The Careers and Employability Service are hosting a week of virtual employability events specifically for current Master’s and PhD students!

Running from 12-16 July, these events will focus on thinking about your next steps after your Master’s, alternative careers to academia, as well as, preparing an academic and non-academic CV, using LinkedIn to build your professional connections and more!

Events include:

• Academic CVs
• Interview Skills
• Introduction to management
• Now I have my Master’s, what next?
• Careers in psychology for postgraduates
• Introduction to the Civil Service Fast Stream
• Alternative careers to academia for MRes and PhD students (LSSJ and HSS)

Visit the PG Week webpage to view the full programme and book into an event.

The following message is being sent out to students expecting their exam results to be published from 1 July. We apologise for the delay in letting you know and for any additional worry this may have caused.

From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

We are pleased to inform you that we have completed all undergraduate finalist and diploma Boards of Examiners’ considerations and are now processing and updating your marks in KentVision ready to release your results.

Your results should be with you early next week and you will receive an email (to your Kent email address) once they are ready.

We recognise that you will have been hoping to receive your results from today onwards, and that a further wait may cause you some anxiety. However, we hope that you will understand the importance of ensuring that you receive the correct results taking into account this year’s no detriment measures.

Thank you for your continued patience.

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

A bin amnesty will operate from Monday 28 June to Friday 23 July 2021 on these Canterbury roads to help you with moving out.

Where black bin bags would not normally be collected, they will be picked up during the amnesty period to cover students moving out of their properties. The black bin bags should be placed next to the normal bins on your regular bin collection day.

The local recycling centre is open 7 days a week and can be used by appointment only – please ensure you book a timeslot.

Unwanted furniture and bulky household items can be donated to Necessary Furniture and the British Heart Foundation. Get in contact with them to arrange a free collection.

We’re here to support your studies throughout the summer:

Library opening hours

During the Summer Vacation, the Templeman Library opening hours are:

• Weekdays: 09:00 to 21:00
• Weekends: 09:00 to 18:00
• Monday 30 August (summer bank holiday): closed

See the full Templeman Library opening hours and the support available and keep checking our Library and IT services blog post for updates.

The Drill Hall Library’s opening hours (from 28 June) are:

• Weekdays: 09:00 to 19:00
• Weekends: 09:00 to 17:00

Check the Drill Hall Library opening hours.

Senate Postgraduate Study Hub

Good news! The Senate Postgraduate Study Hub will be open 24/7 throughout the summer vacation.

More about study space in the Library and on campus

Online Surveys – now available to all postgrads

Around the world, June is recognised as LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual) Pride Month to commemorate a tipping point in queer human rights history — the Stonewall Riots uprising. Find out more about Pride Month.

As a part of Pride Month we wanted to highlight the many LGBTQIA+ groups and networks at the University.

Find out more about our LGBTQIA+ Community at Kent:

• The LGBTQ+ Network aims to represent and act as the voice for, as well as promote, extend and defend the rights of LGBTQ+ students to both the University and Kent Union.
• LGBTQ+ Society is a social society with the aim of providing a safe space for those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ umbrella. They welcome people of all sexualities and genders.
• Medway LGBTQ Society at GKSU.
• LGBTQ+ Mythbusters are Kent students who go into secondary schools to speak to students (16-18 year olds) candidly about their experiences, both in terms of their sexuality and/or identity, their coming out process and also about University life in broader terms.
• Staff LGBT+ Network
•  Trans, non-binary, intersex and questioning peer support group

Harassment reporting

We fully support and encourage all our students and staff to report incidents of racism, harassment and discrimination.  This is through INK for Students or the Reporting Tool for Staff. Students needing additional support during particularly difficult times are also welcomed to contact Student Support & Wellbeing. 

For allies

We recognise that it can be challenging to know how to support other members of our community facing discrimination and harassment or speaking out when we witness or hear transphobia. We want to encourage all students to stand and be an ally of the LGBT+ community. Here are some tips on how to be an ally to the community, no matter your gender identity or sexuality:

1. Be open to learning about the adversity faced by LGBTQIA+ people
   Educating yourself, and learning about the difficulties faced by those within the community is an important part of being an ally. By being open to listen and learn about the problems, we can better understand the importance of pride month, and can in turn become a better ally.
2. Understand our own privileges
   By understanding our own privileges, we are able to become more aware of certain things we don’t need to think about purely because of the way we were born. It can help us to better empathise with groups like the LGBTQIA+ community.
3. Familiarise yourself with the correct language
   Making sure to use the correct terminology and being respectful is vital to being a good ally. If you are unsure of someone’s pronouns or label, ask them respectfully. Stonewall have put together a helpful glossary.
4. Stand up against discrimination or hateful language
   Of course, we should all fight back against any discrimination we encounter, but often this can be intimidating, especially when the hateful language is spoken by a friend or family member. Correcting those around us when they may harm the LGBTQIA+ community is vital, as we must all hold each other to account for our actions and words. We encourage everyone to stand up for those that may be marginalised in society, and remind others that there is no room for hateful or discriminatory language or actions.

Find out more about being an ally

Access resources

Using the resources available removes the burden of questions, explanations and discussions from members of the LGBTQIA+ community – the links below are an excellent starting point for people wanting to understand more.

Our LGBT+ network have a fantastic blog that covers ongoing news, events and challenges – stay up to date with the issues affecting the community.

Mermaids UK and Stonewall have easily accessible resources and Q&A that cover many of the relevant issues.

For more information and support please visit LGBTQ+ webpages.

Find out more about the University of Kent’s commitment to creating and supporting a balanced, inclusive and diverse community.

At the University of Kent, we are committed to fostering a positive environment where all students and staff are treated fairly, with dignity, courtesy, respect and consideration. All of us have a responsibility to create an environment that is free from harassment, bullying, unlawful discrimination and victimisation.

In recent years, the trans and non-binary community has become more visible in society and the public eye. We have been pleased to see increased awareness of the diversity of the trans community and increased understanding of the breadth of gender identities. Unfortunately, this increased visibility has come with increased hostility towards some members of the trans community.

Trans and non-binary people face discrimination and harassment:

• At work, including from colleagues, managers, customers and clients;
• In public, including verbal and physical abuse;
• Online, particularly on social media where targeted harassment, bullying and abusive comments and even attempts to find and share trans people’s previous names and current address are increasingly common;
• They also face barriers to accessing healthcare, such as long waiting lists for treatment, and  transphobia.

Recent news events and discussions related to Stonewall have amplified the discussion, particularly online, and we have published our response to this confirming our continued membership of Stonewall. This response underlines our commitment to freedom of speech, academic freedom, and inclusion, which are all University values.

For members of our trans, nonbinary and intersex communities

Gender neutral toilets

We recognise that this is a particular concern for trans members of our community, and we have maps of both our Canterbury and Medway campuses highlighting the location of gender neutral toilets.

Harassment reporting

We fully support and encourage all our students and staff to report incidents of racism, harassment and discrimination.  This is through INK for Students or the Reporting Tool for staff. Students needing additional support during particularly difficult times are also welcomed to contact Student Support & Wellbeing. 

Join our communities:

• The LGBTQ+ Network aims to represent and act as the voice for, as well as promote, extend and defend the rights of LGBTQ+ students to both the University and Kent Union.
• LGBTQ+ Society is a social society with the aim of providing a safe space for those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ umbrella. They welcome people of all sexualities and genders.
• Medway LGBTQ Society at GKSU.
• Trans, non-binary, intersex and questioning peer support group

Access resources

Using the resources available removes the burden of questions, explanations and discussions from members of the LGBTQIA+ community – the links below are an excellent starting point for people wanting to understand more.

Our LGBT+ network have a fantastic blog that covers ongoing news, events and challenges – stay up to date with the issues affecting the community.

Mermaids UK and Stonewall have easily accessible resources and Q&A that cover many of the relevant issues.

For more information and support please visit LGBTQ+ webpages.

Find out more about the University of Kent’s commitment to creating and supporting a balanced, inclusive and diverse community.

Exciting opportunities to join one of two prestigious research centres at SSPSSR have opened up with the launch of four new PhD studentships for scholars interested in researching applied health and social care.

Three of the studentships are based at the University’s Centre for Health Service Studies (CHSS), and the fourth is based with the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU).

Both research centres have close links with each other and are based within the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR) at Kent, one of the largest social science communities in Europe. SSPSSR is recognised worldwide for producing excellent research and was ranked 2nd for research power, 3rd for research intensity and 5th for both research impact and research quality (GPA) by the 2014 Research Excellence Framework.

For all four studentships, we are looking for applicants who are:

• enthusiastic about applied health and social care research
• have completed a health or social care related postgraduate training course at Master’s level equivalent to merit or distinction with a substantial research training component (such as an ESRC recognised training course), or be willing to undertake additional research methods training.

As a PhD scholar with CHSS or PSSRU, you will become part of the research communities within the Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) and the University of Kent. ARC KSS is one of 15 ARCs across England, part of a £135 million investment by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to improve the health and care of patients and the public.

Centre for Health Service Studies (CHSS) 

CHSS is a centre of research excellence which undertakes high quality research into a wide range of health systems and health services issues at local, national and international levels. CHSS also supports and advises health care staff to develop and undertake research projects. CHSS collaborates with a wide range of partners in Kent, the UK and in other countries to improve the links between research, policy and practice.

Apply by Friday 23 July for the following scholarships at CHSS:

• Centre for Health Service Studies ARC Studentship in Co-production
• Centre for Health Service Studies ARC Studentship in Primary/Community Care
• Centre for Health Service Studies ARC Studentship in Public Health

For the CHSS studentships, students are required to apply to SSPSSR’s PhD Applied Health Research

Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) 

PSSRU is a leading social care research group that conducts policy analysis, research and consultancy in the UK and internationally. The Unit’s mission is to undertake high quality research on social and health care to inform and influence policy, practice and theory.

PSSRU’s current research programme focuses on needs, resources and outcomes in social and health care, with particular emphasis on economic aspects of community care, residential and nursing home provision, social care markets and commissioning, long-term care finance, and mental health policy. The PSSRU has long had close and productive links with policy-makers in the UK and elsewhere.

Apply by Friday 23 July for the following scholarship at PSSRU:

• PSSRU ARC Studentship in Social Care

For the PSSRU studentship, students are required to apply to SSPSSR’s PhD in Social Policy

This year has been challenging for many students, with the ongoing pandemic changing the way we engage with our studies and university life as a whole. Therefore, as exam season comes to an end, many of us will be finishing the academic year with a hope to relax and take some time off. To help you, here are some top tips on how to de-stress after exams!

Think positively

Rather than focusing on where you might have gone wrong in a particular exam, focus on the things you did well. You’ve worked hard and completed your exams, so you should know that you did the best that you can. Remind yourself of your strengths, and that you can no longer control the outcome. If you continue to think positively, this should allow you to focus on the joy of having finished exams rather than the future results. In such a difficult year, you should be proud of yourself for getting through the entire exam season!

Tidy up your workspace

De-cluttering your workspace and tidying away your exam/revision resources can really help to clear your mind. By moving revision materials that you no longer need out of view, this can help you let go of exam nerves and start getting excited for summer!

Celebrate!

After a difficult exam season and academic year, you deserve to celebrate! Organise a celebratory meal or movie night with friends or family, and be proud that you got to the end of your exams.

Catch up with friends

Over the exam period, many of us can find it increasingly difficult to stay in contact with friends as we become so caught up in revision and exam stress. Therefore, it’s important to reach out and speak to the people you care about when you can! Check up on your friends and see if you can schedule a time to meet. If you’re worried about results, this can be especially helpful as many of your friends will be in the same boat, so this can help you remember that you’re not alone.

Take some time for yourself

The stress of exams can often mean that students work long hours with very little downtime, but it’s so important to take time off and relax! Once your exams are over, try taking some time to yourself and doing some of the things you’d been longing for during exams. This could be something as simple as binging a new series, or giving yourself an at-home spa day. Whatever you enjoy, it’s important to reward yourself for all the hard work you’ve put in, and to take some time appreciating the simpler things that you might have neglected during exam season.

Spend time outdoors

Spending time outdoors can be great for your mental health, and can really help with post-exam nerves. You can use this time to exercise by going for a walk or run, or you could find a nice outdoor area just to sit and relax. If you’re in the Canterbury area, there are many beautiful outdoor spaces to explore, so take advantage of the scenery Kent offers! Going for a long walk can also help you to feel rejuvenated after spending a lot of time sitting at a desk, and you can use this time to listen to podcasts or music, which might help to take your mind off of exams.

Make plans for results day

If you plan something enjoyable for results day, this might calm your post-exam jitters! Maybe organise a celebration with your household, or a fun activity with some friends. This should help shift your focus to a more positive outlook, and allows you to keep reminding yourself that there is something to look forward to.

Plan for Kent Summer Fest

Kent Summer Fest is a great opportunity to unwind, as a vast range of activities are on offer. This includes outdoor cinema screenings, food and drink, live music, and workshops. Make plans with friends to head to campus and enjoy the activities available!

No matter what you decide to do, remember that you have done your best. In a year of so many complications and difficulties, you managed to keep going and got through your exams. Well done!