Lockdown is easing but please be kind and considerate when meeting with friends. Many students have exams this term and need a quiet space to study and sit online exams.
Here is what you can do to help:
#BeKindBeQuiet
Our Study Plus scheme provides a range of free short-term courses and workshops which can enhance your graduate employability skills alongside your main subject specialism.
Get the most of our your time at Kent and develop your skills to enhance your CV.
Some highlights from upcoming courses include:
In empathy with the challenging situation in India associated with the pandemic, the University will be holding a ‘Solidarity with India’ event, which will take place on Friday 28 May at 13.00 UK time and 18.30 IST, via Zoom.
Solidarity for India builds on other web-based events which we have organised this year. We recognise that India is experiencing a particularly challenging period and we want to reach out in solidarity with our students, alumni and collaborators to show that we are thinking of you and continuing to support, whether you are currently on campus or overseas.
This event will also be supported by Mahesh Loganathan, President of the University of Kent International Student Network and member of our Indian community.
“I’m pleased to support this event with Dr Manning in order to acknowledge the very difficult time that students and stakeholders of the University are currently experiencing in India. I’m currently in Chennai and I can see first-hand the impact of the virus. Through this event we hope to demonstrate the University’s solidarity with India and reiterate the support available to students whether they are currently at home in India or in the UK.”
During the event there will be a series of uplifting and mindfulness activities and we will share details of how to gain support from our Students Union, Wellbeing Colleagues and Student Learning Advisory Service.
Please join us in solidarity with India!
On Saturday 29 May the Sustainability Working Group in the School of Anthropology and Conservation is hosting the University of Kent’s first ever BioBlitz! This is open to every staff member, student and member of the public, whether you are a biodiversity expert or complete novice!
A BioBlitz is an interactive event where as many species as possible are recorded in a short period of time. At the University of Kent, we will be focusing on the Canterbury Campus and the event will run from 8.00-21.30. The data will be collected by experts and volunteers together, which allows the University to gain a better understanding of its biodiversity, and the public to take part in citizen science and learn more about conservation. It will be a fantastic day out in nature, learning about the species we have present here in Kent.
Learn more about what a BioBlitz is and why we are hosting one.
Find out all the information you need to know on our BioBlitz web page! Here you can check out the timetable and sign up to one of the biodiversity activities.
When you arrive on the day, head to the front of the Marlowe building on Central Campus, where you will find the central Hub. All activities will begin from this point including walks to survey amphibians, insects, birds, bats, mammals and plants. It is important that you sign up for these events ahead of attending so that we can monitor numbers and ensure your safety within COVID guidelines. However, should any activities be sold out, we still encourage you to attend should we have any dropouts.
Furthermore, if you don’t sign up to event but you’re spending time on campus on the 29, please tweet us pictures of any species you find and our experts will be on hand to identify them!
Be sure to follow the Sustainability Working Group social media for updates about the event. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
As part of a large European research collaboration, we are seeking to understand how your usual physical activity behaviour may have been affected by the pandemic.
Only first year undergraduate students are eligible to take part in this research.
To do this, the research leads (based at the University of Lille, France) have developed a questionnaire which is being circulated amongst students in a number of European universities. Using the responses to this questionnaire, we aim to identify the most promising factors/behaviours in different cultures so that strategies can be developed to better promote these to others.
To take part in this research project, we invite you to complete the 20 minute questionnaire.
Learn more about the project, including details of the ethical approval.
Kent Summer Fest is a fun-packed fortnight of events taking place 21 June- 2 July, arranged jointly with the University, Kent Union and GKSU.
Come together for Kent Summer Fest to socialise, relax and experience what Kent and experience our campuses have to offer after such a difficult year for everyone.
You can look forward to outdoor screenings, live music, street food from around the world and more! This includes lots of evening events so you may wish to stay on campus to make the most of what’s on.
Don’t miss out on all the fantastic activities taking place during Kent Summer Fest. On-campus accommodation is now available to book for commuting students or those who have their off-campus accommodation contracts ending soon.
Self-catering rooms in Darwin Houses are available to book from Saturday 19 June to Friday 2 July to allow you to make the most of everything going on. You can pick the dates which best suit you and the rooms include bed linen and towels with cutlery and crockery in the kitchen for your use.
Rooms cost just £30 a night which you can book online using the promotion code ‘KentSummer’ subject to availability. You must book between a minimum 3-night stay and a maximum 14-night stay, with payment due at the time of booking. If you need to arrive before the 19 July you can also take advantage of our exam accommodation offer.
We have rooms available in Pier Quays too, so if you’re not currently living in Pier Quays and would like accommodation during Kent Summer Fest please email stay@kent.ac.uk with their required dates of stay, and a member of the team will respond to your enquiry.
There’s still time to register for your free accommodation extension meaning you don’t need to move out until Saturday 3 July. Just follow the registration link emailed to you by the Accommodation Office (will be sent on Tuesday 18 May) if you haven’t already. Deadline to register is Friday 21 May.
So stick around, enjoy yourself and take part in all the activities taking place on your doorstep as part of #KentSummerFest
From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience
As we move into the final term of this academic year, and on behalf of all our University staff, I would like to take a moment to thank you for the resilience you have shown throughout the pandemic. I know this has been a difficult time for many of you and I, along with the rest of the University, have been humbled by your tenacity and dedication to your studies.
After many months of uncertainty, I am pleased we can now look ahead to the next academic year at Kent and plan the experiences you will be able to look forward to.
The government’s roadmap out of lockdown gives us every reason to be optimistic though, whilst we anticipate that we will return fully to campus as usual from September and will be preparing for this, we are also planning for other possibilities should there be any delays to that roadmap.
Campus
We are getting ready to open our campuses from September 2021 and look forward to welcoming you back to Kent.
There will be plenty of opportunities to make the most of our beautiful spaces and meet with other students, with a range of creative events, activities and ways to get together. Our venues, bars and cafes will be open, following any safety guidance that is relevant at the time.
We will be providing a broad range of events at both Canterbury and Medway, allowing you to reconnect with other students and to make the most of your University experience. Our events will include both face-to-face and online opportunities, ensuring all Kent students can get involved no matter where they are in the world.
Teaching
We are determined to give you the highest quality education and having listened to both you and our staff, are planning our teaching around ways that will best enable your success.
Most lectures will continue to be delivered online in the Autumn term, so that we can timetable as many small-group teaching sessions (eg, seminars, lab classes and studio sessions) for face-to-face delivery as possible. These are the sessions in which you can most effectively share and discuss ideas directly with our staff and your fellow students.
For the whole of 2021/22, summative assessments and exams will remain online, with only a small number of exceptions.
Planning in this way means we will be able to adapt our plans quickly as and when government guidelines give us more flexibility.
Whilst we look forward to welcoming you all back in person, we know that might not be possible for some of you. For those of you unable to return, remote study will remain an option for most courses.
Later this term, as plans progress, your school/department will email you with more details on how your subject will be taught from September and will provide advice for those requiring remote study.
Support
In the past year, we recognise that your studies have been disrupted and you have had to adapt to different ways of learning during the pandemic. We will continue to offer a wide range of support for your academic studies and good mental health, through our academic advisory sessions and services including those from Student Support and Wellbeing and Student Learning and Advisory Service. We are keen to ensure you get the most out of your time at Kent, so we are here to support you throughout your journey.
Along with colleagues from across the University, I will be providing a general update for the Summer Term as part of our series of Kent Student WebChats on Friday 21 May, 13.00-14.00. Please do sign-up online and add and any questions you would like to have answered.
Further information about our plans for the 2021/22 academic year, as it becomes available, will be added to your Coronavirus Student Information pages.
If you have any questions, please email CovidSupport@kent.ac.uk.
With my best wishes,
Richard
Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience
This week (10-16 May) is Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme of nature.
During long months of the pandemic, millions of us turned to nature. Research on the mental health impacts of the pandemic showed going for walks outside was one of our top coping strategies and 45% of us reported being in green spaces had been vital for our mental health. Wider studies also found that during lockdowns, people not only spent more time in nature but were noticing it more.
During Mental Health Awareness Week, here are some suggestions to help you connect more deeply with nature:
For more information about this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week visit the Mental Health Awareness website or join the conversation on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
During this week and the Summer Term there are lots of events you can join to connect with others and support your wellbeing, including:
See more events to support your wellbeing.
If you feel as though you could benefit from extra support mental health support from the University, you can access services from the Counselling team, check out the self-help resource list or see our Emergency Support.
Remember, our Student Support and Wellbeing Team operate during the Summer Term and vacation period so you can access support when you need it.
Did you know you can study a completely different subject at Postgraduate level? At Kent, we have a range of Conversion Master’s Programmes where you can learn new skills, improve your job prospects and prepare you for a career in a different discipline.
For example, we offer business, economics and computing programmes for students from an entirely different background, while our Master’s degrees in law or journalism develop your academic and professional skills in new areas. You can find out more here.
View our Conversion Master’s Courses
Other subject areas include:
The list includes some of our most popular conversion programmes but is not exhaustive; you can find more opportunities on the full online prospectus.
What is a conversion course?
Conversion courses are intensive postgraduate programmes that allow you to pursue a career which may differ to your undergraduate degree or if you’re looking to change your career path. They can be from 1-2 years depending on the programme and with full-time or part-time study options.
Whether you’re changing direction or honing your skills, stand out and specialise at University of Kent with career-focused postgraduate courses taught by expert academics. Tomorrow’s world is waiting.
Postgraduate Virtual Open Event, Thursday 20 May
Come along to talk to specialist academics and admissions staff about postgraduate study. You can also meet staff from the Graduate School, and get the latest funding information, including the loans for Master’s students.
Takes place online Thursday 20 May, 16.00-19.00
As the exam term gets closer, remember that we are on hand to help with staying calm, improving your study technique and careers workshops to help you secure work opportunities.
Help us improve our Covid-19 testing service – chance to win £50 Amazon voucher
Take the short online survey about Covid-19 symptom-free testing on campus for the chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher.
Events for you to try this week:
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Keep an eye on:
Let us know what you think of these updates by emailing communications@kent.ac.uk