For those of you continuing your studies next year, we are making extensive and detailed plans for autumn 2020 and look forward to welcoming you all back on to campus ready for the first day of term. Working together with Kent Union and GK Unions, we are committed to ensuring that you continue to benefit from all that Kent has to offer, despite the impact of COVID-19.

In making these plans, we pledge to you that:

• The health, safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remains our top priority
• We will not compromise the quality of teaching, learning and experiences of our students.
• We will keep you updated over the summer to support your return to the University in the autumn.

I know that you will have lots of questions, and I cannot pretend to have all of the answers at this stage. However, I wanted to set out for you the approach that we will be taking so that you can begin to understand what September and the Autumn Term will look like for you.

Our approach, for the first term of the 2020/21 academic year at least, will be as follows:

• The majority of our teaching and services will be delivered in a blended way – both online and in person. What parts of your studies will be online and what will be in-person on campus will vary according to the course you are on, government requirements and our health and safety assessments. We are planning the details of this now and will be able to update you in the coming weeks.
• Online lectures will be complemented with face-to-face and/or online interactive sessions
• Lecture theatres will be used for smaller face-to-face group-based activities
• Lab classes, and other activities where you physically need to be there, will take place in strict compliance with health and safety requirements
• Some modules, or parts of modules, may need to be rescheduled to later in the academic year when social distancing restrictions are eased

I will be holding regular webchats and videoconference sessions that are open to all students between now and the start of the new academic year. Please look out for more details of these events in due course.

With my very best wishes,

Richard

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

Kent Sport have introduced an online form to review refund requests. Please complete this form if you purchased Kent Sport membership for the 2019/20 academic year. Once submitted you will receive an email confirmation.

Please note Kent Sport will only be able to process requests submitted via the online form. If you previously emailed sportsenquiries@kent.ac.uk or memberships@kent.ac.uk on or after 17 April with only your name and student number you will need to fill out the online form.

There will be a minimum of 8-10 week turnaround from when you submit the form as refund requests are handled individually. You will receive an email confirmation once your refund request has been accepted and moved to finance for refunding.

The usual £20 administration fee will not apply. Any student who has already been refunded will receive this amount back.

For more details about the refund process please see the Kent Sport blog.

Careers and Employability are working with the NBA on a series of online workshops that cover careers in a variety of industries.

Careers and the Sports Industry – 29 May at 10:00

From advice on finding your first job, shaping your career, useful resources, tips and tricks, this online webinar will provide insight into the sports industry. The session will be led by UKC alumni, Matt Kramer and now Global Partnerships Manager at the NBA. He will be joined by his colleagues, Steve Nuss, Global Partnerships Manager and Vanja Cernivec, Senior Manager, Basketball Operations. There will be time to ask questions afterwards.

NBA – Leadership and Management – 5 June at 10:00

What is it like to work for a company that leads its field – what are the expectations?  What makes an inspirational leader and what is it like to follow one? How do we lead as individuals from within a team?  What is leadership in sport?  How do you work with/for a manager?  How do you become a good manager?

All these topics will be covered by UKC alumni, Matt Kramer, who is now Global Partnerships Manager at the NBA and his colleague Duy Nguyen, Director, Global Partnerships during an online webinar.

NBA – Working in a dynamic environment and managing change – 12 June at 10:00

What does it take to thrive in a positive and dynamic working environment? How do you take care of yourself and colleagues? How do events like Covid-19 impact the working world?

Join UKC alumni Matt Kramer, Global Partnerships Manager at the NBA and his colleague Sarah Mathers, Senior Director, Security for an online webinar with a Q&A afterwards.

We are very excited to announce our first online Global Hangout! This will take place on Friday 29 May. There are a variety of sessions available and you can sign up to one or all or them.  Once you have registered your attendance you will be sent joining instructions for your event.

Kent WebChat 10.00 – 11.00 UK Time – Sign up
An informal series of live online discussions via Zoom designed to help you keep in touch with other students and staff at the University.  The theme for this week’s WebChat is ‘next steps’ with the Careers and Employability Service as well as other University colleagues sharing information about further study options available at Kent.  You will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance or during the WebChat which the panel will answer.

Sustaining Happiness 12.30 – 13.30 UK Time – Sign up
Whether you are in a happy place now or not, or whether Covid-19 has impacted your wellbeing, this interactive session will present you with a formula to develop an insight into how you can sustain happiness in your life through meaningful activities.  Includes a surprise gift of happiness at the end of the session! (This session will be delivered by Ozin, (Prof. Nitin Arora) from our partner institution, Amity University.)
In addition to registering for the event, please spend 5 minutes completing this questionnaire in advance to help you get the most out of the session.  

Global Hangout Quiz 15.00-16.00 UK Time – Sign up
Test your knowledge from around the world at this fun, relaxed event which includes live music.  A great opportunity to chat and meet with friends.

The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 has been kindness. Throughout the week you might have seen us sharing some kindness in the form of book recommendations on our social media. We focused on titles that have been good for our Mental Health during lockdown and we hope that if you read any of them, they’ll have the same positive effects for you too.

Here’s a compilation video of all the recommendations from Templeman Library staff and your Kent Union officers. Do you spot any familiar faces?

Scroll down for a list of the titles mentioned. Let us know in the comments if you’ve read any of these, or if you’re thinking of adding any of them to your collection.

Christine Davis, Templeman Library Learning Environment Assistant
Game of Thrones audio-books by George R.R. Martin
The FODMAP Friendly Kitchen by Emma Hatcher

Omolade Adedapo , Kent Union VP Welfare
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Sue Grimer, Templeman Library Assistant (Social Sciences)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Sasha Langeveldt, Kent Union President
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuvul Noah Harari

Veronica Lawrence, Templeman Library Head of Front Line Services
The Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Sarah Field, Templeman Library Sciences Librarian
Wintering: How I learned to flourish when life became frozen, by Katherine May

Theresa Thurston, Templeman Library Law Librarian
Lean in 15 by Joe Wicks

While the Templeman Library remains closed due to COVID-19, we want to share advice with you for what to do with your library books, depending on your situation.

Returning to Kent in September

If you’re coming back to Kent next academic year, we recommend you hold onto your books. You won’t have to return them until at least 31 July. We’ll review arrangements over the summer and will be in touch with more information and advice.

If you’re finishing your undergraduate degree, have a confirmed postgraduate place at Kent for September and would prefer to keep your books for now, please contact us.

Books left in campus accommodation

If you have left books in your Canterbury campus accommodation, please email lendingenquiries@kent.ac.uk with your details and the room address and we’ll arrange to retrieve them.

Final year student or not returning in September

If you’re a final year student or want to return your books now for another reason, you have several options:

1. If you live on the Canterbury campus, live locally, or have arranged to collect your belongings from campus, please use the book drop at the Library Road Entrance or return them to any accommodation reception.
2. Posting books: depending on weight and volume, you could consider breaking up a large parcel into smaller ones. Courier services (like Parcel Monkey or Hermes) might be cheaper than Royal Mail and pick up the parcel from you. Whatever method you use, please make sure you get a receipt.
   Our postal address is: Templeman Library, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NU
3. If you’re unable to return your books by any of these methods, please get in touch with us and we’ll work out a solution with you.

Contact us

Please contact us if you need any help or advice around returning books or any other library or IT query. We know these are difficult times, and our staff are here to help and support you:

• phone 01227 82 4999
• email lendingenquiries@kent.ac.uk
• use “Chat to us” on our webpages

Careers & Employability Service have created a new series of online workshops and events to help students to plan for life after graduation. This is in addition to their ongoing 1-2-1 support sessions. The aim is to give students the support they need to prepare for life after University.

Online Live Q&A

Wednesday 20 May at 14:00

There is an online Q and A sessions with careers staff to answer questions and deal with your concerns regarding job opportunities, virtual volunteering and preparing for virtual job interviews.

You can register at careers@kent.ac.uk

There are also a number of Webinars to assist you with gaining employment, working as a virtual volunteer and how to enhance your public persona.

Employability sessions

Tuesday 26 May

11:00 – Virtual volunteering

Wednesday 27 May

10.00 – Finding experience in uncertain times

Thursday 28 May

11:00 – Tier 2 jobs simplified by Student Circus

14:00 – Succeeding in applications

15:00 – CV evaluation activity

16:00 Kent Alumni Drop-in – Finance, Fintech, Law and Actuarial Science

Friday 29 May

NBA Careers & The Sports Industry

12:00 – Get into Teaching, Department for Education

You can register at careers@kent.ac.uk