Author Archives: Miriam Sandiford

Two students sat on low wall outside

Canterbury Student Hub – we are moving

Canterbury Student Hub – Central Student Administration

From Monday 2 November the Canterbury Student Hub is moving back to the Student Reception in the Registry Building. This is where our offices are usually based. You can find directions on our maps webpage.

We are still offering the same services and support.

  • New student ID card collection (you no longer need an appointment to collect your ID card but please wait for your email to say it is ready)
  • Student queries
  • Visa support
  • Finance payment/queries – via the Income Office

We are open to walk ins but if you would like to make a dedicated appointment to ensure someone is available please see our website.

Student Support and Wellbeing have moved back to their reception area located in the Keynes Building.

Medway Student Hub – Medway Student Administration

The Medway Student Hub will remain in the Gillingham Building. You can find directions on our maps webpage.

We are open to walk ins but if you would like to make a dedicated appointment to ensure someone is available please see our website.

Close up of someone typing on laptop

Preferred name changes – transgender / non-binary students

The Central Student Administration Team are able to amend personal details on your student record.  

If you identify as transgender or non-binary we can: 

  • Add your preferred name  
  • Amend your Title (options include Mx) 
  • Amend your gender identity marker (Male, Female, Other, Prefer Not to Say) 
  • Change your legal name (if you have some form of legal documentation) 

Any communications with our team will be treated in strictest confidence, and your personal data will be held securely. 

By adding a preferred name to your record, we can issue a new student ID card (free of charge) and update how your name is displayed on registers and Teams.  

Please note a preferred name does not change the legal name on your record, your certificate will be printed in your legal name at the end of your studies.  

To make your request or for further guidance, please contact us: 

Canterbury Students: csao@kent.ac.uk 

Medway Students: msao@kent.ac.uk  

For additional support, please see: https://www.kent.ac.uk/guides/lgbtq#trans  

Need a place on campus to join online lectures or seminars?

Do you need somewhere on campus to watch a lecture online? Want to join an online seminar but don’t have anywhere to go?

Whether you need a student PC or have your own laptop/device, there are plenty of study spaces on both campuses you can use as an alternative to the libraries.

Study Hubs

There are Study Hubs across the Canterbury campus with socially distanced PCs, laptop spaces and printers. View the Study Hubs map. View the Guide to Study Space and PCs on the Medway campus.

Teaching rooms and PC rooms

You can also use lecture theatres, seminar rooms and PC rooms while they are not being used for teaching. You can now view live room availability online:

If you are already outside a room and want to see if it’s available for you to use, scan the QR code outside the room and it will show you!

QR code on teaching room door

Phone screen after scanning QR code

Tips for planning your journey during Covid-19

It is important to plan your journey, especially at the moment to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Here are some tips from the University’s Transport Team.

  • Plan all your journeys before leaving your house.
  • Make sure you bring a face covering (unless you are exempt) and hand sanitiser with you. The Government has also provided a useful checklist that includes questions to ask yourself and what to take with you before leaving home.
  • Be prepared for travel disruptions. For example, due to lower capacity, the bus you were expecting to catch may be full and you may need to wait for longer than anticipated.
  • Ensure your vehicle/bicycle is serviced regularly.
  • Social distance and follow the travel providers’ rules.
  • Ensure you know what payment methods travel providers require.
  • Be familiar with and follow the Government travel guidance.
  • Avoid travel during busy times, if possible.
  • Keep up to date with the latest advice from your travel service provider. See the list below for up to date guidance on public transport.
  • Remember to be kind and support each other – there are health reasons that mean not everyone is able to wear a face covering or may need to use a particular route that others are not able to use.

If you are travelling via public transport, it is important to ensure that you are familiar with what is required to travel with the service provider. For example, you are required to wear a face covering (if you can) when travelling on public transport or Campus Shuttle service. Some travel services may request card payment only and/or bookings only.

The travel providers have published some guides to explain their journey planning, social distancing and how to pay for travel:

For more information, please visit the Covid-19 travel webpage and the coronavirus information webpages.

Virtual Employability Festival

#EmpFest20 is here! 12-23 October

The Virtual Employability Festival has started. Attend events online, including our showcase Virtual Careers Fair 2020. Free to University of Kent students and recent graduates!

Want to know how to network online? Or how to prepare for a virtual assessment centre? The Virtual Employability Festival is the perfect opportunity to develop your job-seeking skills and gain an insight into a range of career sectors from graduate employers, industry experts and Kent alumni. Receive expert advice on the key things that can make you stand out in the recruitment market! And, you can earn Employability Points (EP Points)!

Take advantage of the range of online activities taking place, which will help you to take the steps towards your career goals. These include:

  • Virtual Assessment Centres
  • Creating a great CV
  • Video Interview Skills
  • Psychometric tests
  • Career insights into: Finance, Law, Social Work, Politics, Project Management and much more!

The EmpFest programme is available on the Careers and Employability Service website. The great news is that the majority of events are open to students from all stages and schools. Some have limited spaces, so check out the website and book your place ASAP.

Virtual Careers Fair

The Virtual Careers Fair is the highlight of EmpFest and takes place Tuesday 20 October, 10.00-16.00. Meet with exhibitors offering a variety of graduate and undergraduate opportunities, ranging from Graduate Schemes, Year in Industry placements and Summer Internships to Insight Days.

  • Download the Careers Fair Plus App – available on the App Store and Google Play
  • Book appointments with recruiters from 1 October

The app will allow you to:

  • View exhibitor profiles in advance, find out more about them and view their websites
  • Filter and search for opportunities by degree subject, sector or business area
  • Book short 1-2-1 appointments to talk to recruiters (usually 10 mins)

Keep updated with Careers Fair and #EmpFest20 news by following us on:

  • Canterbury: Facebook: @UKCES   Twitter:@unikentemploy    Instagram:@unikentces
  • Medway: Facebook: @ukmemployability  Twitter:@ukmemploy Instagram:@medwaycareers

Join the conversation at #EmpFest20

Multicoloured pencils joined to make a circle

Study Plus free workshops (October)

The Study Plus programme has been revamped with a new and exciting range of workshops, all of which are free of charge to attend.

All workshops in term one are taking place virtually. Places are limited to please book online early to avoid disappointment.

Wednesday 21 October 14.00-16.00 – ASPIRE – Business Start Up Journey 

Find out more about the University’s flagship student start-up support programme at our inspirational launch,  where we welcome serial entrepreneur Dr Mick Jackson, founder of WildHearts, a multi-million-pound group using its profits to help humanity.
Hear from student entrepreneurs talking about founding their own businesses and learn more about the Business Start-Up Journey’s mix of interactive workshops and one-to-one advice sessions which will guide you through starting your own business.

Saturday 24 October 10.00-16.00 – ASPIRE – The Ideas Hack 

Dive into our ideas hack where you’ll work with other students to find ideas using the Sustainable Development Goals as inspiration. Develop key skills using Design Thinking techniques that help you to fully understand what users want and how to unlock the innovation in your ideas.

Monday 26 October 11.00-12.30 – Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence refers to the capability to understand and recognise your own emotions and those of people around you, which is crucial to personal effectiveness.  You will come away with:

  • Understanding of the 5 elements of EI,
  • The importance and impacts of EI in the workplace and for career building
  • Actions they can take to increase their own EI

Monday 26 October 15.00-16.30 – Building Resilience 

Building resilience is key! From the field of early years (0-5 years old) through education and into the professional working world, resilience is something we need to help us thrive in whatever stage of life we find ourselves and appropriately manage any challenges we may face. Most importantly resilience helps us in our personal and professional lives. By attending this workshop, you will learn:

  • strategies to become more resilient
  • how to challenge your limiting beliefs
  • how to address challenges you face in life
  • how to adopt a growth mindset.

Wednesday 28 October 15.00-17.00-  ASPIRE – Problem Solving for Start Ups 

The best businesses solve problems for their users or customers. In this interactive workshop we learn together how to pull problems apart and see how our start-up can really make a difference in solving the world’s problems. 

Wednesday 28 October 18.00-20.00 – Meditation 

This course will enable you to apply meditative practices to study, work and life:

  • Applying knowledge of the roots and purposes of meditative practise to personal circumstances
  • Utilising the basic principles of meditation to events and situations
  • Adopting contemplative skills of mindfulness, focus, and personal transformation to activities
  • Choosing meditative approaches that suit their needs

By the end of the session, you will have:

  • Examined presentation fears and strategies to overcome them
  • Understood some tools and models for presenting such as Kiss; The Pyramid Principle and INTRO
  • Practiced presenting – speed style
  • Explored ways to beat the nerves

Saturday 31 October 10.00-14.00 – Emergency First Aid 

An introduction to Emergency first aid. This will be a 4 hour event. Please note we have limited spaces available so book soon to avoid missing out!  

Book a virtual workshop now.

New Student Survey 2020

Welcome to Kent!

The University of Kent is committed to improving all aspects of the student experience. Given that we are currently working and studying in unique and challenging times, this year we have adapted and developed more online registration and resources to support your arrival and welcome to Kent….so would really welcome your feedback!

To this end, we invite you to participate in a survey for new students to let us know about your experience so far. Measuring student satisfaction will help us better understand your needs whilst studying at the University and will help us to improve the services we offer to prospective students in future. This is your opportunity to have your say and make your views heard, for the benefit of current and future students.

To access the survey you will need to enter your University of Kent email address and Kent ID number on the log-in page.

Please follow this link to go to the survey: New Student Survey 2020

If you have any problems accessing or completing the survey, or would prefer to complete it using a different format, please contact KentSurveys@kent.ac.uk

E-scooters outside Templeman Library

Canterbury chosen for 12-month electric scooter trial

Canterbury has been selected as a location for an exciting 12-month electric scooter trial, launching in the coming weeks.

Initially the trial will run on a controlled set route, on cycle lanes, minor roads and selected paths, serving students and staff from the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University.

You can use the electric scooters as an easy way to get around without the need for car travel, therefore reducing your carbon footprint and easing congestion.  The scooters are all GPS connected and the speed can be set remotely depending on where they are. In busier areas the speed will be walking pace, and in cycle lanes they will go up to 15mph. If the scooters deviate from the approved route, they will slow down and stop.

The electric scooter scheme is a joint venture between the city and county councils and a leading electric scooter sharing company, Bird. Currently Bird operates in more than 100 cities across the globe.

During our trial, the e-scooters will use the same road space as bicycles and will not be allowed on the pavement or outside of the trial area. This is in line with the government guidelines.

If successful, it will be opened up to a broader area, helping the whole community get around without creating congestion or harmful emissions.

You can learn more about the electric scooter trial on the Canterbury city council blog.

labyrinth at Canterbury

World Mental Health Day, 10 October

Saturday 10 October was World Mental Health Day.

It’s an extremely important time to acknowledge the difficulties many people have faced over the past 6 months especially, and talk about ways we can support one another in our University community and beyond. Whether you have previously struggled with a mental health condition and require specialist support from our Student Support and Wellbeing Team, or simply want to meet other students to share experiences at peer support groups and wellbeing events, the University of Kent has a wealth of resources to help students and staff enhance their wellbeing and safeguard their mental health.

On World Mental Health Day, we launched a campaign called #UoKMomentsAway so the student community at Kent can inspire and encourage one another, even in these times when gathering together is difficult. What gives you a moment of hope on an otherwise challenging day? How have you adapted to find new ways to connect, to be calm, and have fun? Check out what’s providing joy and solace to others, and add your ideas to the mix, following @UniKentSSW and using the hashtag #UoKMomentsAway.

Although the current conditions can feel very isolating, remember that you are not alone in your experience – have a look at our Wellbeing Ideas for Uncertain Times webpage – with guided meditations, ideas for comfort books or inspirational reads, and wisdom from your fellow students on surviving and thriving in this unprecedented time.