We have introduced a system to allow students to claim back any additional costs, such as travel or childcare they may have had during industrial action.

The student expense claims form for the February/March 2020 strike is now available on the industrial action webpages.

Student expense claims for the February/March 2020 strike should be received by midnight Sunday 31 May 2020. Claims received after this date will not be paid.

We have three more weeks left of self isolation and the University are keen to help you though this stressful period. As well as numerous online resources to assist your studies we also have tips on how to stay healthy and how to manage your stress.

A video on how to cope with anxiety during a crisis has been created by Carers Trust East Midlands and Gerard McGill, who is a counsellor at the University.

It covers how to manage your anxiety, how to spot triggers and the small things you can change that will make your life less stressful.

The short video shares tips on how to create a daily routine, implementing exercise, having a healthy diet and how to communicate with your family and friends.

You can read a story with some more tips on how to manage your anxiety.

Studying remotely can have its advantages – curating your own environment, working to your own timescale not to mention saving time and money. we spoke to three students who are making the most out of studying at home.

Zoe Horsham – MSc in Social and Applied Psychology

How are you coping with studying remotely?

I’m really enjoying having the opportunity to study remotely. I find that the use of online meetings for lectures saves a lot of commuting time and gives me more flexibility within my day.

Which online resources are you using?

I am using Zoom for meetings/lectures, and Kentplayer for recordings of lectures when livestreams aren’t available, which is accessed via Moodle. Moodle is my main source for all of my assignment information as well as where I can submit my coursework.

Give us an outline of your day

I aim to wake up at around 8am, and the first thing I do is make a list of all the things I want to achieve that day (taken from a list of weekly targets I set up on Monday evening). I aim to keep a 9 to 5 structure for my workday as best as I can. I work in my room or in the garden in the nice weather until around 1pm.

Then I have a break during which I take my allowed exercise time and use it to walk my dog. I aim to get back and start work again at around 2pm, and continue until 5pm, trying to complete as many items on the list as possible. Any that aren’t completed get pushed to the next day’s list, which I’ll add to the following morning. Then in the evenings I relax by watching videos and surfing the internet, and playing video games.

Sam Walker – BSC biomedical science and I’m in my final year

How are you coping with studying remotely?

I have found studying remotely much more effective for me as I have a family and commitments, so being able to work from home and log onto sessions via my phone etc enables me to carry on what I’m doing at home with the kids and work. There are moments when it’s hard as well, for instance when you have deadlines and it makes it much harder to try get them done in peace without the kids under your feet. However, studying remotely gives you so much more flexibility as all the sessions are recorded so if I am busy with something at home I can log onto the session in the evening once the kids are sorted and catch up then.

Which online resources are you using?

I have been using Zoom to enable face to face chats with lecturers and students during live revision sessions. WhatsApp has been used to ask each other questions in relation to study, also we have a group on Facebook with a few lecturers where we can post questions. We have access to Moodle which contains all the recordings and slides for the lectures, also we have full access to the library online as well. I’ve never struggled to find the information I needed from home yet due to the resources available.

Give us an outline of your day

Normally I get up between 8am and 10am depending on when the kids come in to wake me up. Generally I will lie in bed, log onto my student portal and check my emails, our question forums and if anything has been scheduled for the day. Then throughout the day it all depends on how demanding the kids are and how much free time I get to myself to whether I can sit on the computer and do work.

Generally I have had live Zoom sessions going while cooking dinner, preparing lunch doing housework etc. Unless there is a pressing deadline I generally do bits where I can. If not, the night becomes my time to catch up on things that I missed during the day When I get time to myself I just want to sit down and enjoy a few minutes not running round. In my downtime – when I get it – I generally curl up in bed with my other half and watch Netflix or play the Switch or Xbox.

It is hard studying with kids but doing it remotely makes it so much easier to adapt to my lifestyle. I also save a lot of money on petrol – I used to spend two hours travelling into Uni for a 45 minutes lecture, so this mounts up in costs.

Jay Bevan – BSc Computer Science and AI

How are you coping with studying remotely?

I am treating it as I would a normal home day, inserting a couple hours of work into the schedule at my leisure. I’m finding it easier to pace myself and feeling more productive when I control more of my hours.

Which online resources are you using?

I use Moodle and supporting websites relevant to my course like Khan Academy.

Give us an outline of your day

I’ll wake up at 9am, have breakfast at 9:30am and then work until 12pm. Between 1pm to 3pm I will do circuits in front of the house with various bits of gym equipment for an hour. I will then resume work at 3pm and work through till 5pm.

It can be a bit of a culture shock to going from studying in a group, having lots of face to face time to studying on your own. A few weeks ago we published a post with tips on how to study remotely and today we have caught up with three students who are sharing their study tips and their own individual approach to studying remotely.

Jay Bevan – MSc Computer Science and AI

Use Pomodoro timers, I like to do 45 minutes as that gets through the peak of my focus and just before I start losing it. Stick to a fairly lax schedule so you can reshuffle things to your liking, the freedom you get will make you more productive and you’ll stay in a positive headspace.

Sam Walker – BSc Biomedical Science

Definitely put away all your distractions such as the TV. Always try to log on in the morning so at least you get a rough plan for the day. Don’t stress too much if you can’t make a session as there is always a way to catch up. Use your lecturers; they are there to answer questions and they have the knowledge to help you.

Zoe Horsham – MSc in Social and Applied Psychology

It’s important to have a structure to your day even when you don’t need to go anywhere, because without one your body can easily fall into the trap of wanting to sleep all day. To-do lists really help give me a sense of productivity at this time, which is really key at the moment when there’s lots of things that I’m not able to do.

Studying in a different space to where you sleep is ideal as you can relax more easily at night and fall asleep faster. Make the most of the online resources that are available and don’t be scared to contact lecturers or supervisors during this time. They are still there to help you, and expect to hear from you if you have any issues. Arranging Zoom meetings with them can really help explain things and save sending long emails. Plus it gives you a stronger sense of interpersonal connection which can be important when you’re working independently from home all the time.

Kent has supported Pilgrims Hospices by creating 3D printed face shields to protect staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colleagues from Kent’s School of Computing, School of Architecture and Planning, and the School of Engineering and Digital Arts (EDA) collaborated to design and supply 300 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) for East Kent’s largest hospice charity.

Paul Sinnock, Director of IT for EDA and the Technical Lead of the project, said: ‘The response from everyone involved in this project has been truly remarkable. Technical staff from across the University, supported by our Kent Innovation and Enterprise team, have been working around the clock to design, test and manufacture these face shields and get them to the front line staff most in need of protection. From the original concept through to the creation of a dedicated manufacturing centre, it has been a truly collaborative effort, driven by a real passion to support our local community. I am extremely proud of everyone involved for giving their time and skills for such an important project.’

Sarah Martins, Senior Ward Sister of Pilgrims Hospice Canterbury, said: ‘The University of Kent’s support was in direct response to our urgent request for PPE, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team were very responsive and helpful and it was great to see who was behind the project. The team responded to feedback from prototype testing immediately – within 24 hours we had approved changes and the team started production. With a total turnaround time of seven working days, I took delivery of 300 face shields and distributed them across our three sites so we were all well prepared for the bank holiday. Thank you to everyone involved in making this happen, it makes a huge difference to the patients and staff here at the Hospice and enables us to continue caring without compromising safety.’

Carole Barron, Director of Kent Innovation & Enterprise, said: ‘Universities across the UK are joining forces with frontline healthcare providers to find solutions to fight COVID-19. I am simply lost for words at the speed with which the team at Kent have picked up the challenge of producing vital 3D printed face shields. We are in unprecedented times and this requires us all to support our amazing NHS and Hospice staff. At a time when everyone is thinking how they can help in this crisis, the University of Kent is well placed to help, in having the right equipment, skills and expertise to respond.’

The materials for Pilgrims Hospices’ 3D shields were donated by Ashford Lions Club, with funding they received from Kent County Council.

Colleagues from the School of Physical Sciences and School of Biosciences have since joined the project team, to cater to future orders from the NHS and other healthcare and hospice providers.

As a result of COVID-19, all Scheduled Timed Written Examinations will be taken online, so we have prepared the following two resources to help guide you through.

There is a step-by-step guide to help you to successfully plan, revise and prepare for online assessment and the second is a technical guide for students on taking our online examinations this year.

Planning revision and preparing for online exams

This guide is relevant to all types of exams; however, your module convenor will provide more subject-specific material and advice on Moodle.

It takes you through the principles of good revision, how to revise and include exam practise as well as what best to do the day before and how best to deal with taking the exams themselves.

Online examinations 2020: technical guidance for students

The May/June 2020 exams will take place online using Moodle. This guide is designed to help students access their exams and upload their completed answer booklets to Moodle.

This guidance includes how exams will work in Moodle, opening your paper, downloading the answer booklet, submitting your booklet once completed and where to find technical support if needed.

Kent has called for donations from local communities to help Canterbury Food Bank to meet new levels of demand due to COVID-19.

Canterbury Food Bank has spent four times as much on food in two weeks as it did in the previous three years. Last week (30 March 2020) it supplied enough food to make 1,800 meals, with the economy forcing more people into financial difficulty. With millions staying at home and carrying out food shopping online, there has been a drop in the number of food donations at supermarkets which is the traditional line of supply.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Canterbury Food Bank would prepare around 600 meals a week for individuals and families in short-term financial crisis across Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay and surrounding villages.

The food bank recently launched a COVID-19 appeal and has been using cash donations to replenish its stock. This demand is likely to continue for some time and so more support is needed to keep the food bank in operation. With many current volunteers vulnerable to COVID-19, there is further concern that there will not be enough resource to distribute food to those who need it in weeks to come.

Peter Taylor-Gooby, Professor of Social Policy and Trustee of Canterbury Food Bank, said: ‘Demand is very high indeed with Canterbury Food Bank running at between three and four times the level before the crisis. We anticipate this continuing after the COVID-19 lockdown due to the economic dislocation and probable recession that may persist for several years. We have also had to change the way we work radically in order to prevent the spread of infection and manage illness-absence by our volunteers.’

Chair of the Canterbury Food Bank, Martin Ward, said: ‘It is unusual for us to use cash to buy supplies because the public has always supported us so well by donating food. Coronavirus has changed everything. These are worrying times and no-one knows when things will improve, but we will continue helping those who are least able to help themselves. People can be part of that by donating to the appeal or by leaving badly-needed food and household essentials at our supermarket bins. Stocks of long life milk, tinned vegetables, pasta sauce, instant mashed potato, cereal, jam and laundry powder are urgently needed.’

Many colleagues from the University are actively supporting Canterbury Food Bank and rallying support from the wider University of Kent community.

Take a look at Canterbury Food Bank’s COVID-19 GoFundMe Appeal page.

We wrote to you last week with the announcement that the University is putting in place a no detriment policy and we promised that we would send further details. As a result of the ongoing collaborative work in responding to the Covid-19 disruptions between the University and Kent Union, these are now available online in our update – Exams and assessments for UG and PG taught students – 8 April 2020.

Please take your time to read through the detail and to then consult the updated examination and assessment FAQs.

We also wanted to highlight the various issues that we have been considering and which have framed our approach to the summer examination and assessment period this year. These are:

1. How to enable and encourage you to continue your studies until the end of the academic year.
2. How to enable and encourage you to complete your assessments as planned wherever possible, so that you are well prepared for the next stage of your studies or, in the case of final-year undergraduates and Master’s students, so that you can receive your degree on time.
3. How to give you a chance to demonstrate what you have learned so that you can achieve results that reflect your abilities, and graduate with qualifications that have long-term credibility
4. How to ensure fairness for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate students, especially in relation to Inclusive Learning Plans (ILPs).
5. Perhaps most importantly, how to ensure that your work is assessed in a way which takes account of the extraordinary and challenging conditions in which you will be preparing for and taking these assessments.

We are aware that you may well have further questions and we would encourage you to talk with your school’s student support office or email exams2020@kent.ac.uk. In addition, we will be running a number of online chat sessions with key members of the University and Kent Union. Further details of these will be released shortly.

Finally, we do want to draw your attention to the support, advice and guidance that is offered by Kent Union, GK Unions and the University.

With our very best wishes

Professor Christina Hughes | Interim Director of Student Services

Sasha Langeveldt | Students’ Union President