Earth Day is on the 22 April and marks a day of collective action and global awareness on the importance of protecting our planet. At the Kent, we take our responsibility towards tackling climate change seriously and are committed to a sustainable future for generations to come. Here’s what’s been going on at Kent in the past year, and some ways you can get involved in sustainability initiatives.

Our progress

Kent has made a lot of progress towards sustainability in the past year. From reducing carbon emissions to promoting biodiversity and sustainable food systems, we have achieved significant milestones in various areas. Here are some of the highlights from the past year:

• Kent improved by 12 places in the People and Planet University League table to achieve 29th place overall.
• We remained on track with our Net Zero by 2040 reduction target and have undertaken audits across University buildings to identify further opportunities.
• Planted 300 fruit and nut trees for the Diamond Anniversary Orchard project, celebrating the arrival of the Class of 2025.
• We were awarded a Silver Award in the Wilder Kent Awards for 2022 for taking positive action to restore green spaces and help people to reconnect with nature.
• Our WARP-IT furniture reuse scheme has passed £1million in savings since starting. Last year we reused 153,919kg of furniture equivalent to 113 tonnes CO2.

Get involved – taking action towards a sustainable future

There are lots of ways for students and staff to get involved in our sustainability initiatives.

Kent Community Oasis Garden

The Kent Community Oasis Garden is an extraordinary collaboration between the University and East Kent Mind, supporting sustainability and good mental health. This year, the garden has expanded its growing space, seen a large rise in its number of volunteers, and been used as a living lab site for the School of Architecture. Get involved by coming along to one of the open gardening sessions on Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:00-14:00

Register for Climate Cafe Training

A Climate Café is a safe space to chat with others who are feeling anxious, sad, or frustrated about climate change. As part of our commitment to a sustainable future, we are offering free training on how to facilitate Climate Cafe discussion groups. This is a great opportunity to take a proactive stance towards climate anxiety, meet like-minded individuals, and develop your communication skills.

The training will take place in June. Register your interest by emailing sustainability@kent.ac.uk.

BioBlitz 2023

Join Kent’s BioBlitz on 20 May 2023, to record as many living species as possible on the Canterbury campus. The event is open to everyone, regardless of experience. Participants can take part in numerous sessions throughout the day, collaborating with local conservation and wildlife organizations. Find out more about the BioBlitz and how you can get involved.

Gleaning collective introductory meeting

Kent and Produced in Kent have established a ‘gleaning’ group in Kent to collect surplus produce from local farms and distribute it to charities, community groups, and food banks in the Canterbury area. If you are interested in finding out more, you can attend an information session on Tuesday 25 April at Woody’s on Canterbury campus to learn more about becoming a volunteer with the Canterbury Gleaning Collective.

Let’s continue to work towards a sustainable future, and make every day Earth Day.

From Professor Richard Reece | DVC Education & Student Experience 

The UCU’s national marking and assessment boycott begins today (20 April). It is disappointing that this action is going ahead, however we have plans in place to make sure this does not get in the way of you finishing the year as normal. As always, we will do everything we can to limit the impact this has on your studies.

What does a marking and assessment boycott mean?

Academic colleagues who are taking part in the action may not mark coursework or exams while the dispute is taking place. However, it is important to stress that not all staff are UCU members and not all UCU members take part in industrial action.

While staff do not have to let us know if they are taking industrial action, we know the impact at Kent will vary greatly across areas. It is important you continue submitting assignments as usual and sit your exams in the Summer Term. We will do all we can to make sure your marks are turned around in appropriate timeframes.

Ensuring you can progress or finish your studies 

I understand that this is a worrying time, but I want to reassure you that we have specific measures in place to make sure you can progress or finish your studies on time. Graduation ceremonies will also go ahead as planned.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email industrialaction@kent.ac.uk. You can also see further information and support on the industrial action website.

Besides revising the course content itself, some of the pressure of exams can come from uncertainty of what’s allowed and what’s expected on the day. Here’s some useful info to take the unknown out of the practical side of exams at Kent.

For many, this summer’s exams will be the first you’ve sat in person at the Kent. Even if you have sat exams here before, there’ll be a few changes this time around.

Revising
Who better to ask for revision tips than the students here at Kent? So we wandered around campus to ask some of you! Here are some of those tips:

• Don’t leave it until the last minute
• Talk to lecturers/professors if you’ve got any questions or are struggling with a topic
• Make use of flash cards
• Use highlighters/colours in your notes
• Sit past papers and read the marking schemes to see how the exams have been assessed in the past
• Be confident in yourself – you’ve got this!

Check out the video on Instagram.

Some practical exams info
Whether or not you’ve sat in-person exams at Kent before, here’s some information that might come in handy:

• Leave plenty of time to get to your exam, and check the location of it on your KentVision account. If you arrive late, you will be allowed in, but won’t be granted extra time.
• If you don’t know where an exam venue is on campus, you can have a look at the exam venues map of both the Canterbury and Medway campuses.
• Make sure to bring your Kent ID card with you. When you arrive at the exam location, look out for the seating plan which will be stuck up on the wall. To find where you’ll be sitting, look for your exam number on the seating plan. If you’re not sure of your exam number, it’ll be the six digit red number on your Kent ID card.
• If you’ve got an Inclusive Learning Plan involving exam arrangements, go to the location listed on your Kent Vision, and an invigilator will be there to meet you. Please also note, any permitted extra time will not show on the main exam timetable, but will be given on the day.
• It’s best to only bring the essentials with you, but if you do have a bag with you, it won’t be able to come into the exam hall. Have a look for lockers in advance of the exam for if you need to keep your belongings in there.
• You can bring your phone and other small electronic devices, but these must be turned off and left underneath your desk.
• You’ll be able to bring water into the exam in a clear plastic bottle (without labels on).
• Bring your stationery in a clear plastic pencil case or food bag.
• If you need the toilet during your exam, put your hand up to inform an invigilator. As long as it’s not in the first or last half an hour of the exam, you’ll be able to go, but you won’t be given extra time for this.

It’s worth heading over to the Exams webpages to find out more, and there’s lots of support for your wellbeing available too.

Written by Charlie, Student Services, 12/04/2023.

We’re happy to share that a new food vendor will be serving our Medway campus.

Yeti’s Kitchen will serve authentic Nigerian food from 12:00 – 17:00, every Monday.

They will be based down the steps of the Medway Building, by the Cow-Elephant.

Check out their menu.

This month’s Kent Stars are Kent Gospel Choir, who recently won the 11^th annual Gospel Choir of the Year competition! Hear more from Emerald:

“Hi there! My name is Emerald, and I am currently a second-year student studying Computer Science at the University of Kent. When I am not busy with my studies, I enjoy singing soprano as a member of the Kent Gospel Choir, which has been an incredible experience so far. As the Social Media Admin for the Gospel Choir committee, I enjoy using my skills to promote the choir and share our experiences with a wider audience.”

Tell us about winning the University Gospel Choir of the Year competition.

“Winning the University Gospel Choir of the Year competition was an incredible experience for Kent Gospel Choir and myself. It was a moment of pure elation and a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire choir community. From the moment we started preparing for the competition, we knew we had something special, but we never expected this. The feeling of hearing our name announced as the winners is something that will stay with me forever.

When preparing the set for the competition, we had to make sure to stay on theme which was ‘The Latter is Greater than the Former’. With this theme we handpicked and remixed the right songs for what we wanted to perform and the story we wanted to tell. We were able to bring a unique style to the songs and truly showcase the versatility of our choir. Our choir members gave their all and sang together as one, pouring their hearts and souls into each note and harmony. The audience and judges were captivated by our performance, and we could feel the emotion in the room as we sang.

One of the most special moments of the competition for me was singing with the all the other choirs as part of the UGCY Mass Choir. We all rehearsed together for the first time that day but when it came to performing the song (Lord You’re Holy Ballin’ – Sunday Service Choir) the energy on stage was definitely there and we sounded amazing. The entire day everyone had been so friendly and welcoming to each other, so it was really fun to sing together with the choirs, forget about the competition and just enjoy ourselves on stage, definitely the highlight of the day.

Winning the University Gospel Choir of the Year Competition was a truly unforgettable experience. It showed us that hard work, dedication, and a passion for music can take you anywhere you want to go. It was a celebration of the talent and spirit of our choir, and a testament to the power of gospel music to unite and uplift people from all walks of life.”

What advice would you give to other students?

“My advice to other students would be to make the most of your university experience by getting involved in extracurricular activities that interest you. These activities can not only help you develop new skills and meet new people, but they can also provide a much-needed break from academic studies. It’s important to find a balance between academic work and other aspects of your life to ensure that you’re taking care of your overall well-being. Additionally, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things – you never know what opportunities and experiences may come your way.”

What are your plans for next year?

“As I will be going on a placement year next year, I will unfortunately be unable to participate in Kent Gospel Choir during that time. This makes me appreciate even more the experiences I have had with the choir this year, such as performing at various events and bonding with the other members. My plan for the next year is to make the most of my placement opportunity and gain valuable experience in the field of computer science. I also hope to continue developing my musical skills on my own time and come back to the choir even stronger in my final year.”

Learn more about the Kent Stars campaign.

Photos by S.AWUKU PHOTOGRAPHY.

From E Learning Team

As you may be aware, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way we learn, teach, and assess. As a university, we are committed to exploring and harnessing the potential of new technologies in education.

There are ways in which AI can enhance your revision for your upcoming exams and help you to study effectively. We’d encourage you to visit our ‘Using artificial intelligence in your studies’ web page for further information about this.

However, as the technological landscape changes, we must also ensure that we are upholding academic integrity and ensuring that academic work submitted by students is their own original work. With this in mind, we have updated Annex 10 (Academic Misconduct) of the University Credit Framework. This is with a view to ensuring that our policies remain fair, balanced and evidence-based.

We will continue to review and monitor the use of AI in education and assessment and update our academic misconduct policies and guidance for students accordingly. You can also speak with your module convenors for more information if you wish to.

From Mica Rose | Head of Student Experience

Following Richard’s update last week, we have now had confirmation from UCU that they have secured a further national mandate for industrial action at universities through to the end of the summer term. This is disappointing news after the recent progress in negotiations in a number of areas. However we have plans in place to make sure this doesn’t get in the way of you finishing the year as normal. As always, we will do everything we can to limit the impact this has on your studies.

Ensuring you can progress or finish your studies

No strike days have been confirmed at this stage but UCU have indicated that they will be asking their members to conduct a national marking and assessment boycott. I know this will be of real concern to many – I want to reassure you that we have robust plans in place to ensure you can progress or finish your studies to the same timeline, while maintaining the quality of your degree. Graduation ceremonies will also go ahead as planned.

It is also important to stress that not all lecturers are UCU members and not all UCU members take part in industrial action. While staff do not have to let us know if they are taking industrial action, we know that the impact of any marking and assessment boycott will vary greatly across areas.

It is important to continue submitting all assignments as usual and we will do everything we can to make sure your marks are turned around quickly so that you get the certainty you need.

Continued negotiations

You have faced multiple rounds of industrial action this year due to this ongoing national dispute, for which I can only apologise. We are here to support you, in line with our principles for responding to this that we set out earlier in the year. We also urge UUK and UCU to build on the recent positive negotiations so that they can reach a deal that prevents students being caught in the middle of a dispute that is out of their control.

We will provide a further update when we know more on what this next period of industrial action looks like. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch via industrialaction@kent.ac.uk if you have any questions or concerns you want to raise.

As the Campus Shuttle service only operates during term time and the last day of term (Friday 7 April 2023) is a Bank Holiday there will be a reduced service operating until 19:15.

The start of term is also a bank holiday (Monday 8 May 2023), therefore a reduced service will resume at 7:35. The service will operate to the usual timetable for the rest of the term from the 9 May.

The reduced service will be operating a 52 seater coach on the 7 April (Good Friday) and 8 May (Coronation Bank Holiday). The reduced timetable for both of these dates is displayed below. The Kings Ferry are currently in the process of updating the booking system and online time timetable to reflect this.

Please note you will still be required to book a seat on these services. For any service updates please follow the @CampusShuttle twitter feed.