The Government has launched a new scheme to support current students who have experienced hardship during the coronavirus pandemic. £70m in additional funding is being provided to English universities of which Kent has been allocated £588,000.  The University has also made additional funds available.

The Covid-19 Hardship Fund can be used to support any current students who have incurred unexpected costs due to Covid-19. This could be due to a loss of income, childcare costs, travel or rent.

Phase 2 of the Covid-19 Hardship Fund is now open and current students can apply for a £300 individual award to help their finances. There is a simple application process outlined on the Covid-19 Hardship funding webpage. When applying you’ll be asked a series of questions to make sure you are eligible and asked to include your bank details. If your application is successful, your award will be transferred directly to your bank account.

Applications for the second phase of the fund will close 31 March 2021 or sooner if all the funds are awarded before this date. We encourage you to apply as soon as you can.

Please remember that if you have suffered financial hardship this academic year due to coronavirus, there is lots of support available through our range of Emergency Hardship Funds.

Please contact our Financial Aid team or Kent Union’s Advice Service (Canterbury) or GKSU’s Advice Centre (Medway) for more information on what fund may be suitable for you.

**Deadline for module registration extended to Tuesday 6 April at midnight**

Online Module Registration (OMR) will take place between Monday 22 March – Tuesday 6 April 2021. It is compulsory that you select your module preferences for 2021/22 on your Student Data System (SDS) during this time.

We appreciate these are uncertain times and you may feel unsure about the choices you make for your next year of study. Please be assured there is lots of support available to you. Please see our Student Coronavirus webpages for information and speak with your Student Support Team or Academic Advisor for advice.

Please see Prepare for your Online Module Registration  for all the information you need to register your module preferences. Please ensure you review the information carefully.

Important Information

• Online Module Registration is not first come first served; however, you must ensure that you submit your selections by Tuesday 6 April to give you the best opportunity to register for your preferred choice of module.
• Modules with limited spaces will be allocated fairly and transparently by a random selection process, after the Online Module Registration period closes.
• If you are studying abroad or on industrial placement in 2021/22, please ignore this message, as you do not need to choose your module preferences until this time next year.
• If you are studying compulsory modules next year, you do not need to take part in OMR.
• We will try our best to accommodate your module choices, however, please be aware that because of the ongoing restrictions relating to the Covid pandemic, we cannot guarantee whether all module options will be available, or how they will be delivered.

If you have any questions please contact us:

Canterbury: csao@kent.ac.uk

Medway: msao@kent.ac.uk

The deadline to log your Employability Points is only a few days away! You have until 17.00 on the 15 March to log your co-curricular activities on MyFolio and receive Employability Points.

Remember, if you earn enough points, you will have the chance to apply for exclusive EP rewards. Qualifying students will be emailed an application form on the 16 March and you can check out the available rewards in the recently published EP Rewards Pack 2020-21.

If you have any questions or would like to book an appointment with a member of the EP team, you can contact them via employabilitypoints@kent.ac.uk

The 2021 Government Census is here.

All students are an important part of the census and must be included.

We are working in partnership with the Office for National Statistics to ensure that all our students are included in the Census 2021. Whether you are in halls, living in a shared house, living with your parents or guardians, or are an international student – all students are an important part of the census and must be included.

What is the census?

The census is an important national survey that takes place every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The census is unique. There’s simply nothing else that gives so much detail about us and the society we live in.

All kinds of organisations, from local authorities to charities, use the information to help provide the services we all need, including transport, education and healthcare. Without the census, it would be much more difficult to do this.

Why do I need to fill in the census?

You are required to complete the census by law. By taking part, you’ll be helping make sure you and your student community get the services needed now and in the future. The information you give informs decisions that affect student life, such as university campus bus links and bike lanes, jobs and training. Therefore, it is key that you complete the form for your university address.

The last census was 2011, so this might be your first time completing the census yourself. Don’t worry – it only takes ten minutes per person and you will complete online.

Census Day is 21 March, but you can fill in yours now.

We understand your circumstances may have changed during the pandemic. So, although you might not be living where you normally would be when at university, you must complete the form with your normal university address.

If you are currently living on campus, your letter will be delivered to your accommodation reception from Saturday 6 March onwards. Collect this as soon as you receive your email notification from the Accommodation Team as this letter will contain your individual access code which will allow you to access the census survey.

If you’re currently living at home, you need to be included on your household census questionnaire as well as completing one for your university address. See more information on how to complete the census.

If you are currently living in Pier Quays (Medway), your letter will be delivered to you via the Pier Quays reception team. This letter will contain your individual access code which will allow you to access the census survey.

If you do not receive or cannot access a letter containing an individual access code you should go online to request a new access code. Your code will be sent via SMS.

Visit the census website for support

For more information on the census, or if you need help, go to the census website. There are a wide range of services available, including translations and accessible guidance.

Thank you for your help in taking part in the census, you’re making a profound difference to decisions which influence the student community.

Our Study Plus scheme provides a range of free short-term courses and workshops which can enhance your graduate employability skills alongside your main subject specialism. Here are some of the upcoming events you can sign up for:

Study Plus – Having difficult conversations By Kate Gardner Wednesday 10 March 1.30-15.00

By the end of the session, participants will have:

• Explored the stages and causes of conflict
• Identified strategies to enable difficult conversations
• Examined their own conflict handling style
• Understood the steps to take when having difficult conversations.

Study Plus – ASPIRE Workshop 12 – Build your pitch Wednesday 10 March 15.00-17.00

Learn which slides you need in your pitch deck to impress potential investors. Create the perfect pitch telling a compelling story.

Study Plus – Time management Be Productive – not Busy By Leanne Davies Thursday 11 March 14.00-16.00

Do you often feel that there are just not enough hours in your day? By attending this course, you will learn how to use your time effectively so that you are productive – not just busy.  You will explore tips and time management techniques and take the first steps to achieve your goals  – whether it is dealing with your daily “to do” list, meeting dreaded deadlines, managing interruptions or realising a personal dream.

Study Plus – Understanding Stress and Self Care by Sal Pearman Friday 12 March 10.00-12.30

During the webinar we will explore:

• The importance of routine and positive daily habits
• Emotional Labour: what is it and why does it matter?
• Recognising the symptoms of stress
• What is resilience and how can we develop this?
• Nutrition, hydration and sleep
• Working in a busy household
• Practical steps to make working in isolation easier.

Study Plus – Resolving Conflict and Managing Difficult situations by Jeffrey Wotherspoon Thursday 12 March 14.00-16.00

By attending this course, you will learn:

• The main reasons we avoid having difficult conversations
• Principles that will help you get the best out of challenging situations
• Understanding the underlying motivations for behaviours we may find challenging to deal with when working with others
• How to be assertive.

Study Plus – ASPIRE Bootcamp 3 – Get pitch perfect Saturday 13 March 10.00-16.00

Learn the best tricks and tips for presenting an outstanding pitch to potential investors. Build confidence in public speaking with fun games and exercises.

Study Plus – Emergency First Aid – 4 hours  Saturday 13 March 10.00-14.00

An introduction to Emergency first aid.

Learn more about Study Plus.

From this week Templeman and Drill Hall Library will be open for longer, you can take part in a guided online mindfulness session and join the online cultural celebrations as part of WorldFest this month.

On campus? Get tested for Covid-19

If you have returned to campus or using university facilities, help keep you and your friends safe by getting tested twice a week. This is quick and easy to do with testing centres on campus.

• Book a test now (Canterbury)
• Book a test now (Medway)

Covid-19 safety advice

Read our Covid-19 safety advice for everything you need to do to help you and your friends stay safe.

Events for you to try this week:

• International Women’s Day lecture on Monday 8 March, 17.30-18.30
• Mindfulness session on Wednesday 10 March, 13.00-14.00
• Answering job application questions on Thursday 11 March, 10.00-11.00
• Creative Careers Week, 8-12 March
• Celebrate cultural diversity at one of our online WorldFest events throughout March

Browse all events

Have you read this?

• Covid-19: Step 1 Government roadmap update
• Templeman and Drill Hall libraries open for longer from 8 March
• Wellbeing calendar to help you relax

Browse all student support

Keep an eye on:

• Student Guide
• Our Instagram stories
• University emails

Let us know what you think of these updates by emailing communications@kent.ac.uk

Students across the university are invited to send in their submissions for a new digital art competition and exhibition based on the themes of identity, injustice and artivism.

‘The Human Experience: Know Justice, No Peace’ is co-organised by two Kent student societies: the Afro-Disasporic Legal Network and Kent People of Colour Arts, with prizes sponsored by Kent Law School.

The competition is open to all students at Kent with a deadline for submissions on Sunday 21 March. The exhibition will launch on Wednesday 24 March.

Artworks submitted will be exhibited publicly on an online platform and judged by representatives from Kent Law School and the student societies involved.

Submissions in the form of painting, mixed media, photography and audio (spoken word and music) are welcome. They must highlight any of the core themes:

• Identity: Identity captures our personalities, beliefs, qualities, and ideas. It allows us to be multidimensional and unique. It makes it so that we can mould into different spaces, belong to and relate with different groups of people. So, tell us “Who are you?
• Injustice: Discrimination, Gender inequality, Sectarianism, those are but a few of the injustices and disparities we face in our lives time and time again. What does it make you feel?  Frustration, anger, denial, passion, acceptance. Do the emotions cripple you or make you want to fight? Channel those feelings and tell us what injustice means to you
• Artivism: Given our recent political climate filled with violence and discrimination, Artivism advances creativity as means of advocacy and social progress. It creates a canvas for the oppressed in a world where their voices have been toned down and their freedoms limited. It ensures that we cannot be overlooked. We want you to illustrate the struggles of your home country. Take this opportunity to highlight inequalities across the world and stand in solidarity with their movements.

To participate in the exhibition complete this form.

For any queries, email the organisers: thehumanexperienceart@gmail.com

From Clare Delap, Engagement Lead, NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group

I am writing to let you know about some changes to local GP services and to ask for your views.

Not registered with a GP service in Medway? 

If, like many students, you spend more weeks of the year at your university address than your family’s address, you need to register with a GP near your university as soon as possible.

That way you can receive emergency care if you need it, and access health services quickly and easily while you’re away.

See information on how to register with a GP.

For students using GP services in Medway

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is planning the future of five GP sites in Medway:

• St Mary’s Island Surgery, Chatham
• Green Suite at Balmoral Gardens Healthy Living Centre, Gillingham
• Twydall Clinic, Twydall
• Pentagon Centre (Boots), Chatham
• Sunlight Centre Surgery, Gillingham

The five sites were previously managed by DMC Healthcare until July 2020 when, following concerns about quality and safety, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) took urgent enforcement action. The CCG then awarded a 12-month contract to Medway Practices Alliance Ltd (MPA). MPA, which is rated ‘good’ by the CQC, is the GP federation that brings together practices and GPs from across Medway to provide quality healthcare.

We know that many students from the University of Kent Medway Campus are registered at Pentagon and the Sunlight Centre. If you are registered with any of these practices, please be assured that you do not need to do anything as services will continue to be provided by MPA until September. You can contact your surgery in the usual way on 01634 890712.

The CCG has been hearing from patients and local communities and is currently speaking to local GPs to make a long-term plan for all the patients registered.

It is important that we also hear from students. To give us your views please email: Kmccg.engage@nhs.net by Friday 26 March 2021.

In particular we want to know:

1. Whether you are registered with a GP practice in Medway?
2. If you are not registered, can you tell us why?
3. Which Medway GP practice are you registered with?
4. What matters most to you when using a GP practice?
5. If you have any experience of using these Medway GP services over the past year, how satisfied are you with the services and why?

We will be writing to all patients registered at these practices again in the coming months to let you know about our proposals for these sites and to find out what you think. We will communicate with students again through the University.

In the meantime, I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours,

Clare Delap

Engagement Lead

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group