** Update – KentVision maintenance work is now completed and the system has reopened**
The KentVision system will be unavailable from 7:30 until 10:30 on Tuesday 8 October 2024 due to essential maintenance.
Please make a note of your timetable, including timings and locations, ahead of this KentVision outage.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused while this essential work is carried out.
Should you have any concerns or queries please contact helpdesk@kent.ac.uk
Featuring Coco, the charming therapy dog, ‘Pause for Paws’ in Templeman Library is back at 3.30pm in Nexus (Block D, Ground Floor). Running nearly every Wednesday during term time, this weekly initiative is one of our favourite ways to bring joy, relaxation and sense of wellbeing to students and staff at Kent.
So take a break from your hectic schedules and visit Templeman Library to say hello to Coco. He is a certified Pets as Therapy dog, very friendly, calm and loves being fussed over! It’s an opportunity to boost mental wellbeing, alleviate stress and recharge amidst your daily commitments.
As the ‘Heart of Campus’ we believe in embracing a spirit of discovery and providing an enriching environment beyond the conventional expectations of a library. At the Templeman Library you always get more than you expect. Library & IT events page.
Criminals will target students looking to make quick-wins with available cash through cryptocurrency or schemes with a promise of high return investment. They are usually easily targeted through social media and online where many investment schemes operate.
Students looking for job opportunities can be targeted by fraudulent adverts aimed at stealing personal information or money. Students might be asked for an upfront payment for a fake consultation or extra help finding a job, but the fraudster does not deliver.
Rental fraudsters often target students looking for university accommodation. Fraudsters ask students to pay fees in advance without seeing a property first, and as a result they lose money as well as somewhere to live.
Often fraudsters will create fake websites or replicate legitimate online stores to trick customers into providing their personal and financial information for a purchase that isn’t real. This can lead to those details being used for criminal activity.
Fraudsters will use opportunities, like highly in-demand events, to target students by selling fake tickets. Students looking for cheap deals for freshers’ events can also be targets.
What can you do to protect yourself from fraud?
Here is some guidance to help students and others protect themselves online, whilst starting the new the school or university year.
How to report suspicious emails and texts
For more tips on student safety: actionfraud.police.uk/studentsafety
If you’ve lost money or provided your financial information to someone, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
Although you may wish to stay informed, it is important to be aware of your limits.
Distressing events around the world, such as the recent escalation in cross-border attacks in Lebanon, Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza, can have a big effect on our mental health. It is absolutely natural to feel anxious and frightened, and to feel that events are out of our control. You may be feeling disturbed by the images you have seen on the news. You may be feeling worried about the safety of loved ones. If you have lived through similar events yourself, the current crisis may be bringing up some very traumatic memories.
Staff in Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) are here to support you during these unsettling times and are running ‘War, Conflict and World Disasters Emotional Support Drop-ins’ in Keynes College (in the Red Room) every Monday from 12:00-13:00.
SSW have also put together the following tips and advice:
Try to be intentional in how you are consuming news, avoid long ‘scrolling through’ sessions
Make time for people, activities and actions that are positive for your wellbeing
What helps will be different for each person, but here are a few ideas;
Focus as much as you can on hope
Amidst all the horrors of war, there are also reports of wonderful acts of courage, bravery and compassion. The majority of people are committed to peace, with global efforts to support victims of war reflecting this.
Student Support and Wellbeing – professional support at university
Did you know that Kent has a professional support service of over 100 specialist staff? We’re here to support you with mental health, disabilities, and neurodiversity such as specific learning difficulties or autism, through 1:1 support as well as peer support groups and events. Here’s a video of top mental health tips from our mental health team. To book an appointment with the team email kentSSW@kent.ac.uk or if you are at Medway MedwaySSW@kent.ac.uk
Emergency support
If you feel you need urgent support from our team from Monday to Friday 9:00 – 17:00, please phone on 01227 826573 for the Canterbury campus or 01634 888474 for Medway or email KentSSW@kent.ac.uk or MedwaySSW@kent.ac.uk and ask for urgent mental health support.
Out of hours support from Spectrum Life and other providers
Feel like you really need to talk to someone but the Student Support offices are closed? Check out the Emergency Support page with details on online and telephone support available round the clock, such as our partners Spectrum Life, who you can call in the evenings and at weekends on 0800 0318227 and pressing option 1. Spectrum also has an amazing online app that is available for free for all University of Kent students. See instructions on how to access the app and you can do guided mediation or use the online virtual exercise groups.
Applications for the Wellbeing Student Advisory Board are now open.
The Advisory Board’s purpose is to help guide Kent Students’ Union and the University of Kent in improving our approach to student wellbeing and ensuring our work is impactful and accessible to all students. This will involve discussing current and future plans and offering suggestions based on the board’s shared expertise and experiences. Topics discussed at meetings will include mental health, safety initiatives, the cost of living crisis, sense of community and belonging, as well as anything else that is important to you. You will help shape student wellbeing at Kent.
What are we looking for?
We are looking for 12 students on undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, from a range of courses and years to create a diverse and inclusive panel. Any student who is currently enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at the University of Kent can apply to be part of the panel.
No prior experience is required to be a member. All you need is to be passionate about student welfare and helping all students to love their time at Kent.
What to expect
A two-hour meeting will occur three times in the academic year with additional opportunities to get involved in projects and campaigns. Invitations for these meetings will be sent once membership to the board is confirmed.
Students based on the Canterbury campus will receive £20 KentOne credit (or an Amazon £20 Voucher) in exchange for their active participation in the two-hour WSAB meeting. Students who are not based on the Canterbury Campus will be compensated for their time at the same rate through an alternative method. Students will also be able to earn Employability Points throughout the academic year.
How to apply
To apply, please submit either a maximum of a 500-word response or a 2-minute-long video telling us a bit more about you, what skills and experiences you feel you would bring to the role and why you would like to get involved.
The deadline to submit your application is midday on 23 October 2024
If you have any questions please email Teslimat Bello (Vice-President Welfare and Community) at Kent Students’ Union, t.bello-650@kent.ac.uk
Welcome to Kent (and welcome back to all returning students)! Hopefully you are starting to settle into the swing of things, establishing a routine, making friends and settling into your classes. With that in mind, now seems like the perfect opportunity to bring your attention to the all-student e-learning Moodle module, Expect Respect.
You have probably seen Expect Respect on your Moodle homepage, or seen information about it circulated by your Academic School, but may not have opened it yet or know what it is all about.
Expect Respect is an open module that every student, regardless of course, year, level or mode of study, is automatically registered on when they first join the University. Kent is a large, diverse organisation with different nationalities, cultures, religions, ages, disabilities, sexualities, genders, philosophies, values and beliefs all represented. This means Kent is a vibrant, energising and exciting place to learn about how other people think and navigate the world, but can also mean that sometimes those beliefs and values can cause conflict between people when they disagree. We want everyone to feel at home and that they belong at Kent. Expect Respect is designed to introduce you to some of the behaviours that we expect all students (and staff) to display whilst they are with us and to help ensure that any difference in view or opinion is discussed or treated respectfully.
Expect Respect introduces you to ideas and concepts, some of which may be familiar to you and others may be completely new. It covers topics such as racism and becoming actively anti-racist, gender identity and gender critical viewpoints, Academic Freedom of Speech, ageism and sexism and religious discrimination as well as an introduction to having challenging conversations and being an active bystander. Importantly, it introduces you to all the support services at Kent, including our Report and Support system to help you get access to specialist support for anything in relation to discrimination, harassment or sexual assault. It has been developed in collaboration with academic staff and student societies over a number of years to ensure it is balanced and truly reflective of the myriad voices we have here.
Some of the topics in the module may well be uncomfortable for you. That is OK! Much of your learning at university will encourage you to think and reflect critically and Expect Respect is no different. Worried that a topic may be upsetting for you? No problem, you have the option to skip specific sections if you need to. The Specialist Wellbeing Team is also available to provide you with help and support if you would benefit from this. You don’t have to complete the module all in one go, although we would encourage you to finish it by the end of the first term if possible.
If you have any questions about Expect Respect please contact the Student EDI Officer on StudentEDI@kent.ac.uk
Teaching begins this week – make sure you log your attendance in classes using Presto.
Welcome Week may be over but there’s still plenty of opportunities to get involved and ways to get settled in:
Monday 23 September: Library tour, Wellness Walkabout and finding a part-time job
Get to know Templeman Library with a 30 minute drop-in library tour (11:00-11:30 and 15:00-15:30 each day this week). Find out how to borrow books, explore library study spaces and learn how to use the self-service machines.
Meet new people and you’re the best places to relax and recharge at the ResLife Wellness Walkabout Canterbury campus tour.
On Monday evening you can join UV Games at The Hub including UV table tennis, pickle ball, chess and jenga.
Tuesday 24 September: Ask your questions and live comedy night
Live in on-campus accommodation? Meet your ResLife Ambassadors and enjoy a social in DG-01 in Templeman Library. Ask questions you have about campus life and settling in, play games and enjoy hot drinks and biscuits.
If you’re living off campus, join this workshop to meet the Student Welfare and Community Life team who can give you some top tips for living in Canterbury around dealing with landlords, money and staying safe. Plus, there will be snacks and freebies.
On Tuesday evening you can enjoy a free live comedy night at Woody’s, with headliners Abi Clarke and Dane Buckley
Wednesday 25 September: plant pot painting, find out about the careers service and Medway Autumn Social
Relax and meet new people at this Plant Pot Painting session in DG-01 in Templeman Library.
Learn all about our Careers and Employability Service at this in-person session in Keynes. Discover tools and services that Kent students have access to so you can make your next steps.
Based at Medway campus? Head to the Oasis Lounge for the Medway Autumn Social on Wednesday afternoon for some hot drinks and sweet treats to kick off the academic year.
Thursday 26 September: Free houseplants, introduction to university study and activities to try
Pick up a free houseplant on the central plaza (while stocks last!) from the Kent Community Oasis Garden. Plus, find out about the house plant hospital, propagation and ask any questions you have about the garden.
New to university study? You can join one of these online sessions for undergraduates or postgraduates by our Skills for Academic Success team. The sessions will cover what to expect and how you can succeed as you embark on your studies.
**This event has been postponed to Thursday 3 October** If you love to sing, why not come along to the launch of the new Pop ‘n’ Soul Choir? It’s open to students, staff and the local community with no audition and no need to read music. Come along to Colyer Fergusson on a Thursday evening and enjoy singing pop and soul songs.
Get creative at the Crafternoon at The Hub. Paint some coasters or your clay crafts from the last week.
Friday 27 September: Introduction to KentCOG and Employability Points Scheme
Have you visited the Kent Community Oasis Garden before? On Friday lunchtime you can come along for an introduction to the garden and find out how you can get involved with their activities.
Our Employability Points Scheme rewards students for their active engagement with co-curricular activities with experiences of work. ‘Employability Points’ can be cashed-in for the chance to apply for exclusive internships, work placements, training and more. Find out all about the Employability Points scheme and sign up at this online session.
Saturday 28 September: Nature ramble in Blean Woods
On Saturday you can join the ResLife Ambassadors for a nature ramble in the nearby Blean Wood. Plus, you get to meet ResLife mascots, dogs Beatrice and Tara.
See all student events on the My Kent events page.
Welcome or welcome back to Kent!
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about when your tuition and accommodation fees are due and how to pay them.
If you are an undergraduate student funded by Student Finance England, they will pay the fees directly to the University.
I’m an undergraduate student (not funded by Student Finance England)
50% of your tuition fees are due when you enrol or complete returning registration (by 14 October 2024) and the remaining 50% are due on or before 1 December 2024.
I’m a postgraduate student (in receipt of Student Finance)
33% of your tuition fees are due on 23 September 2024. The remaining tuition fees are due on 13 January (33%) and 5 May (33%).
I’m a postgraduate student (non-funded)
50% of your tuition fees are due when you enrol or complete returning registration (by 14 October 2024) and the remaining 50% are due on or before 1 December 2024.
I’m an international student
If you are an international student whose country limits the movement of cash, we can review your options to pay in smaller amounts, but we do expect your fees to be paid in full within term one. This is particularly important if you have a Student visa as this is a requirement of your visa.
Failure to pay could result in your student registration being cancelled. If you encounter a delay or problem making payment you must communicate with your Income Office Account Controller, so that they can review your options.
Your accommodation contract will state the amount due. See options for paying accommodation fees.
I’m an undergraduate student (Canterbury)
Your accommodation fees are due on 23 September 2024.
I’m a postgraduate student (Canterbury)
Your accommodation fees are due on 16 September 2024.
I’m a student living in Pier Quays accommodation (Medway)
Pier Quays accommodation is provided by Unite Students for the University, so your contract is with Unite Students. All accommodation payments should be made to Pier Quays directly and not the University. Unite will tell you how you need to pay. You can go to the reception in Pier Quays to ask any queries about your accommodation fees.
How do I pay my tuition or accommodation fees?
Please see our making a payment webpage for more information.
Need help?
Please see our student finance FAQs which includes lots of questions around fees. You can also view the Income Office’s information sheet (pdf).
If your question is not answered, please get in touch with the Income Office.
Over the summer we’ve made a few changes behind the scenes to how our Academic Schools come together and will be moving to a 10 school structure. These changes won’t come into place until January 2025, so for the Autumn term continue to contact your Divisional support teams as you would’ve last academic year. If you’re unsure who to contact, ask Nexus to be linked up with the right service or team.
We will be in touch ahead of January 2025 with the details of the new academic management structure and what it means for you. If you have any questions or feedback in the meantime, please email kent2030student@kent.ac.uk
What’s an Academic Management Structure?
Our academic management structure sets out how different roles within Schools come together to support with teaching and administration. This includes how our services (IT, finance, student support) are organised so that we can best teach and support you while you’re at Kent.
Over the summer we have moved all University of Kent services at Medway to the Medway Building.
Here is where you will now find the following services at Medway:
You can still use Drill Hall Library and The Hub at Medway as usual. Toni is your Lead Medway Officer from Kent Students’ Union if you have any feedback or need support.
Your timetable will have where your teaching sessions will take place at Medway.