Category Archives: Student Guide

Power has been restored on our Canterbury Campus

Update: 04/01/22 at 12.50

Following the earlier power cut, we are pleased to confirm that power and internet access has been restored to the whole of the Canterbury campus and the Templeman Library has now reopened. Thank you for your patience and apologies for any inconvenience caused.

We have been made aware of a power cut temporarily affecting some of the buildings on our Canterbury campus. We currently believe the buildings with no power are Rutherford, Rutherford Annexe, Templeman and Tyler Court. Due to the power issue, the internet is also currently down in Darwin and the Postgraduate Study space in the Senate building. This is part of a wider outage affecting Canterbury and work is underway to address the issue.

In the meantime, if needed, staff should move to another building temporarily to work where they can.

Templeman library is closed for the time being and alternative study spaces are being highlighted. Here’s a full list of places to study on campus.

Given the localised power issues, we recommend you save work regularly throughout the day wherever you are working in case they are short-term outages as power is restored.

We will provide a further update shortly.

 

 

IT and Library support desk

Job opportunity: Join the IT and Library Support Team

We’re looking for part-time staff to join our team at the IT & Library Support Desk in the Templeman Library.

Location: Templeman Library, Canterbury Campus
Salary: £12.06 per hour

The role

Information Services is looking for people to join our team as Support Assistants, working flexible hours part-time to staff the IT & Library Support Desk in the Templeman Library. These vacancies will begin in January 2023 and continue until at least the end of the 2022/23 academic year. Training will be provided.

Responsibilities include:

  • assisting students, staff and visitors in finding and using library resources and public IT facilities
  • supporting students connecting their own devices to the University networks and services
  • supporting circulation functions within the Library and at partner institutions.

In an average week we aim to offer at least 6 hours of work, though this is not guaranteed. The Support Desk is open 7 days a week, up to 12 hours a day, with most shifts between 09:00-21:00 Monday to Friday and 12:00-18:00 Saturday and Sunday.

Initial pay will be at least £12.06 per hour. Upon gaining sufficient experience there is an opportunity to progress to a higher rate.

The person

The successful candidates will have a keen desire to help others and excellent communications skills, coupled with a good understanding of the library and IT facilities provided by the University of Kent.

  • They will be confident, friendly and willing to approach others to offer assistance and enforce regulations.
  • Advanced knowledge of both IT and library resources is desirable but not essential for this position.

We expect all Support Assistants to be available to work during Welcome Week (September), as this is our busiest time of year.

For full details of the role and the selection criteria please refer to the job description linked below.

The department

The IT and Library Support team is part of User Experience within the Information Services department at the University of Kent.

More information

Closing date for applications: 14 March 2023 

If you’re a Kent student and need advice on job applications and interviews, contact the Careers and Employability Service.

Due to the volume of applications expected for these posts there may be a delay between the closing date and receiving a response from us. Please do not contact us for updates on the status of your application; we will contact every applicant with the outcome of their submission in due course.

Interviews are scheduled to be held in early January, however we will continue to accept applications until 14 March from people who are available to work later in the year.

photos of people involved in DHM at Kent 2022 & DHM logo

Disability History Month – how we marked it at Kent in 2022

To decide how to celebrate and mark Disability History Month this year, members of Kent Union, staff and students from a variety of divisions, networks, and groups across the Medway and Canterbury campuses met frequently throughout the term to plan and collaborate. Sharing ideas and looking at how far we have come has been part of the process in continuing to think of new and inspiring ways not only to celebrate Disability History Month, but also to identify areas where there work is still needed to continue to grow and develop new inclusive ways to remove barriers.

Event highlights

Exhibition and film screening

Student Engagement and Communications Officer Natalia Crisanti and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Strategy, Planning, and Performance) Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, introduced the screening of a number of short videos called ‘Our Stories’ (BSL interpreted) with students and staff, current and past, talking about their experiences of disability. The films emphasise considering and anticipating the seen and unseen needs of all, with people listening to one another carefully and understanding that each person is the authority on their own best conditions for thriving. With such a wealth of inspirational people at Kent it has been a great opportunity to take time to focus and reflect on our community and what disability means to us as a University. Janice Markey, Kent’s Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion notes that “the exhibition and screening [which took place on 6 December] are an inspiring impetus for us in our work to create an environment at Kent which is welcoming and inclusive for all”. For more on the screening and exhibition opening, read the blogpost summarising this event. You can also watch a video version of the timeline (narrated, with closed captions), or read a slightly abridged version on Kent’s Disability History Month webpage.

Chloe Timms author talk
Former student Chloe Timms returned to Kent to give a talk on her debut novel ‘The Seawomen’ (2022). Chloe discussed about how she became a published author alongside the challenges of being a disabled writer. To find out more about her professional journey, visit Chloe Timms’ blog.

Chloe Timms with her book. Woman seated in wheelchair, with blonde hair and pink jacked. Book titled 'The Seawoman' on the table in front of her.

Research and career opportunities

Also this month was an opportunity for one of our PhD students to showcase her research with a Virtual Reality Wheelchair Driving Experience, and the Careers and Employability Service hosted a number of online groups for students, including workshops on how to ask for adjustments in the workplace, and sessions on the Change 100 internship scheme, which offers paid summer work placements for students with disabilities.

Finger casting workshop

On the topic of health and wellbeing, a finger casting workshop was held whereby participants could let their artistic sides show through creating their own finger sculpture and foil embossed artwork. The idea was to encourage awareness and connection with the body through creativity.

Group of students seated at a table with craft activities.

Millie Knight – sports champion talk

Kent Union’s focus was on creating opportunities for students to come together and learn from each other. Their events included plant pot painting and a talk from former student, and four-time Paralympic skiing medallist and Karate world champion, Millie Knight. Thomas Freeston, Vice President of Welfare and Community was Kent Union’s lead on DHM, and reflected on the month as an “opportunity to celebrate the achievements of people living with a disability and also raise awareness”.

Group of people standing in front of a banner, holding medals.

What’s next? Let’s shape tomorrow together…

Of course, opportunities for discussion and progress are not limited to Disability History Month. You can get involved in many different ways throughout the year. Perhaps through the Staff Disability Network and Student Accessibility Network. Please contact EqualityAndDiversity@kent.ac.uk if you would like to share any ideas or feedback about this year’s disability history month or disability provision in general.

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Did you know that Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) advisers can help students set up the support they need at any time during their studies? Check out this guide on Seeking Support from SSW for more information.

Follow #DHMKent22 and #InclusiveKent on social media for the latest, and if you would like to contribute your experience and perspective to conversations, podcasts or articles on this theme, please email StudentServicesWeb@kent.ac.uk.

Written by Maddy Kendall, Joshua Stevens and Natalia Crisanti, Student Services, 13.12.22

Taking photo of Christmas tree on phone

Got a new phone, tablet or laptop? Do this to stay connected

Got a new phone or laptop recently, or hoping to get one this Christmas? Stay connected to all Kent systems by adding a second authentication method (such as a home phone number and/or mobile number) now to your account. It’s quick and easy to do.

Choose a method that won’t be affected if you change device or mobile phone number. For example, if you use an authenticator app on a device you’re replacing, this won’t transfer to a new device unless you’ve backed it up. Adding a secondary method such as your home phone number or mobile number (if you intend to keep the same number) will help avoid any loss of access.

This will be especially useful during the vacation when the University is closed and our staff won’t be around to help reset your account.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is required for off campus access to email and other Kent IT systems and online services. It adds an extra layer of security to your IT Account. It provides a 99.9% reduction in compromised accounts and will also help to protect your own personal information.

User guide

MFA at Kent user guide

Help and support

If you have any questions, please contact IT and Library Support:

Students playing Korfball

Kent Stars: Kudos for Korfball

This month’s Kent Stars are the Korfball Society. They went from having very few players during the pandemic, to coming second in the national BUCS competition! A fantastic achievement. Hear from team members Gemma and Josh:

Josh – Hi, my name is Josh Jardine and I’m currently doing a master’s by research in Sport and Exercise Science. My main interests are mostly anything sport related, I’m a big QPR supporter and enjoy going out with friends and family.

Gemma – I’m Gemma Bealey and a Law and Politics LLB Student. Among other interests I am a very keen korfball player. I started playing korfball at age 7 after I was introduced to it at primary school and have played ever since. This has included playing for Kent Junior age groups and now playing in the National Korfball League. I’m also a qualified coach and have been able to coach in my old club for many years as well as coaching one of the Kent Youth Teams.

Tell us about Korfball and Kent’s national success. 

Gemma – Korfball is a mixed-sex game which originated in the Netherlands and has similarities to both netball and basketball. It is very fast paced and relies on a diverse team where all players can attack and defend. I joined UKC Korfball last year and was grateful to be able to join such a welcoming and social club. Due to not running for a year as a result of the pandemic, the club was much smaller than it is now, and nearly every member was new to Korfball.

Josh – Last year we competed in three tournaments: prelims, regionals, and nationals against other universities all over the country. After winning regionals we qualified for the national championships. At the nationals we managed to reach the final but unfortunately lost by two goals against UEA but being second in the country is nothing to be ashamed of!

Korfball Team smiling

What advice would you give to other students? 

Josh – Advice would I give to other students would be to join a society. Societies provide a great way to meet like-minded people or people with the same interests and hobbies as you.

Gemma – I would advise any students to just get stuck into university as much as they can through joining societies. This gives a student an instant social circle and an easy opportunity to make more friends. It also offers students with a better work/life balance to take the pressure off their studies. Korfball is a very welcoming and inclusive game with players of all abilities and level of experience. As not many players have played before we offer the opportunity learn a new sport together as a team which isn’t always possible in other games. Being mixed also gives the game a rare dynamic which is very refreshing.

What are your plans for the next year?

Gemma – I will graduate from Kent this year and know that I will continue to play korfball following this. I have continued to play with clubs outside university while I have also been representing the University at BUCS tournaments and while I will miss being able to play BUCS, I’m glad I will still be able to play the game at a competitive level. I also hope to be able to continue my coaching once I have left university and I have always enjoyed this.

Josh – While completing this master’s degree, I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to work for Gillingham Football Club while collecting data. So, my aim after this year is to hopefully get a job in a Sport Science department at a professional football club.

Learn more about the Kent Stars campaign.

Invitation to launch of latest Kent Review (13 Dec)

Staff and students are invited to the launch of the fourth volume of Kent Review in Keynes Senior Common Room on Tuesday 13 December at 6pm.

Like its predecessors, this latest anthology will showcase some of the best work emerging from the University’s postgraduate writers in Creative Writing. The edition will also feature the winning entries to the new School of English undergraduate writing competition, and an editorial by Professor David Herd.

To celebrate the launch there will be a number of readings, as well as a drinks reception, and copies of the Review available to purchase. Everyone is welcome to help celebrate the launch.

Kent Review, Volume 4 is home to a remarkable selection of poetry, short stories, non-fiction and novel extracts. The collection demonstrates the skill and artistic ambition of the writers at the University, with pieces that are each surprising, disarming, transporting, fresh; and collectively indicative of the vibrant, diverse work emerging from the Centre for Creative Writing.

 

Snowy campus scene

Events roundup: 12-18 December

As we reach the end of term, our weekly events roundup continues with its festive theme, including more Christmas events and support if you’re staying on campus over the winter break.  

Please also see our update about snowy and icy conditions for guidance about travelling to campus.

Later this week your Spring Term timetable will be released (from 14 Dec) on KentVision. However, please check it again after 9 January as it is likely there will be changes (e.g. room changes and resolving clashes). For more information, read our timetable advice. 

Also, some of you might have In Course Tests (ICTs) this week. If you do, try not to panic! ICTs are a great way to prepare for summer exams and there’s guidance online to help you. Best of luck! 

Monday: Job application tips and pick up some vintage gifts 

Join our Careers Team for top tips on filling out those job application forms to make sure you bag yourself an interview. Sign up for careers event. 

Pick up some Christmas gifts (or maybe something for yourself!) at the Vintage Kilo Sale outside the Venue between 10:00 and 17:00.  

Tuesday: How to edit efficiently and create a top LinkedIn profile 

Join this live session on how to approach editing so it is done right and takes less time! Register for the editing event.  

Find out why you should be using LinkedIn and how to get started at this careers session. Book now.  

Please note, there are train strikes on Tuesday 13 December, so if you usually travel to campus by train please make alternative travel arrangements.  

Wednesday: Christmas gatherings and take home some winter plants 

Get in the Christmas spirit at one of these festive events on Wednesday, including: 

Please note, there are train strikes on Wednesday 14 December, so if you usually travel to campus by train please make alternative travel arrangements.  

Thursday: Christmas Market, DHM book club, job hunting tips and Christmas Drag Bingo 

Come along to our Christmas Market in the Colyer-Fergusson from 10:00-14:00 for locally produced food, drinks and crafts!  

As we reach the final week of Disability History Month, join the book club at Canterbury and Medway, or online, to discuss  ‘Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century’ by Alice Wong. 

And get ready for some Christmas campery – Anita Wee and Delilah Tickles are back for a festive edition of Drag Bingo in Mungo’s from 19:00. 

If you’re staying in Medway for the Christmas break, head over to the Oasis Lounge (Rochester Building) on 15 Dec between midday and 14:00 to meet others who will also be staying and enjoy some festive food, music and drinks. There is no need to book, just drop in!  

Friday: Christmas card making at Medway  

Join Medway Residential Life Assistants (RLAs), Holly and Cole, in this FREE DIY Christmas card workshop in the Oasis Lounge (Rochester Building) from 12:00 – 14:00.  

Please note, there are train strikes on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 December, so if you usually travel to campus by train please make alternative travel arrangements. 

See more student events.  

Opportunities

See more student opportunities and support. 

Have a lovely winter break and see you in 2023! 

train at station

Travel disruption in Dec and Jan 

There are some disruptions to Southeastern trains planned for December 2022 and January 2023 which may affect your travel to/from our Canterbury and Medway campuses. 

Strike action is due to take place on the following dates:  

  • December – Tuesday 13/Wednesday 14 and Friday 16/Saturday 17  
  • January – Tuesday 3/Wednesday 4 and Friday 6/Saturday 7  

If you usually travel to campus by train, we recommend you find alternative modes of travel where possible on train strike days and check our Campus Travel updates webpage.  

If you have an in person In Course Test (ICT) on a train strike day, please make every effort to make alternative travel arrangements as these cannot be rescheduled. 

Travel disruption in itself is not a reason for mitigation. However, if your circumstances mean that alternative arrangements to get to campus on a train strike day are not possible, please follow your Division’s process for applying for an authorised absence, or contact your Student Support Team. You will also need to apply for an end of year mitigation if your absence results in you missing an ICT.

If you miss teaching due to train strikes, please check your Moodle module page for any resources made available or alternatively arrange to see your seminar/class leader during office/student consultation hours or speak to your academic adviser.

Teaching will continue as planned, and our campuses and services will remain open during the disruption. We will continue to communicate with you about any changes.

Students and former student from Disability History Month videos

Events roundup: 5-11 December

Here’s a roundup of our top events this week, including lots of Disability History Month (DHM) and festive events!

There are more chances this week to collect tickets for our magical candle-lit Carol Service at Canterbury Cathedral on 12 December.

Monday: Your Uni Your Say Festive Giveaway and Christmas events

Let us know your feedback in Nexus in Templeman Library and win a free gift including Kent drinking bottles and travel mugs, plus festive treats and cakes! #YourUniYourSay

Come and channel your inner Mariah Carey for some Christmas Karaoke in Mungo’s. Or for a creative Christmas activity, make some festive themed suncatchers in K Bar.

Tuesday: DHM exhibition and short film screening and finger casting workshop

Join us from 17:00 in Marlowe for the Disability History Month exhibition viewing and short film screening featuring current and former students and staff on their experiences of disability. Refreshments provided. Book your place.

Rescheduled from last week, come along to the finger casting workshop on Tuesday. Create a Plaster of Paris sculpture by casting your fingers and try your hand at Foil Embossing to create your own miniature wonders of art with local artist Wendy Daws. They make the perfect Christmas gifts!

Wednesday: DHM events and festive activities

Get that festive feeling by making your own snow globe in the Venue, or head to Grimond Lecture Theatre 3 for a festive movie night. The film will be ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ and free popcorn will also be provided.

As part of Disability History Month, Chloe Timms, author and Kent alumnus will be presenting her debut novel ‘The Seawomen’. The book is an atmospheric dystopian story, portraying a tale of oppression, love and bravery on an island controlled by a misogynistic cult. Chloe is passionate about disability rights, having been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at 18 months old.

Change 100 matches talented university students/recent graduates with any disability or long-term condition with progressive employers. Find out more about Change 100 internships and meet the alumni.

Sunday: Community Tennis Open Day

On Sunday Kent Sport are opening their doors to everyone at the Kent Sport Community Tennis Open Day. Come along and try out our indoor tennis facilities and enjoy some top class coaching from our Lawn Tennis Association qualified coaching team!

See more student events.

Opportunities

See more student opportunities.

Staff smiling to camera

Cookies and Conversation on 6 Dec

What do you think about the study spaces on Campus?

Why do you choose certain spaces to study? Do you use different spaces for different types of study?

Join us in the Templeman Library Café from 16:00 – 18:00 on Tues 6 December to share your views and also enjoy some free yummy cookies and a hot drink on us!

Find out more about how the University is listening to students. Have your say, make your voice heard and help us shape our services!