The popular one-day ‘Dirty History’ Kent Extra course is running on Saturdays 19 March and 14 May.

The course explores the tensions between historical accuracy and the fantasy in medieval historical drama such as Game of Thrones.

Other courses this term include courses on the use of video games in child protection and woodland crafts.

All Kent Extra courses are free. Find out more on the Kent Extra webpages.

From 11 January until 6 March students, staff and members of the public can nominate a student to win a Kent Student Award.

Nominate someone now

The Kent Student Awards recognise and celebrate student achievement in extracurricular areas of university life. View the award categories.

Kent Student Award winners will receive £400 and it’s something impressive to add to the CV. Runners up will also receive £100.

Please share this with colleagues, students and local businesses to encourage nominations.

As we move into the second term it may seem a little premature to be thinking about summer exams but here in the Exams Office we’re already making plans to make sure the exam period runs as smoothly as possible. But to do this we need your help!

From Monday 1 February, we’d like you to take a few minutes to check that all of your details are correct by completing the examination and assessment check via SDS.

You just need to check that you’re registered for the correct modules and that they are being assessed as expected (eg coursework and/or exam).

To do this:

1. Log on to SDS
2. Select ‘Registration’
3. Then select ‘Examination and Assessment Check’ and follow the instructions on screen.

If you have an Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP) please take a moment to check your exam adjustments are correct. On SDS select ‘Details and Study’ and ‘My Details’. You’ll see a button marked ‘My Inclusive Learning Plan’ if you have been in contact with the Student Support and Wellbeing team (SSW).

Click on this button to see the details of your ILP. At the bottom of the page you’ll see a box marked ‘Exam Adjustments’.

Last year the Exams Office scheduled around 900 exams for more than 60,000 papers. This takes a lot of planning! If you’re unable to attend your exam due to religious reasons or you’re planning to intermit or leave the University, it’s important that you let us know so we don’t schedule you in for exams you cannot attend.

Let us know if your details are incorrect

If any of your details are incorrect or you don’t need the exam adjustments you’ve been given please let us know via email at exams@kent.ac.uk.

Medway Community Scholarships engage the Medway community in order to provide cultural, educational, physical or environmental benefit.

In October 2015, the Medway Community Scholarship Board awarded scholarships to fund three non-academic projects which proposed to develop specific areas of the Medway community.

This year’s Medway Community Scholars introduce their projects below.

Caring Hands art workshops

Final year student Charlotte Harding from the School of Music and Fine Art talks about her community project.

‘Working with the Caring Hands Organisation and the newly formed Skilful Hands, I am running workshops to create personalised art.

‘The artwork visitors to Caring Hands produce will go on to be exhibited in the Nucleus Art Centre on Chatham High Street later this year.

‘Having completed two sessions so far, I have noticed that there is a wide variety of creative flare. The participants get really involved and make the piece their own and interestingly don’t mimic their neighbour.

‘At the start of the session I will show an example of the sort of work they might want to produce to give them some inspiration.

‘I also cut the size of the canvas and select a medium in which we will work. Having this in place the participants can then really focus on how they will design and personalise their piece of art.

‘In future sessions I will develop the skills that the participants have developed throughout the session, highlighting achievements made and how it can help in their daily lives.

‘To make sure the workshops run smoothly I test the artwork myself and research different ideas for workshop sessions. As the art is going into a gallery I am keen to make it personal to the participant so the audience at the gallery can see the beauty of the people I have been working with.’

Wetlands project

Postgraduate student Nadia Perrotta from the School of Music and Fine Art introduces her project.

‘Wetlands is an art project initiated in 2015 inspired by the powerful metaphor of a possible memory retained and preserved by the waters.

‘The aim of the project is for students and alumni of the University to involve and interact with local communities living in proximity of waters, recreating a dialogue between them, their maritime history and the wetland landscape.

‘For Wetlands 2016, we are running film workshops for young people, in collaboration with Youth Centres of Hoo St Werburgh, Chattenden and Grain.

‘Students from School of Music and Fine Art will create video and sound works from the documentation collected.

‘These works will be included in a series of events in March. Events will start on Monday 14 March and conclude on Thursday 24 March.

‘We will exhibit in four local libraries: Hoo St Werburgh, Grain, Lordswood, Wigmore; as well as Sun Pier House, Brook Theatre and the University’s Royal Dockyard Church Lecture Theatre.

Cre8 Confidence

Final year student Charlotte Harding and second year student Emma Acton, both from the School of Music and Fine Art, talk about their community project.

‘We have a range of workshops planned with Creative Arts and Performance students from MidKent College.

‘The series of workshops will be themed around

• Team building and communication
• Public speaking
• Crediting oneself
• Posture and body language

‘The workshops will engage students in a range of activities to boost the confidence and self-esteem.

‘The project will also derive a review video and leave a potential legacy for students to continue such workshops in the future.’

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to offer three to four postgraduate students the chance to accompany a University donor to Cuba, experiencing the life and culture of this vibrant Caribbean island between Friday 15 April and Thursday 5 May 2016.

The visit will encompass a series of cultural activities in Cuba including visits to Havana and the nearby village of Viñales.

Accommodation for the group will partly be located at the donor’s residence and other accommodation equivalent to Bed and Breakfast facilities.

The award will include flights to Cuba and a small maintenance grant towards accommodation and subsistence whilst in Cuba. The amount of the grant will be dependent upon the number of awardees and successful candidates should be prepared to fund other associated expenses.

Criteria

• Candidates must be a registered postgraduate student either on a research or taught programme of study.
• Applicants must be of good academic standing.
• UK, EU and overseas fee paying students are invited to apply.
• Candidates from both full-time and part-time courses are eligible to apply.
• Students will be required to make appropriate visa arrangements and cover related payments.
• The ability to speak Spanish will be advantageous.

How to apply

• Candidates must submit a CV and a covering letter addressing why a trip to Cuba would enhance their academic career and professional aspiration to scholarships@kent.ac.uk by midnight on 3 February 2016.
• Applicants must be able to attend an interview panel on the afternoon of Monday 12 February 2016.

Details of the scholarship can be found here: http://www.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate/Cuba_Scholarship.html

Further details of the trip can be obtained by emailing K.Bampton@kent.ac.uk.

Image credits

Title: Playa Ancon, Trinidad de Cuba
Author: neiljs
Source: Flickr
Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Following passenger feedback, the Loop service is changing and going back to the 116 service. View the new timetable from Sunday 24 January 2016.

View all Medway bus timetables on the Council website.

Image credits
Title: Arriva Midland 4764
Author: Sherpa_536
Source: Flickr
Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This year’s Refreshers Fair takes place on Wednesday 3 February between 11.00 – 14.00 at Pilkington Room 011.

The Refreshers Fair is your second chance to find out what sport clubs, societies and volunteering opportunities are available to you during your time in Medway…as well as plenty of FREE Domino’s Pizza!

Find out more on GK Unions website.

The University is committed to safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of its students, and accepts its responsibility to promote good health by raising awareness of the risks of alcohol and drug misuse.

We respect the privacy of students but must be concerned where a student’s behaviour impairs his/her conduct, safety or academic performance and/or adversely affects other students, staff, campus life or the wider community.

The University of Kent policies and penalties associated with drug and alcohol related offences are outlined in the following policies:

1. University Policy Statement concerning Alcohol
2. University Policy Statement concerning Drugs (substance abuse)

These are a part of the general regulations.

If you or any of your friends have any concerns about these issues, you can access support via Student Support and Wellbeing and the Masters’ Offices.

We also have a representative from Turning Point, an organisation that provides specialist and integrated services to help people recover from addiction and gain control of their lives, available with our Wellbeing Team in Keynes College every Thursday. Appointments for Turning Point or for general counselling can be made via the Student Wellbeing Service.