Category Archives: Events

Brand Roadshow (16-17 June)

Work is continuing to develop on the new look and feel for how we talk about Kent. As this progresses, we would like to invite you to a roadshow next week to understand your views on the work so far!

This is open for everyone to drop in and will include an introduction to the thinking behind the updated brand work alongside mock-ups of different options we have been exploring. You will get a chance to feedback via an online form about what you like and how you feel about the new branding. Join us at either the Canterbury or Medway campus:

Canterbury: Templeman Library Foyer between 10:00-15:00 on Thursday 16 June and Friday 17 June.

Medway: Student Hub social space between 11:00-14:00 on Thursday 16 June.

For those who are unable to attend in person, the roadshow will be supported by an online version.

Watch out for an invite next week with more details, plus more information on the journey so far!

You can read Simone Davies blog on our new brand identity here.

Join us for Pride Canterbury!

This Saturday (11 June) is Pride Canterbury! The parade will pass through Canterbury High Street at 11.30am and is followed by a star-studded festival in the city’s Dane John Gardens.

Take Part in the Parade

University of Kent LGBTQ+ staff, students, and allies are all warmly welcomed to take part in the parade. If you would like to march with us in pride, you can collect a wristband from EDI Adviser Kim Mulholland on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 June between 12.00 and 13.00 in the Gulbenkian Café. Wristbands will also be available to collect on the day, but please note that these will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.

On the day…

The University of Kent Parade Group will meet on the steps of the Marlowe theatre between 10.00 and 10.30 before walking to the Parade Staging Area together. Please be prompt, and remember to wear your best Pride outfit! A number of banners, placards and flags will be available for you.

See you there!

Digital by Default: Post Office Horizon System free event, 21 May

This event brings together ex-sub-postmasters and mistresses who were wrongfully convicted for theft and false accounting, legal and IT experts, and investigative journalists to think through some important issues raised by one of the largest miscarriages of justice.

Join us on Saturday 21 May, 1.30-17.30 at the Gulbenkian Theatre.

The event is centred on the lived experiences of people directly impacted. It provides an opportunity and space to reflect on what happened and what lessons can be gleaned. There will be a mix of stories, presentations and panel discussions, and a Q&A session with the audience.

We are pleased to be joined by Mrs Seema Misra (SPM), Mrs Nichola Arch (SPM), Mr Parmod Kalia (SPM), Mr Patrick Green QC and Ms Kathleen Donnelly (Henderson Chambers), Professor Lydia Hayes (Head of Kent Law School), Professor Richard Moorhead (University of Exeter), Professor Bernard Richmond QC (Kent Law School), Ms Flora Page (UCL), Professor Harold Thimbleby (Swansea University), Dr Ida Petretta (Kent Law School), Mr Ian Reeves (Head of the Centre of Journalism), Mr Karl Flinders (Computer Weekly), Ms Katie Glass (Telegraph), and Mr David Chaplin and Ms Helen Lacey to discuss N Wallis, The Great Post Office Scandal (Bath Publishing 2021).

The event is generously supported by Kent Law School, the Division for the Study of Law, Society & Social Justice (LSSJ), and the FutureHuman fund.

Please note that the event will be recorded.

The event is free but ticketed. Register your place now.

EasterZone holiday camp returns!

Our children’s holiday camps for 5 to 12 year olds are coming back and they’re bigger than ever!

We’re now including non-traditional sports plus games and activity sessions in the daily timetable, including Nerf, Drums Alive, Mini Golf, New Age Kurling and much more. Your child will still receive professional coaching in traditional sports, such as football, rugby, and cricket, with all sessions being delivered by experienced and DBS verified camp staff, providing the perfect way to keep your 5 to 12-year olds entertained over the school holidays.

EasterZone

Our next children’s holiday camp is EasterZone on Monday 11 to Thursday 14 April 2022. You can book your child’s place here.

Booking and payment

Booking and payment for EasterZone 2022 is easy and can be completed through our EasterZone online store. A booking form will need to be completed for each child you wish to book on our holiday camps. Spaces can be booked either for individual days or the full four days. Spaces are limited so book your space early.

EasterZone 2022 prices

	University staff / student discount	Non University staff / student
One day	£30	£35
One week (four days)	£100	£120
Late pick-up (per child, per day)	£10	£10

Late pick-ups are available from 3pm to 5pm and include staff-led fun games and creative activities.

If you have any questions about our children’s holiday camps, please email sportsdevelopment@kent.ac.uk or call 01227 816391. Alternatively, please contact us if you would like to be added to our mailing list for future camps.

International Fair Use / Fair Dealing Week

The University is celebrating its strong tradition of creative reuse as part of international Fair Use / Fair Dealing Week

For the first time, Kent will be taking part in Fair Dealing Week from 21-25 February – a celebration of the flexibility in copyright law allowing creative reuse of copyright material.

At our online event (via MS Teams) on Wednesday 23 February from 17:00 to 18:30, we will demonstrate how research, education and engagement at Kent are underpinned by a copyright literacy strategy. We will also outline associated policy, which encourages Kent staff and students to make informed use of legal provisions.

Draft programme

Introduction from Professor Richard Reece – Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) and Chair of the Copyright Steering Group
The University of Kent Copyright Literacy Strategy and fair dealing – Chris Morrison, Copyright and Licensing Specialist
A Journey of Creative Reuse in Filmmaking – Dr Richard Misek, Senior Lecturer, School of Arts and independent film maker
Teaching Digital Arts students through games and play – Dr Alexandra Covaci, Lecturer, School of Engineering and virtual reality researcher
Parody, pastiche, pandemic songs and copyright – Dr Ben Marsh, Reader, School of History and musical director of the Marsh Family internet sensation. In conversation with Chris Morrison and Dr Jane Secker (co-founders copyrightliteracy.org).

Sign up now

LGBTQ+ in Lockdown art exhibition

Our talented LGBTQ+ students have created a range of art pieces based on their experiences of ‘LGBTQ+ In Lockdown’. You can view the display in Keynes Atrium all month.

For millions of people across the UK, and the world, the Covid-19 lockdowns were a turbulent, emotional and difficult time that placed intense pressure on an individuals’ mental health. Many are still living, and struggling, with the aftereffects.

This exhibition showcases the creative talents of LGBTQ+ students at the University as they reflect on their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, and in particular the lockdowns throughout 2020 and into 2021.

For LGBTQ+ students, alongside the pressure of trying to juggle studies, work and the anxiety caused by the global pandemic, there was the additional pressure of being away from their university support networks, potentially being forced to live in a hostile environment, or having to pause or further delay treatment or medical processes for an unknown period of time. For many, lockdown was incredibly traumatic.

For other members of the community, the lockdowns represented an opportunity for deep self-reflection and discovery; a chance to explore their identities.

This collection of art and poetry, commissioned from over 20 student artists from the LGBTQ+ community, reflects the diverse range of feelings and experiences that are reflective of our wider community, both at Kent and beyond and offers a window into the different meanings that the word ‘lockdown’ had for students.

The artists were encouraged to reflect upon what lockdown meant for them as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, both the positives and the negatives. For some, lockdown was an experience that they hoped would never be repeated. For others, it was a period of contemplation and enlightenment. For many, it was both.

Thanks to Student Services and Kent County Council who funded this project.

See more LGBT+ History Month events.

Sign up now to help at this year’s Celebration Ceremonies and Congregations

Thank you to everyone who has already offered to help at this year’s Celebration Ceremonies and Congregations.

Graduation is a key moment in the lives of all our students and, following the pandemic, we’re keen to ensure this year’s ceremonies from March onwards are extra special.

It’s great that so many colleagues across the University have already shown an interest, but we always need more help – for roles from ticket collection to graduate registration, ushering and handing out certificates.

Benefits for you

These are wonderful occasions to share with our graduates and help celebrate their success, but there are plenty of other benefits for you too, including:

The ceremonies are a great way to get to know colleagues in both your own team and across the University.
If you work two or more ceremonies, you will receive a free lunch/dinner.
If you’re on grades 1-6, you can claim for TOIL (time off in lieu) or overtime payments.
If you’re on a higher grade, you may be able to claim time back, subject to agreement with your manager.

Find out more

Watch our video on how you can help make our ceremonies extra special!

Further information on what’s involved is also available in our Congregations Factsheet and you can find out about the ceremony dates here. Feel free to email us at congregations@kent.ac.uk if you have any questions.

If you’re ready to sign up, please complete this form asap.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Liberty Chambers and Chloe Cooper, Congregations team

E-Learning webinar: ‘Pedagogy and Practice when teaching and learning Online’

The E-Learning Team are pleased to announce that the next event in our series of ‘Digitally Enhanced Education webinars’ will take place on Wednesday 16 February from 14:00 – 16:45 (GMT), with the theme ‘Pedagogy and Practice when teaching and learning Online’.

Agenda:

14:00 – 14:05 – Dr Phil Anthony (University of Kent): Introduction
14:05 – 14:20 – Professor Kathleen M Quinlan (University of Kent): Returning to the lecture hall? how to trigger students’ interest in large group settings
14:20 – 14:35 – Jessica Moody (Advance HE): Building ‘belonging’ in online teaching
14:35 – 14:50 – John Moran, Professor Debbie Holley & Adam Bancroft (University of Bournemouth): ‘Martian Attack: the story so far…
14:50 – 15:05 – Katalin Hanniker & Irina Niculescu (University of Surrey): Co-designing a module with students and staff from different universities, time zones and cultures
15:05 – 15:20 – Amy Rattenbury (Wrexham Glyndwr University): Locking down the fundamentals for Scaling Up your teaching
15:20 – 15:30 – Break
15:30 – 15:45 – Chris Morrison (University of Kent) & Dr Jane Secker (University of London): Copyright and online learning at a time of transition
15:45 – 16:00 – Dr Mark O Connor (University of Kent): Online and blended provision: What can we learn from MOOCs… and what else do we need?
16:00 – 16:15 – Ben Watson (UCL) & George Rhodes (University of Westminster): What are the foundations for meaningful adoption of a digitally accessible culture in the education sector? Lessons from multiple organisations.
16:15 – 16:30 – Dr Suzanna Klaf & Dr Amanda Irvin (Columbia University): Five Principles for Inclusive Teaching and Learning
16:30 – 16:45 – Dr Julie McGurk (Yale University) & Dr Jamiella Brooks (University of Pennsylvania): Rigor as Inclusive Practice

Please share

Colleagues from outside the University of Kent are very welcome to join this community and so feel free to circulate. Please ask anyone wishing to join to complete the Digitally Enhanced Education registration form if they haven’t already. We add them to the mailing list linked to the series.

If you would like to present at a future event, please submit a short synopsis and Phil Anthony will be in touch.

Best wishes,

The E-Learning Team

Help make this year’s Celebration Ceremonies and Congregations extra special

Graduation is a key moment in the lives of all our students and, following the impact of the pandemic over the last couple of years, we’re keen to ensure this year’s ceremonies, from March onwards, are extra special for everyone involved.

To do this, we need the support of colleagues from right across the University. We need help with roles such as ticket collection, graduate registration, ushering and handing out certificates.

These are wonderful occasions to share with our graduates and help celebrate their success, but there’s plenty of other benefits including a free lunch/dinner, if you work two or more ceremonies. If you’re on grades 1-6, you can claim for TOIL (time off in lieu) or overtime payments. You may also be able to claim time back if you’re on a higher grade, subject to agreement with your manager.

Watch our video on how you can help make our ceremonies extra special!

Find out more

Further information on what’s involved is available in our Congregations Factsheet and you can find out more about ceremony dates here. You can also email us at congregations@kent.ac.uk if you have any questions.

If you’re ready to sign-up, please complete this form asap.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Liberty Chambers and Chloe Cooper, Congregations team.

Lecture on ‘Transdisciplinarity – Solving Wicked Problems in Healthcare’

A lecture on ‘Transdisciplinarity – Solving Wicked Problems in Healthcare’ will be given by Professor David Croisdale-Appleby on Wednesday 19 January from 17.00-18.30.

The lecture is the latest in the ‘Talks on Transdisciplinarity’ series by the Medical and Health Humanities Group in our Division of Arts and Humanities.

Professor Croisdale-Appleby is the Chair of the RCP Board of Trustees, chair of Dementia UK; chair of the Public Health Advisory Committee at NICE, and non-executive director lead for medical and clinical education and quality at Health Education England.

Transdisciplinarity focuses on “wicked problems” that need creative solutions, which demand wide stakeholder involvement and the engagement with socially responsible science.

In this talk, Professor Croisdale-Appleby will address some of the issues that arise in transdisciplinary research in the field of healthcare, social care and wellbeing, and suggest how these can best be overcome in the exciting and scholarly enterprise of transdisciplinary research.

The lecture will be introduced by Professor Murray Smith, Professor of Film and chaired by Professor Julie Anderson, Professor of Modern History at Kent.

Find out more and register via this Eventbrite link or email: transdisciplinarity@kent.ac.uk.