Author Archives: Miriam Sandiford

Pancakes

Events roundup 20-26 February

Here’s a roundup of what’s on this week, including more LGBT+ History Month events, talks and workshops you can join and of course some pancakes for Pancake Day!

Industrial action update: All UCU strike days this week (and next week) have been postponed, meaning your lectures and classes for the next fortnight will go ahead as planned.

Tuesday: Pancake Day and LGBTQ+ events

Tuesday is Pancake Day and you can find lots of pancake options from our catering outlets including the Gulbenkian Café, Mungo’s and Dolce Vita. Or if you feel like making your own, you can join the Keynes Residential Life Assistants for their Pancake Party in Dolce Vita.

Make your own pronoun badge at The Hub or join this online session about how to find LGBTQ+ inclusive employers when applying for jobs and placements.

Wednesday: Postgrad Open Event, managing stress and anxiety workshop, Turkey-Syria support drop in and Medway Talks

Considering postgrad study? Book a place at our Postgraduate Open Event in Sibson on Wednesday evening to find out more about our PG courses and exclusive scholarships and funding for Kent grads.

If you need some better ways to manage stress, consider joining this practical online workshop for managing stress and anxiety. Find out how mindfulness practice can give us tools to build our resilience in the face of study, work and life challenge.

If you’ve been affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquake and would like a space to talk about how you are feeling, please come along to Locke Building 13:00-14:00 where Student Support and Wellbeing Advisers, College and Community Life Officers and Kent Union staff will be there to talk to you and offer support.

The Medway Talks open lecture series continues with ‘Mathematics, Memetics and Artificial Intelligence: An exploration through performance’ by Dr Neil Saunders from University of Greenwich.

Thursday: Heartstopper Marathon (Medway) and effective job applications

You can binge watch the entire series of Heartstopper on Thursday at the Hub (or join for however long you want!) as part of LGBT+ History Month.

Build your confidence by attending this online session all about job applications. Learn about different application processes and how to effectively use job descriptions and person specifications to make successful applications.

Friday: Zine making workshop

Come and explore zines from the visiting Queer Zine Library – a mobile library celebrating LGBTQ+ self-publishing. Create your own zine or just browse and discuss zines.

See more student events.

Opportunities

See more student opportunities

Take your ambition further. Discover how at our postgraduate open event.

Postgraduate Open Event, 22 Feb 

Are you considering to stay on for a Master’s? Come along to our Postgraduate Open Event on 22 February at the Sibson building, Canterbury Campus.  

Find out more about:  

Speak to our friendly academic and support staff, as well as our own undergrad to postgrad students. See if postgraduate study may be an option for you.  

Book your place now.

Daisies and string in heart shape

Events roundup 13-19 February

Find out what’s on this week, including Valentine’s Day events, LGBT+ History Month activities and careers events.

Industrial action reminder: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are UCU strike days, so your teaching may be affected on these days. The College and Community Life Team are offering drop-in support sessions on these days in Locke Building between 9:00-17:00. How to prepare for a strike day.

Monday: Finding LGBTQ+ friendly employers, grad schemes session and pre-Valentine’s events

On Monday there’s a Work-Study drop in at Keynes Atrium where you can chat to the Careers and Employability Team to learn how to find LGBTQ+ friendly employers and support for your future career.

Wondering about grad schemes? Join this online session about graduate schemes to find out more about what they involve, how to get one and alternative routes.

On Monday evening you can have a Valentine’s movie night in Eliot College, or you might want to try Valentine’s Burlesque at the Sports Centre, which is suitable for all levels.

Tuesday: Valentine’s Day activities

Happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re looking for things to do, why not try the Love Nature Wellbeing Puzzle Trail at the Kent Community Oasis Garden, Valentine’s Karaoke at K-Bar or head to the Gulbenkian to watch a preview screening of Joyland. Plus it’s 2 for Tuesday for students so tickets are only £3 each for Joyland! Or at Medway you can try out some treat yourself activities at The Hub.

Wednesday: Turkey-Syria earthquake support drop-in, Careers Service and Kent Community Oasis Garden

If you’ve been affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquake and would like a space to talk about how you are feeling, please come along to Locke Building 13:00-14:00 where Student Support and Wellbeing Advisers, College and Community Life Officers and Kent Union staff will be there to talk to you and offer support.

Find out how to make the most of our careers service. Our Careers and Employability Service have so many resources and services you might not even know about. Come along to this event in Keynes or join online.

If you want to get some fresh air and meet new people, try volunteering at the Kent Community Oasis Garden near Park Wood. Kent COG is a collection of students, staff and community members working to create a sustainability hub centred around growing food.

Thursday: LGBT+ History Month events and working abroad

As part of LGBT+ History Month, join this virtual talk by Rebecca Milsom who works at the Social Mobility Foundation and is a Just Like Us Ambassador. Just like Us is the LGBTQ+ young people’s charity and as an ambassador Rebecca speaks about her experiences growing up LGBTQ+ to young people via school talks, articles and TV/radio opportunities.

In the evening, you can join this LGBTQ+ quiz night at Medway in the Deep End. Questions will be about pop culture and LGBTQ+ History.

Interested in working abroad as part of your degree, summer break or after graduation? Learn more at this information session including how to get the most out of GoingGlobal – a platform to find opportunities and detailed information about working abroad.

See more student events.

Opportunities

See more student opportunities.

Students on trip at Dover

Become an International Programmes Ambassador!

International Programmes is seeking to employ two ambassadors to help organise and provide a programme of social events and activities for Pre-sessional and short course students.

Do you have an interest in, and awareness of, intercultural issues? Do you have an understanding of what it’s like to be an international student in the UK? Do you enjoy working with an interesting and diverse group of people? Would you like to work during the summer holidays?

We’d love to hear from you!

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for two students to work on Band B contract (School Experience Placements; £13.81 per hour), reflective of the level of responsibility required.

The role will be from May to September 2023, with the potential to extend to December 2023.

It will involve occasional work between May and July, with most hours falling in August when we are at our busiest. Applicants need to be available to work flexible hours and this would be discussed at interview stage in greater detail.

Responsibilities

Key duties would include:

  • Meeting and greeting students and escorting visiting students
  • Providing campus tours and tours of Canterbury
  • Assisting & leading on-campus activities run by International Programmes
  • Leading outreach trips to local areas of interest on both weekdays and weekends
  • Leading enhancement activities on a weekly basis
  • Helping to organise and advertise the social programme to students in person, via social
    media and email
  • Basic administrative tasks for outreach activities under the direction of a member of
    University staff
  • Appropriate additional activities as and when required

We would also like our Student Ambassadors to plan and run weekly online enrichment sessions that will be open for all Pre-sessional students to attend, and potentially opened out to our short course students.

You will work closely with our Student Support and Experience Officers to promote and organise the social programme. You will be expected to use your own initiative to oversee day trips and organise and run online and in-person events as and when required.

What our previous Ambassadors say

Pre-sessional Student Ambassador Rosie says:

My time working as a student ambassador for the International Programmes was incredible, I was lucky enough to explore new places and revisit cities I had not been to for a while, all whilst meeting people from many different cultures. I highly recommend this job to anyone who loves exploring and meeting lots of amazing new people.

How to apply

To apply, please send a CV and a statement of interest by email to Amy Moses at a.moses@kent.ac.uk by Midnight on Sunday 26 February.

If you have any queries, please email Amy Moses.

Subject to selection, interviews will take place on Tuesday 14 March 2023.

For an insight into our Pre-sessional courses and the impact you would have as an ambassador, check out our Pre-sessional Video Competition First Place Winner 2022 and our Second Place Winner videos.

Re:Action 24/7 free bootcamp to boost your employability

What is RE:Action 24/7 Bootcamp?

RE:ACTION 24/7 is a 6-week FREE virtual programme, consisting of live and on-demand online sessions.  

  • Monday – relatable Q&A with a high-profile inspirational speaker, who will speak about their lived experiences. 
  • Tuesday – training session, where you can find out how to put your learnings into practice. 
  • Wednesday – employer sessions – find out about how the theme relates to the world of work, and how YOU can get involved! 
  • Thursday – reflections – your chance to learn about the importance of reflection, and how to apply it, and how to set yourself goals. 

Re:Action timetable

Not only can this programme boost your confidence, sense of belonging and career aspirations, it can earn you valuable employability points too! 

Who is it open to?

All students and recent graduates.
 

When does it take place?

The programme starts on Monday 20 February 16:00-17:00. There are 24 1-hour sessions which take place over a period of 6 weeks.  With a celebration event happening on the 30 March. See the attached timetable for more details.

How is it being delivered?

Everything will take place online and participants will be able to go back and watch anything they have missed.
Students walking in front of library

Events roundup 6-12 February

LGBT+ History Month continues with the launch event on Tuesday evening. Plus we have events to boost your wellbeing and to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day next week. See our roundup of events:

Monday: Pets as Therapy (Medway) and Referencing Online Session

Head to the Hub on Monday lunchtime for Pets as Therapy, where you can boost your mood with some furry friends.

Find referencing tricky? Join this online bite size session all about referencing from the Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS).

Tuesday: Industrial action webchat and LGBT+ History Month launch event 

Have questions about industrial action? Professor Richard Reese, DVC Education and Student Experience will be hosting an industrial action webchat on Tuesday afternoon. Ask any questions you might have or just listen in.

Tuesday evening sees the launch event for LGBT+ History Month in Marlowe, with a performance from local Drag legend Dame Jame and a talk by trans activist Connor Styche and his own personal experience of coming out as transgender and his experiences and battles throughout school and the workplace.

Plus, you can take a look around the LGBTQ+ Love Letters exhibition in Marlowe, which opens on Tuesday and showcases love letters throughout history.

Wednesday: University community choir and meditation session

Love to sing? Consider joining the University Community Choir. There are no auditions and you don’t need to be able to read music. This is an informal and social singing group that meets weekly.

Try out meditation at this in-person session in Cornwallis East. Includes a guided meditation by our mindfulness instructor Loraine, and opportunities for discussion. These weekly sessions are run jointly by Student Support and Wellbeing and the Mindfulness Society.

Thursday: UCU Strike Day support drop in and Valentine’s activities

Thursday is a UCU strike day, so your teaching may be affected today. The College and Community Life Team will be offering drop-in support sessions for any students affected by the industrial action. You can head to Locke Building between 9:00-17:00 to chat to one of the Residential Life Assistants or College Life Officers. Find out how to prepare for a strike day.

Get in the mood for Valentine’s Day next week with Valentine’s crafts at the Hub, Queer Valentine’s card making at the Venue, and a Valentine’s movie night in Woolf College!

Friday: UCU strike day support drop in, Chocolate Truffle Workshop and UV Sports Night

Friday is a UCU strike day, so your teaching may be affected today. The College and Community Life Team will be offering drop-in support sessions for any students affected by the industrial action. You can head to Locke Building between 9:00-17:00 to chat to one of the Residential Life Assistants or College Life Officers. See how to prepare for a strike day.

Our chocolate truffle making workshop run by the Darwin chefs Rob and Ben, is two hours of interactive fun, where you will learn new culinary skills. You will learn how to mix, pipe, shape, coat and sprinkle some magic on your own handmade truffles.

Kent Union’s UV sports night is back in the Sports Centre! Choose between a roller disco or UV sports such as badminton and table tennis. Face paint, wrist bands, head bands and bracelets available on the night.

See more student events.

Opportunities

See more student opportunities.

 

globe on a table

Global internship programme – Summer 2023

Pagoda are delighted to be working with the University of Kent to offer our fully supported blended internship opportunities, for summer 2023!

Students taking part will have the option of completing an 8-week internship with a host company based in Spain, Portugal or Vietnam choosing across a variety of sectors. Your programme will be split into half working remotely and the other in-country, where you’re provided accommodation, on-site support and an amazing internship experience!

Programme dates are from 26 June to 23 August 2023.

See Pagoda’s website to learn more and find out about eligibility criteria. Programme fees and accommodation costs are covered and additional travel grants available for eligible students.

You can get in touch with our Go Abroad Team by emailing goabroad@kent.ac.uk

Join our online information session

We’re holding an online information session on Wednesday 8 February 12:00-14:00 where you can ask any questions.

Campus Shuttle

Campus Shuttle new booking system and tracking

There is a new Campus Shuttle booking system for our free coach service between Canterbury and Medway campuses. Booking a seat on the service is essential for travel Tuesday 7 February 2023.

You will need to claim your annual travel pass, then you can book your seat(s) up to 2 weeks prior to travelling and up to 30 minutes before you travel. The bookings are applied to your annual travel pass. This can be accessed from the ‘my tickets’ section (the wallet icon if on a mobile). Select ‘View ticket’ and a QR code will appear for the drivers to scan as you board.

To book a seat on the Campus Shuttle Service visit the booking system. For more information on how to book a seat, please read the booking guide.

To track the Campus Shuttle service there is a new app called ‘University of Kent Travel’ which allows you to track the services in live time and is available from the Apple App store and Play Store for androids.

Find out more about the Campus Shuttle. Follow @CampusShuttle on twitter.

Global Citizenship: An online short course

How will you take a stand on the global issues you are passionate about?

Kent has partnered with Common Purpose to bring you ‘Global Citizenship’, an experiential online course through which you will develop skills and competencies needed to thrive in the 21st Century, whilst learning more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, enabling you to play an active role in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

By participating in this course, you will:

  • Become equipped to take rapid action on a Sustainable Development Goal
  • Learn to collaborate with diverse networks
  • Challenge preconceptions and inform people’s perspectives
  • Learn how to operate across hierarchies
  • Be enabled to live and maintain your values and integrity.

The course will run from 13 February – 3 March and is expected to take 9 hours to complete in a self-paced learning environment over the 3 week period.  ou will complete a series of experiential activities, offline tasks, reflections and facilitated discussions.  Further networking opportunities with peers will also be made available.

Upon successful completion of the course, you’ll earn the ‘Global Citizenship’ micro-credential, demonstrating that you’ve developed the skills to tackle complex global issues. 

If you are interested in participating, please apply online.  The deadline for applications is 6 February.  An information session will be held on 2 February from 10:00-11:00 for those interested.

For more information, please contact e.l.marku@kent.ac.uk

 

Industrial action

Industrial action: 1 February and webchat

From Professor Richard Reece | DVC Education & Student Experience 

Tomorrow some UCU staff at Kent will be on strike as part of a cross-sector day of coordinated industrial action in the UK. As I mentioned in my email last week, the UCU strike action is primarily over pay and pensions which are agreed nationally across universities – unfortunately we therefore cannot resolve these issues here at Kent alone. I’d like to sincerely apologise again for the disruption this is continuing to cause. 

I know many of you have questions about the strikes and are worried about the impact they are having on your time here. Please do join our industrial action webchat on Tuesday 7 February from 1-2pm where you can ask me any questions on this – we will also run some in-person events in Divisions which are particularly affected, with more details to follow. 

What to expect tomorrow 

The impact of strike action varies in different areas so do check ahead with your lecturer, tutor or Division for guidance on how your lessons may be affected. We won’t always know who is going to be on strike as staff don’t have to tell us – keep any receipts if you travel to campus in case your class is cancelled and you need to claim the money back. 

Some other University services may be affected tomorrow but for the most part you should find the rest of our activity running as normal, including the library, food outlets and study zones remaining open.  There could also be peaceful protest on campus, which will be safely stewarded by UCU representatives.  

Have your say 

It is not fair on you that your first year has seen so much disruption and I know how frustrating it is to have to miss classes through no fault of your own. We continue to urge the national bodies involved in the dispute to reach a resolution as quickly as possible.  

If you are worried about the strikes and what they mean for you we have a number of different people you can talk to for support, with more information on our industrial action webpages. Please do also join our webchat next week where I can talk this through in more detail, plus get your feedback on what else we could do to support you over the coming months. 

Thank you once again for your patience with this and I hope to see as many of you as I can next week.