning
• 15:30 – 15:45 – Alison Webb (University of Kent): What role does Learning Design play in student retention, progress and success?
• 15:45 – 16:00 – Rob Clarke, Pete Sparkes and Yasi Tehrani (UAL): Student retention in short courses in the arts
• 16:00 – 16:15 – Assistant Professor Selma Yildrim (University of Chicago) Three-point perspective and designing a course

Please share

Colleagues from outside the University of Kent are very welcome to join this community and so feel free to circulate. Please ask anyone wishing to join to complete the Digitally Enhanced Education registration form if they haven’t already. We add them to the mailing list linked to the series, and they will receive the joining link via email on 18 October.

If you would like to present at a future event, please submit a short synopsis and Phil Anthony will be in touch.

Since last month’s update we are pleased to confirm the release of new features and functionality which are now live and available to staff and student users of KentVision.

The release has introduced standardised and streamlined processes across the student lifecycle that will improve the experience for both staff and students.

Some examples of this include:

• Functionality to enable finance colleagues to create and approve manual scholarship awards for the previous academic year.
• Enhanced congregations’ functionality to enable colleagues to sort through to review and update transcripts more efficiently and effectively – reducing the administration burden on staff.
• Introduced functionality to export intermitted student data – enabling improved data analysis.
• Various amendments to approximately 20 system screens (e.g., student support, Individual Learning Plans, PGR Management, Advisors) to ensure a student’s legal name is updated to display their preferred name – improving student wellbeing.
• Introduced functionality to display extended assignment due dates to academic colleagues when approved via Extenuating Circumstances. In addition, the self-certification period for extenuating circumstances has been updated and amended to seven days.
• Automated processes and communications for intermission and withdrawals via email text updates.
• Successfully implemented the data integration processes between KentVision and the CRM.

This release is the culmination of hard work, and we commend everyone involved for their work – including the KentVision Project Team, IS colleagues, and the users of the system dedicating time to ensure improvements are realised.

Next Steps

• Technology and process improvements to continue such as Change of Circumstances and Core Record functionality to enable bulk updates to records (e.g., bulk course changes).
• Work continues to integrate the student attendance data from Moodle into KentVision – ensuring reporting of student attendance is fit for purpose and meets our compliance requirements.
• Business readiness activities, including transition plans and training and communications.
• We are pleased to announce the first of our scheduled KentVision Drop-In Sessions (6 Dec 2022 – 10.00-12.00 – Rutherford N4.N1). Come along and bring any KentVision related questions to our friendly training team in-person. It is a good opportunity to address your queries and demonstrate functionality side by side. Tea, coffee, and snacks will be provided!

We are pleased to announce the first of our scheduled KentVision Drop-In Sessions, will be taking place on Tuesday 6 December from 10.00 – 12.00 at Rutherford N4.N1.

Come along and bring any KentVision related questions to our friendly training team in-person. It is a good opportunity to address your queries and demonstrate functionality side by side.

Tea, coffee, and snacks will be provided!

As Rutherford is notoriously difficult to navigate, an envoy will be waiting to take you up to N4.N1 in the main entrance just before 10.00.

Jamie Beddard graduated from Kent in 1991 with a Sociology Degree. Now he is coming back 30 years later as the writer of Delicate, a dance-circus production that come to Gulbenkian on Fri 2 Dec.

Jamie explained to us just how this happened:

“I recently returned to Canterbury and Whitstable for the first time in 30 odd years in search of some old haunts and friends, I was delighted to find both. So now I cannot believe I am back so soon, and Delicate is being presented at The Gulbenkian. I have not been back on campus since completing my Sociology degree in 1991. My college, Rutherford, was only one of four, and I used to roam the campus on my rusting tricycle. Whilst I did not excel at sociology or studying I grew up, became independent and met many lifelong friends. I only have fond memories of my time at Kent and it was instrumental on the journey I am still on today.

After leaving Kent I became a hopeless Youth Worker in Kilburn, before the BBC came knocking. They were making a film which required disabled actors and somehow got hold of my name. Acting had never been on my radar, and my main interest was visiting the iconic BBC building at White City.

To my utter astonishment I was offered the role in the film ‘Skalligrigg’ and a new career suddenly beckoned. Cut to 30 years later I’m returning with the play Delicate (Writer, Co-director). By complete chance the last gig of the tour that started in the Arctic Circle is ending at the Gulbenkian. For me personally there is a beautiful synergy about this.”

You can see Delicate by Extraordinary Bodies at Gulbenkian on Fri 2 Dec, 19.30.  More information can be found on the events website.

 Find out more about Jamie.

The Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) congratulates the following colleagues who have successful gained Senior Fellowship or Fellowship of AdvanceHE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) through the Route to Recognition for Experienced Staff (RRES).

Senior Fellowship

• Caroline Challans – International Programmes
• Marian Duggan – School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
• Samantha Evans –  Kent Business School
• Epameinondas Katsikas – Kent Business School
• Bridget Ng’andu – School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
• Zita Stone – Kent Business School
• Kirsti Taylor – Global and Lifelong Learning
• Johanne Thompson – Kent Law School

Fellowship

• Nidal Acac – Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) / University of Kent PhD student
• Luisa Dumbleton – International Programmes
• Ahmed Halil – Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara)
• Sameena Hoda – International Programmes

AdvanceHE Fellowship or Senior Fellowship status confers national recognition for holders’ expertise and commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning, and demonstrates that their practice is aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF).

The Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) provides urgent assistance to academics who are in immediate danger, forced into exile, or who choose to continue working in their home country despite serious risk. The Centre for the Study of Higher Education is pleased to work with Cara to assist displaced Syrian academics in gaining Fellowship recognition through AdvanceHE.

University of Kent staff members who are interested in applying for the RRES should complete the expression of interest form on the CSHE website.

Gulbenkian’s Christmas Season 2022 is a scrumptiously festive selection box of treats! From merry music gigs, festive family events to comedy nights full of Christmas cheer, Gulbenkian has Christmas all wrapped up this December!

Schedule:

Home Alone (PG)  Sun 4 Dec, 15.00

Under The Frozen Moon  Tue 6 – Wed 21 Dec, Times Vary

Funny Rabbit Comedy Club: NJambi McGrath & Keith Farnan Fri 9 Dec, 20.00

Christmas Cornucopia  Sat 10 Dec, 19.30

Harriet Kemsley: Honeysuckle Island  Sat 10 Dec 20.00

The Muppet Christmas Carol (U) Sat 10 Dec, 15.00

ROH: The Nutcracker (U) Thu 8, 7.15pm & Sun 11 Dec, 14.00

Frozen Sing-Along (PG)  Sun 11 Dec, 10.30

Elf (PG) Tue 13 Dec, 19.00

The Polar Express (U)  Sat 17 Dec, 10.30

Relaxed Screening: The Grinch (2018) (U)  Sat 17 Dec, 15.00

Arthur Christmas (U)  Sun 18 Dec, 10.30

It’s a Wonderful Life (U)  Sun 18 Dec, 16.00

Join us throughout December (Tuesday 6 – Wednesday 21) for our magically festive theatre show Under The Frozen Moon. Award-winning Half a String presents a winter show perfect for ages 3 and above. In this heart-warming tale, a young girl sets out on a quest to confront the dragon under the ice who has hoarded all of the fires and lights for himself. With lively poetry, transforming sets, atmospheric live music and exciting puppetry; Under the Frozen Moon brings to life a beautiful world of ice and adventure.

We’re decking the halls and singing merrily on high with incredibly merry music gigs this December including the University Chorus and Orchestra’s Christmas Cornucopia as part of the ten-year anniversary of Colyer-Fergusson on Saturday 10 December.  Folk in the Barn bring us The Albion Christmas Band, who are back with more Christmas music, humorous stories and spine-tingling ballads on Saturday 17 December. Plus, the University of Kent Big Band returns with its annual festive cracker of a Christmas gig, Christmas Swing-Along! featuring season classics and big band swing on Wednesday 14 December.

There’ll be hohohos aplenty at our Funny Rabbit Comedy Club on Friday 9 December, featuring NJambi McGrath & Keith Farnan. We also have Canterbury’s own Harriet Kemsley with her new stand up show Honeysuckle Island on Saturday 10 December.

Snuggle up in our cinema and be enchanted by our incredible screenings this December. Cheer on pint-sized hero, Kevin as he runs rings around two would-be burglars in this Christmas caper full of pranks and booby-traps galore as Home Alone kicks off our Christmas season on Friday 4 December. Be wrapped up in the world of old Hollywood as we screen the evergreen classic It’s a Wonderful Life on Sunday 18 December.

Rediscover the childlike wonder of the season with Christmas family film favourites including Aardman Animations’ Arthur Christmas on Sunday 18 December, the joyous and anarchic take on the icon Charles Dickens’ tale The Muppet Christmas Carol on Saturday 10 December, and The Polar Express stops by our screen on Saturday 17 December. Let yourself go once again with Disney’s Frozen Sing-Along which skates onto our screen on Sunday 11 December.

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the inspiring and opulent Royal Opera House’s The Nutcracker. Experience one of the most enduring and enchanting versions of the age-old tale The Nutcracker. Follow a young girl’s journey as an enchanted present leads her on a wonderful Christmas adventure in this beautiful classical ballet, danced to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score. It will be screened live at Gulbenkian Arts Centre on Thursday 8 December and Sunday 11 December.

This year the University Carol Service takes place on Monday 12 December in Canterbury Cathedral at 7.30pm (please note that the start time is 30 mins earlier than in recent years).

The event will feature the University Chamber Choir and Kent Gospel Choir. There will be plenty of well known Christmas carols for everyone to sing and you will hear traditional readings which will be read by staff and students representing various roles and groups from across the University.

Admission is by free ticket only, and staff may request up to 4 tickets.

Please email Revd Dr Stephen Laird s.c.e.laird@kent.ac.uk with your ticket requests as soon as possible and by 4 December at the latest.

Please note that you will be given the option of accessing e-tickets; or of receiving printed tickets via internal mail. This year’s appeal is for Porchlight, Canterbury’s homelessness charity.