Author Archives: Miriam Sandiford

Have you heard of the #ConsentGetIt campaign at Kent?

As the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence comes to an end, where are we as an institution?

Hopefully you will have noticed that lots of different staff and students from various teams and departments at the University of Kent all came together to declare their solidarity for the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign. Most women who experience violence do so at the hands of a partner or potential partner. Eradicating violence against women means obtaining consent in all situations.

How is the University of Kent walking the walk on this issue? We have launched a sex-positive campaign to cultivate and strengthen a culture of consent in our community of staff and students. Everyone should be able to explore their sexuality with confidence, and we know that consent is key and necessary for all sexual activity. Getting consent might at first seem tricky so, we have created a consent webpage where you can learn about what consent is and read some tips on how to ensure you have it, and how you can give it clearly to your partner(s).

As a University and with the collaboration of Kent Union, we are actively working on making sure that we…

are transparent with you about our approach and response to sexual misconduct and harassment.
clearly inform you of the procedures, expectations, and actions taken within the university are.
give you all the information you need about the support we offer and how you can access it.

Check out our YouTube video on the launch of the Consent campaign at Kent:

Links mentioned in the video:

As part of our aim to be transparent with you and make sure you know where to get support, we have put together the following guides:

Will you help us put a full stop to sexual assault and misconduct? Join us in making our university the safest it can be – look up #ConsentGetIt on socials to see what activities are coming up soon.

Written by Filipa Paes, third year student, and Natalia Crisanti, Student Services staff 06.12.21

Covid-19 update: Returning home, staying on campus for Christmas and Spring Term

From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

As we reach the final weeks of term, I would like to start by thanking you for your help in keeping our community safe with Covid-19 cases remaining low at the University of Kent.

As you may have seen, further restrictions were announced yesterday in response to the national rise in Covid-19 omicron variant cases – this makes the additional guidance I shared with you last week on face coverings and testing all the more important. In the meantime, all face-to-face teaching and student support services will continue as they are for the rest of this term.

More widely, I wanted to advise you on how to travel safely home for Christmas, highlight the support available to you if you are staying on campus for the winter break, and to let you know what you can expect in the Spring Term.

Travelling home safely for Christmas

The Government is asking that students take a lateral flow test before travelling home to help stop the spread of Covid-19. Please remember to add your test result to NHS Test and Trace, even if it is negative. We have testing centres on campus, where you can have a test or pick up an at home kit. Testing kits will also start being delivered to on-campus student rooms from today and should be completed by Tuesday 14 December to allow time for isolation before Christmas if needed.

If you are planning to travel abroad, make sure you check the Government’s travel advice before you leave.

Staying on campus for the winter break

If you are staying with us over the Christmas period, please can you let us know by completing the online form if you have not already done so. This will help us to support you over the break and let you know about festive activities.

See our Christmas on campus webpages for facility opening times, events, and support.

Spring Term plans

Subject to Government guidance at the time, we plan to deliver most teaching in person from January 2022, including lectures. Most examinations will however, continue to be delivered online and we will provide more exams guidance in the Spring Term.

Remote study is still available in the Spring Term for students who need it. Find out more about remote study online.

When returning to campus for the Spring Term, the Government is asking that you take a lateral flow test before you travel. If you are returning from abroad, please check the Government’s travel advice before you make travel arrangements.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch by emailing covidsupport@kent.ac.uk.

Have a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to welcoming you back to campus in 2022.

All best wishes

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | DVC Education and Student Experience

Vaccine centre volunteers needed (Medway)

Lordswood Vaccination Centre are looking to expand their pool of fantastic volunteers to support the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine. Volunteers are required to welcome patients, ask some basic questions and direct patients through the vaccine centre ensuring the efficient and safe running of the process. Sessions run Monday – Saturday and are split into Morning sessions (08.30-13.30) and Afternoon sessions (14.30-19.30)There will be doctors, nurses and non-clinical staff on site to support you in your duties. The Vaccination Centre are offering unlimited hot drinks, snacks and regular breaks throughout the sessions and free on-site parking.

If you would like to register your interest or have any further questions please email: kmccg.medwaysouthandrochestercovidvaccine@nhs.net

Rainbow and Sunflower Lanyards – what they represent and how to get one

Rainbow Lanyard

Our new Kent Rainbow Lanyard celebrates and promotes our work around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Wearing one shows your commitment to providing a safe and comfortable environment for all of our LGBTQ+ students and staff. It also shows LGBTQ+ people that they can ‘bring their whole selves’ to you without fear of judgement or an unsupportive reaction.

Designed by our LGBTQ+ Staff Network, and based on the Inclusion Flag, the Kent Rainbow Lanyard is a symbol that you are aware of the hardships marginalised members of the community have faced and continue to face, and that you are committed to supporting our LGBTQ+ staff and students by being a friend, advocate and a safe space, otherwise known as an Ally.

We know that being an Ally is not always easy, and like any skill it takes practice, awareness and education, which is why we have developed resource pages to help support anyone who wants to enhance their Allyship knowledge and skills. We would encourage anyone wearing a lanyard to explore these resources and self-educate to ensure that they feel confident in their allyship abilities.

Wearing a lanyard and displaying symbols of Pride at our sites is an important way to remind our LGBTQ+ staff and students that they belong here in our community, and should always feel safe, supported, and able to bring their whole selves to work and study with us.

There are three different types of Rainbow Lanyard available – one for staff, one for students, and one for Student Ambassadors. The lanyards are available in most outlets and reception desks across our Canterbury and Medway campuses.

Sunflower Lanyard

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a globally recognised symbol for non-visible disabilities, also known as hidden disabilities or invisible disabilities.

Not all disabilities are visible – some are not immediately obvious. They include autism and learning difficulties as well as mental health conditions, mobility, speech impairments, and sensory loss such as speech, sight loss, hearing loss, or deafness. They also include respiratory conditions as well as chronic conditions such as diabetes, chronic pain, and sleep disorders when these significantly impact day-to-day life. Although you may not be able to see these invisible impairments and conditions, they’re still there.

People living with these often face barriers in their daily lives including a lack of understanding and negative attitudes. So some choose to wear the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower to discreetly identify that they may need support, help, or just a little more time in shops, transport, or public spaces.

You can collect your Sunflower Lanyard from Student Support and Wellbeing Services in Canterbury or Medway.

University of Kent cinema advert

Marketing, Outreach, Recruitment and Admissions (MORA) are excited to announce the launch of a brand-new cinema advert, hitting big screens very soon.

Filmed in October, the new advert captures hyper-real scenes from across the Kent student experience and wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of MORA staff and colleagues and students across the Divisions. The advert forms a key part of our undergraduate recruitment strategy for 2022.

Here’s a sneak peek of the video:

We’ll be promoting the video across our social media on Thursday 9 December.

The advert can be seen across Sky Ad Smart from 29 November and in cinemas from 17 December before the new ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ film.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to:

Academic, professional services and technical support staff in Psychology, CEMS, Law, ASPIRE and MORA
Estates for arranging collection and return of a mannequin leant to us by M&S!
IS support
Gulbenkian Arts Centre
Chatham Historic Dockyard
All the University of Kent students who took part in filming

Parkinson’s Winter WonderWalk, 11 December

Take part in our first Winter WonderWalk to help raise money for the Parkinson’s Centre for Integrated Therapy!

How to get involved

Join us on Saturday 11 December 2021 at 13.00 for our first Winter WonderWalk. The Parkinson’s Winter WonderWalk, is a 10km sponsored walk around the beautifully historic and iconic city of Canterbury.

Suitable for everyone, the 10km circular route will start at the University of Kent and will take you through scenic routes and past renowned landmarks such as Westgate Towers and Gardens, Dane John Gardens and Mound and Canterbury Cathedral. Take a look at the Walk Guide and Route Map.

Parkinson’s Centre for Integrated Therapy

Together with the charity Parkinson’s Care and Support UK, we’re raising money to establish the Parkinson’s Centre for Integrated Therapy. If funding is secured, this centre will be based on the University of Kent’s campus and will provide its services free of charge to those with Parkinson’s disease and their carers. It is hoped that it will open in 2022.

Parkinson’s disease devastates lives and goes far beyond the tremors and rigidity that people commonly associate with the condition. Anyone can get Parkinson’s – young or old. Every hour two more people are diagnosed, which is equivalent to 18,000 people every year. 1 in 37 people alive today will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s in their lifetime and yet there is currently no cure.

A range of non-drug therapies exist which help to deal with the symptoms of this disease, including physiotherapy, exercise classes and speech and language therapy. New forms of self-administered non-invasive brain stimulation (requiring no surgery) are also becoming available including a method, pioneered by a research group here at the University of Kent, which clinical trials have shown can induce profound improvements in intellectual, motor and emotional function.

The Parkinson’s Centre for Integrated Therapy will enable all these therapies to be combined into a single, coherent care package tailored to individual need. Allied to this clinical service will be a research programme that explores the inter-dependencies between different treatments in order to allow each to be offered in the best way, as well as research to inform treatment of people with other brain injury, such as stroke and dementia.

Please consider supporting our campaign to help change the lives of those with Parkinson’s. You can also take a look at our charity Christmas cards on sale as another way to offer your support.

We look forward to you joining us on this journey to transform the future of Parkinson’s care.

Christmas Global Hangout – now a live event! 8 December

All students are welcome to join this fun and informal, face to face Global Hangout to celebrate Christmas and the holiday season.

This Global Hangout will be taking place on Wednesday 8 December, between 10.30-12.00 (UK time) in the Colyer-Fergusson Foyer (behind the Gulbenkian Cafe).

Meet new students, take part in fun activities and share what this time of year means to you. Festive refreshments will be available.

This student led event will be hosted by Dr Anthony Manning, Director & Dean for Global and Lifelong Learning at Kent and will be very much a student led event, where you can meet new friends and look forward to the holiday season.

All students are very welcome. Feel free to wear a festive themed item too!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sign up for the Christmas Global Hangout

Industrial action by UCU members

From Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President

Dear Students and Colleagues,

Today is the first of three days of national strike action, and a continuing period of Action Short of a Strike, by members of the University and College Union (UCU).

Although the industrial action is about issues negotiated nationally, at the University we have been working hard to avoid the action and we continue our constructive dialogue with UCU. We are determined to minimise disruption to students and staff, and to help make the next few days and weeks as smooth as possible for us all.

I hope that you have been making use of the information for students and for staff on the website which covers the background to the action, what our position is on the various issues and what we’re doing to address them, as well as what the industrial action might mean for you. You will also be able to see the plans we have in place to keep any disruption to a minimum.

We all want what is best for Kent and all its students and staff. While we might not all share the same views on how to resolve the issues, we have been able to maintain good and constructive relations with our UCU colleagues. I hope this mutual respect is reflected throughout our University over the coming days.

We will keep you updated with any developments during the period of industrial action.

Yours sincerely,

Karen

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President

Updated Covid-19 guidance

From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

Following Government guidance in response to the new Covid-19 variant, we are taking extra measures to ensure the continued safety of our students, staff and everyone in our University community.

From tomorrow (Tuesday 30 November), we will be expecting everyone on campus – unless they have medical exemptions – to wear face coverings in all teaching spaces and communal areas. This is to enable all of us to undertake planned activities as safely and securely as we can. Face coverings are available free of charge from any student reception desk. 

We are also stressing the importance of regular testing – everyone coming onto campus should continue to take a Covid lateral flow test regularly and at least twice a week. You can get walk-in tests or pick up take-home kits from the Old Bank on our Canterbury campus or the Old Sports Hall at Medway, or order them online.  If you’re using a home test kit, please remember to report your lateral flow test results to the NHS, using the postcode CT2 7FS, whether they are positive or negative.   

If you have symptoms or if you do test positive, you must self-isolate for 10 days from the day your symptoms started and get a PCR test as quickly as possible. Please follow Government guidance at all times.

Don’t forget that from tomorrow, you will also need to take a PCR test, regardless of whether you have symptoms, if you are travelling to the UK from abroad. We are currently reviewing the new guidance and will be updating our coronavirus webpages shortly.

Vaccinations are also critical in national efforts to counter Covid-19. If you qualify for a booster jab, we would strongly encourage you to get one if you can.

As always, if you have any questions or need further support, please email covidsupport@kent.ac.uk.

The health and safety of our students, staff and University community is always at the front of our minds. By taking these extra measures, we can all work together to protect each other in the run-up to the Christmas festivities.

With all good wishes,

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

New social spaces coming soon to Medway campus!

You told us you wanted more places to relax, chat and eat your own lunch on campus. In response to your feedback, we’re creating some exciting new social spaces.

We’re introducing a new social space on the ground floor of the Rochester Building (Pembroke) and a social space in the Clocktower (Dockyard).

The Rochester Building social space will include vending machines, sofas and a pool table with a longer-term plan for a kitchen. It will be a great place to chill out and socialise with friends between your classes. Check out the design.

The Clocktower social space will include a relaxed seating area, vending machines and a kitchen. Take a seat and relax. View the design.

We’re also revamping the green space next to Medway Building to include more benches, a trail gym and a covered seating area. Here’s a sneak peek at the progress so far.

The social spaces and green space will be ready for you to enjoy by the beginning of the Spring term.