From Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience.

With lockdown due to start tomorrow, I wanted to confirm that, in line with Government policy, the University will remain open. Your timetable will not be changed and we will continue to provide a mix of face-to-face and online teaching.

As you will be aware from the letter we sent to you on behalf of the Minister of State for Universities, Michelle Donelan MP, the Government has decided that universities are to remain open to protect your wellbeing and long-term future.

We have now received further guidance from the Department for Education which reiterates the importance of face-to-face teaching, including for the mental health and wellbeing of students, and expects this to continue where it can be done safely.

This guidance confirms that libraries and study spaces will remain open and that we will still be able to provide a ‘sit-in’ catering service to those who are on catered accommodation packages. We will also be providing a take-away service from other catering outlets. Unfortunately, we will have to close the Sports Centre on the Canterbury campus, but we are planning to run online exercise classes.

I would also like to draw your attention to the following Government guidelines which are specifically for students. During the lockdown period (between 5 November and 2 December 2), you should:

• Only socialise in household units
• Not leave your term-time address to return home
• Travel from home to the university for education if you are a student who normally commutes

We will continue to update our online information and will continue to follow the evolving guidance and measures put in place by the Government to keep you and our staff safe. If you would like to find out more about the current situation, please sign-up for Friday’s Web Chat where staff from across the University will update you on the current situation and will share information about the resources that are available to help you make the most of your study and free time over the next few weeks.

Finally, it is important that you continue to attend on-campus teaching where you are expected, as non-attendance that has not been approved will have an impact on your attendance record and learning outcomes. If you cannot attend a teaching session on campus, you must notify your school as soon as possible.

We are committed to supporting you during this challenging time and we are here to support and advise you. If you have any concerns and wish to speak to someone please call Student Support and Wellbeing on 01227 823158, email CovidSupport@kent.ac.uk or ring the University Nursing Service on 01227 823503.

My very best wishes to you and your family

Richard

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

Student WebChats are designed to help students keep in touch with staff and other students. They include an update from staff at the University and sometimes your Students’ Union and other students. They are on a particular topic and you are welcome to ask questions after the initial presentation, or you can just listen in.

The next WebChat is Friday 6 November 11.00-12.00 and focuses on ‘Next steps for study and student experience’.

Staff from across the University and Kent Union will update you on the most recent UK government regulations. In addition, we will be sharing information relevant to all students and locations regarding resources available to you, to help you make the most of your study and free time, over the next few weeks.

Sign up for the next Web Chat now.

We will email you the link before the event and remind you on the day. If you have any questions or queries please email studenthelp@kent.ac.uk

Are these the same as Web Café events?

No, Web Chats and Web Cafes are different. Web Chats are lead by University staff and focus on a particular topic, whereas Web Cafes are a new, friendly drop in event where we can discuss anything you wish. This could be a topic such as your studies, wellbeing, concerns, current news items and events as well as enabling us to update you on current topics and things taking place on campus.

From Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience:

All universities have been asked to forward a letter to our students from the Minister of State for Universities in which she explains how the national lockdown which will come into force on 5 November will affect you and your studies.

As the Vice-Chancellor said in her email which you will have received yesterday, we are committed to providing you with the best possible education and student experience which is in line with Government guidelines for the lockdown period.

We will continue to offer a mix of online and on-campus teaching/supervision in a Covid-safe environment. Our on-campus accommodation will remain open, as will the libraries and study spaces. Our catering outlets will also remain open, but it is likely that they will need to move to a take-away service and some may need to adjust their hours of operation.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the detailed information we have available online to support you during this challenging time. We will continue to update this information in response to changes in government guidelines.

I would also like to stress that we are here for you. We offer a range of services for our students including wellbeing and support, finance, online learning, IT, housing, accommodation, and immigration.

We are currently waiting for further information from the Government and will write to you again as soon as we have more details.

In the meantime, please continue with your current patterns of study and please talk to your School if you have any immediate concerns.

Best wishes

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

From Professor Karen Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President.

I am writing to update you following the Government announcement that a four-week national lockdown is due to come into force on Thursday 5 November.

The Prime Minister’s speech made it clear that, given the importance of education, universities would remain open during this time. Here at Kent, we remain committed to providing you with the best possible education and student experience which is in line with Government guidelines for the lockdown period.

We will continue to offer a mix of online and on-campus teaching/supervision in a Covid-safe environment. All our on-campus accommodation will remain open as will the libraries and study spaces. Our catering outlets will also remain open, but they will need to move to a take-away service.

The new Government guidelines also provides guidance on travel for students living at university either on campus or in private accommodation off campus. This states that you should not move back and forward between your permanent and student home during term time.

The number of active cases of Covid-19 remain low on our campuses, and we also have a local testing sites at both Canterbury and Medway. We continue to work closely with our local public health officials and a huge amount of effort have been put in to ensure that our campuses are Covid-safe. The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our key priority.

We know this is a worrying time, but the University and the students’ unions are here to support you. We offer a range of services for our students including wellbeing and support, finance, online learning, IT, housing, accommodation, and immigration.

We are currently waiting for further information from the Government and will write to you again as soon as we have more details.

In the meantime, please continue with your current patterns of teaching and research.

With my very best wishes to you and your family,

Karen

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President

From Professor Karen Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President.

I wanted to contact you following the Prime Minister’s announcement this evening. You will be aware that, from Thursday this week, England will be entering into a four-week lockdown. However, unlike the previous period of lockdown, the Government has decided that ‘universities will remain open’. 

We are now working through the implications of tonight’s announcement for our students and reviewing any adjustments that may be required to the way we currently deliver teaching, undertake research, provide support to our students and our staff and manage campus and University operations. 

Please continue to study as planned over the next few days and we will be back in touch with you during the day on Monday with an update on the current situation. 

Finally, I want to reassure you that the numbers of those testing positive for Covid-19 at the University remain low. However, the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff are our key priority and we continue to work closely with the local public health protection team and will be taking their advice on any changes that may be required to the way we are operating. 

We know that this is a worrying time and we are here to support and advise you. If you have any concerns and wish to speak to someone please call Student Support and Wellbeing on 01227 823158, email CovidSupport@kent.ac.uk or ring the University Nursing Service on 01227 823503. 

My very best wishes to you, your friends and your family. 

Yours sincerely 

Karen 

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President 

Have you visited Gulbenkian yet? We’re lucky to have a cinema and theatre at our Canterbury campus [see location on map].

Until the end of December Gulbenkian are offering all their standard film screenings (so not live and recorded or family films) for half price!

Half price films – This means students pay only £3 per ticket, and Gulbenkian student members pay only £2.50.

£1 filter coffee – Their filter coffee is supplied by Canterbury based Garage Coffee. If you love your coffee, enjoy a mug for only £1 from the Gulbenkian café.

Gulbenkian Uncovered – gives students (18+) the chance to get behind the scenes, develop new skills and run events at Gulbenkian. Find out more about Gulbenkian Uncovered.

(Photo by Study Abroad student Alanah Moore taken in Canada.)

International Partnerships is currently working with Stage 1 and 2 students to offer support with their study placement opportunities overseas. On Friday 16 October, we hosted a virtual Global Pathways presentation and the recording can now be found on the DP6100 Moodle module.

Stage 1 and 2 students are encouraged to listen to this recording which outlines the application process to study abroad, the support available to students and any other important information including finances. Please note that only Stage 2 students are expected to complete the DP6100 Moodle module and application form. Stage 1 students will not come to apply until their second stage of studies.

The deadline for Stage 2 applications is Friday 20 November, 2020.

We will also be hosting a virtual Global Pathways drop-in session on Thursday 5 November from 14.00-15.00 in order to answer any queries that students may have at this stage. This session is open to both Stage 1 and 2 students. For details of how to join, please email internationalevents@kent.ac.uk.

Learn more about our Go Abroad opportunities.

We look forward to hearing from you soon,

The Go Abroad Team