Monday 10 October is World Mental Health Day! It’s an opportunity to reflect upon your mental health and find new ways to support your wellbeing. Find out what’s planned at our Medway campus:

Pets as Therapy, 10 October

Miss your pets at home? Love dogs? The Pets as Therapy dogs will be in the Drill Hall Library between 12.00-14.00.  Take a break from studying and go and have a cuddle!

Wellbeing Fair, 10 October

Come along to Pilkington building 11.00-15.00 to meet with different support teams from the Universities at Medway as well as local mental health charities. Pick up some freebies and find out what support is on offer.

Free massages and nails, 10 October

Need to de-stress? Drop into the Hub between 11.00-15.00 to get your nails done or have a free massage.

Create a wellbeing collage, 11 October

Join Medway Chaplain Lynne and other students to create a wellbeing collage on Tuesday 11 October 10.00-14.00 in the Drill Hall Library.

Wellbeing book display

You can also check out the wellbeing book display in the Drill Hall Library. Have a browse and see if there are some books which might help you find some calm.

Wellbeing photo competition – what makes you smile?

To celebrate the World Mental Health Day, this photo challenge is an opportunity for you to share an image or moment that made you smile. Enter this free photography competition to win great prizes including Amazon vouchers. Open to all Medway campus students and staff.

Self-registered attendance is now coming to Kent for all timetabled learning activities using our virtual learning environment in Moodle. 

When can I use the system? 

The attendance functionality within Moodle is rolling out across the University – you will need to begin using it from Monday 26 September.  

What does the system do? 

You will be able to log attendance using Moodle at the start of timetabled activities (credit bearing modules only).  

At the start of each timetabled event, the lecturer or session leader will open Moodle to display a password code to students within the first few minutes. 

You will have 20 minutes from the scheduled start time of the event to mark yourself present, using the password code displayed, by clicking on the attendance activity on your Moodle module, entering the password code and then marking yourself present. 

Recording attendance will help us see where students might be struggling and offer support. It will also help us make sure everyone is meeting their attendance requirements – for example if your attendance is required for a professional accreditation or your student visa. 

How do I learn to use the system?  

Please follow the link below to watch our training video. 

Video: Register your attendance with Moodle 

How do I access the system? 

•  You can access Moodle via the Student Guide and the University of Kent Student App. 

• You can find further information on accessing Moodle on our E-Learning webpage. You can use a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer to access the system. Every student has access to the system, but you don’t have to use it for attendance monitoring until it rolls out in your area. 
• On a laptop/ PC: Navigate to the attendance system in your web browser and add a bookmark as you normally would. 
• On a smartphone / tablet: On both Android and iOS devices you can add a shortcut icon on your home screen that will go directly to the attendance system, so you can access it quickly and easily. This will appear just like the icons you use to open apps. 

FREE entry for University of Kent students

With new events and activities, a major new exhibition, and free entry for University of Kent students*, there’s never been a better time to discover Canterbury Cathedral – UNESCO World Heritage Site, seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and resting place of saints and royalty.

Whether seeking out dragons and grotesques, admiring the medieval stained glass windows – including the oldest in Britain –  marvelling at carved tombs, or exploring the Cathedral’s stunning Cloisters and green spaces, there’s plenty to do.

New for 2022 is a major exhibition in the Cathedral’s Crypt – ‘Making History: Church, State and Conflict’ – which allows visitors to explore up close, for the first time, a unique collection of artefacts that tell the complex, and often violent, story of Church-State relations. Items on display include the battle shield of Edward The Black Prince, a grant from one of the four knights who murdered Thomas Becket, and The Accord of Winchester, the 11th-century document signed by William the Conqueror.

Discover more by visiting the Canterbury Cathedral website.

*Students studying full-time at local universities (University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University, and the University for the Creative Arts) enjoy free entry with their student ID. Terms and conditions apply

Dear students, 

It is with great sadness that we last night received official confirmation that Her Majesty the Queen had passed away peacefully at Balmoral, with her family by her side. The thoughts of all of us are with the Royal Family at this time as we unite in grief with the nation and all those around the world who have been touched by her dignity, devotion and unfailing sense of duty. 

This is an unprecedented and deeply sad moment for the country and I know that many of you will want to pay your respects personally. We will shortly have books of condolence available on our Canterbury and Medway campuses for students and staff who wish to leave a message and are also reviewing activity across the University to see what we will need to pause or adjust as a mark of respect over the coming days. 

I will provide a further update shortly as arrangements are confirmed for the national period of mourning.  

Karen 

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President 

If you are due a goodwill payment from us relating to last year’s industrial action, please check your student account for an email from Western Union.

We have partnered with Western Union Business Solutions to deliver the electronic payments to you via the GlobalPay Payee Manager service provided by the Western Union.

GlobalPay Payee Manager is a secure web-based payment service where you will be able to add your contact and bank details for your payment.

What will happen next?  

• The email is from education@westernunion.com with a link to complete a ‘Payment Form’ and would have been sent in the last 10 days.
• The email will confirm a unique reference number which you should quote in case of any queries.
• It is important that you check your spam folder if you cannot see the email in your inbox .
• The link in the email is only valid for 10 calendar days from the date of receipt.  

Please see the User Guide to help you complete the Payment Form.

What happens when the Payment Form has been completed?  

• You will receive onscreen confirmation that your payment request has been submitted.
• You will also receive email confirmation.
• Your refund payment will then be initiated and sent to the details provided.

Any incorrect information will cause a delay in payment and could result in your payment being returned with third party bank charges deducted. We recommend having your online banking account at hand to verify your account information.

Please note that to deliver this payment via GlobalPay Payee Manager, we will need to share the following details with the Western Union:

• Your full name
• Your student ID
• Your university email address

If you have any questions about completing the form or the payment process, please contact us at: paymentqueries@kent.ac.uk

In October 2022, we will be launching a help point in Templeman Library.

If you have any questions as a Kent student, from financial support to where to go for mental health advice, ask Nexus.

As well as a place to access support, it will also be a dedicated student space where you can study, socialise and network.

Look out for more information coming soon.