We have continued to listen to feedback, engage with colleagues, and design system improvements to ensure that KentVision improves a variety of processes as its implementation continues.

We have confirmed the immediate and future SITS features and functionality required with diverse stakeholder groups. The KentVision Delivery team has continued delivering the agreed enhancements, features, and functionality to meet the short-term academic calendar timelines.

Functional Area Working Groups

To ensure colleagues views and recommendations are fully considered, the KentVision Board established six Functional Area Working Groups to enable and track feedback from a variety of teams across the University. This has enabled the team to best prioritise future improvements to the system.

Functional Group members represent a mixture of colleagues from Divisions, professional services and central teams and are split across the following operational areas:

• Statutory and Core student record
• Admissions, Clearing and Recruitment
• Assessment
• Finance
• PGR
• Student Activity and Experience

The work of the Functional Groups, with the support of an independent SITS consultant, has enabled us to fully assess and prioritise the requirements of future improvements to help move forward key areas of work, reprioritising our plan where required in response to our changing circumstances. We will be updating colleagues on this delivery schedule for 2022 during June.

Our technology teams have been very busy in the background working to enhance various pieces of functionality, via a series of technology improvements, throughout the last year and we would like to share an update on our most recent deployment:

Assessments – Board of Examiners Meetings

The KV delivery team have worked hard with colleagues to gather as much feedback as possible to improve the Board of Examiners Meetings functionality – we have taken this feedback and held extensive discussions with staff through a series of workshops facilitated by our business analysts and developers.

The improvements that were recently deployed to live functionality have been widely praised by staff – with positive feedback received from our Show and Tell sessions. The improvements will help enhance processes – and deliver a better experience for our staff and our students. This year, we will gather live feedback during Boards so we can make fixes and enhance the functionality to prepare for future improvements in this area.

• Significant development across all aspects of the board process following detailed user feedback. Functionality deployed to the live environment with a read-only version of board to be released.
• Reconfigured board screens to ensure faster processing times for Divisions – enabling a smoother user experience.
• A detailed results letter review was conducted with divisions and central teams; new templates created for agreed progression outcomes.
• Significant changes to post-board processing functionality for central teams enabling a defined process and wider use by team members.
• New end-to-end process in KentVision from mitigation committee through to internal, main, and post-board changes. All note recordings (module actions and outcome recommendations) are now recorded within the system.

These improvements are the culmination of months of hard work behind the scenes, and we commend everyone involved for their work -especially the users of the system dedicating time to ensure improvements are realised.

Next Steps?

• Technology and process improvements are to continue with deployments scheduled through June and July.
• A staged approach and timeline for delivery during 2022, of the far-ranging and numerous improvements, will be shared in June.
• Detailed business readiness activities, including transition plans and training and communication.
• Continuous updates on how our improvements, plans and communications are informed by feedback from our students and staff.

Article from Josh Turner, Community Life Officer:

This year we are working to communicate with our students early to ensure when they leave their privately rented homes, they have as little negative impact on the local community as possible.

We are working with local charitable partners including British Heart Foundation, to encourage our students to donate and avoid unnecessary waste.

Furthermore, Kent Union provide fantastic services including Freecycle and Student Food Bank, supporting the current and future students studying at Kent.

Canterbury City Council is also running a two week Bin Amnesty, where additional black bags of general waste will be collected with the usual collections. To communicate this we will be holding two Neighbourhood Days where we door-knock in areas which are highly populated by students to ensure students and residents are ready, as well as communicating through blogs and social media.

We appreciate that when moving out, extra rubbish can be generated but we want to work to reduce any impact on the local community.

Working in partnerships, we are helping making it easy to get rid of unwanted items through:

• Bin Amnesty: In central Canterbury, thanks to the Canterbury City Council and Canenco, there will be a bin amnesty from Monday the 20 June to Friday 1 July where all rubbish left out in key areas will be picked up as part of a weekly collection.
• We are teaming up with the British Heart Foundation to make it easy for students to donate unwanted possessions to this fantastic cause.
• Promoting the central donation services provided by Kent Union, including the Foodbank and Freecycle service.
• Promoting local removal and disposal services in Kent.
• Planning local litter picking volunteering opportunities for students on Monday 6 June and Monday 13 June.

If you have any concerns throughout this busy move-out period, you can get in touch with our Community Life Officer for support.

For more information email Josh on communityliaison@kent.ac.uk

Calling all academics!

Join our workshop, ‘Generating and Capturing Impact Through Strong Stakeholder Relationships’, held on our Canterbury campus on Wednesday 22 June,  from 12.00 – 14.00.

This face-to-face workshop and is aimed at helping you understand why sustainable relationships with stakeholders are important for evidence gathering. We will identify how to build such relationships and speak about engaging with end users in order to extend your networks and to maximise your research impact.

The workshop will help you to:

• Understand the importance of strong relationships with stakeholders and how to maintain them
• Understand how to widen your impact network through key stakeholders and engage with end users
• Understand how to set out expectations with stakeholders from the onset to maximise impact capture
• Access support and resources, including the Research Impact KURIE Moodle

Pre-booking is essential as this is an interactive workshop with breakout sessions and places are limited.

Programme:

• Introduction – Claire Perera, Research Excellence Team
• On the evolution of strong, sustainable stakeholder networks and their importance for evidencing impact – Professor Darren Griffin, School of Biosciences
• Interactive Breakout Session: Extending networks and thinking about engaging with end users – Dr Ann Kinzer, Research Excellence Team
• Using Logframes for Measuring Impact and Embedding Evidence Capture into Collaborative Processes – Sunder Mahendra, Research Excellence Team
• Maintaining Stakeholder Relations – Simon Barnes, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation

Visit the Research Policy and Support webpage to book your place.

From Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura | Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the Lambeth Steering Group

This summer the University will host the Lambeth Conference from 26 July to 8 August. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will convene senior figures from across the worldwide Anglican Communion to join for prayer, reflection, fellowship and dialogue.  

The Conference will have international prominence and is expected to attract widespread interest, with our Canterbury campus providing the platform for the Lambeth Conference’s wide-ranging programme of discussion and spiritual reflection on many of the key questions facing society including climate change, sustainable development, international collaboration, poverty, gender justice, and much more.

As a community of learning, our University is a place of debate and discussion. Sometimes that debate is lively, sometimes contentious, and sometimes challenging. Wherever possible we use our position of influence, the insights of our researchers, and the work of our students and staff to bring about progress and positive change.

In this spirit, we warmly welcome the gathering of voices from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and outlooks to the Lambeth Conference and, as a University, we intend to learn from and, where appropriate, add our voice to the discussion of the vital questions under discussion.

Alongside this we are clear that the position of the worldwide Anglican Communion on the place of LGBT+ people within the Church and wider society does not fit with our deeply held values of equality, inclusion, tolerance, and mutual respect. We say that openly and unambiguously.

Hosting the Lambeth Conference on our campus provides an opportunity to promote our fundamental values on an international stage – using this platform to influence debate and ensure unrepresented voices are heard at the conference. However, the Lambeth Conference Steering Group, which I lead, understands the serious and sincere concerns of many in our staff and student body, and we share those concerns. We also hope that there is more to be gained through engagement and dialogue than through disengagement. It is in that spirit of supporting the many people, within and beyond the Church, who are working hard for change that the University agreed to host the Lambeth Conference in 2022.

Ahead of the conference, we are working closely with the organisers, and our LGBTQ+ staff and student networks, to ensure there is a platform for LGBTQ+ voices to be heard ahead of and alongside the event. Through a joint statement of expected behaviours, there is assurance that the conference will be conducted in a way that accords with our fundamental values, ensuring the safety and rights of our community are fully respected. Throughout the process, we will reaffirm our commitment to LGBTQ+ people across the world, promoting the legal and civic safeguards which are required to underpin equality and safety for all, however differently experienced they may be even in our own country.

We are developing, with our LGBTQ+ groups, measures to support and ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff and students as well as a programme of activities that in the coming weeks will celebrate and promote equality, diversity and inclusivity and support continued progress towards a world free from prejudice and discrimination. This includes the University’s continued sponsorship and support of Canterbury Pride next week as well as our new sponsorship of Medway Pride later in the summer.

Further information on this full programme of activities will be available in the coming weeks.

Congratulations to Professor Gordon Lynch for being appointed as the Director of the Graduate and Researcher College.

Gordon is Michael Ramsey Professor of Modern Theology at Kent and has substantial experience both in developing doctoral training and in research leadership, including serving as the sub-panel chair for Theology and Religious Studies for REF2021. His research has crossed a number of disciplines within the humanities and social sciences and he has undertaken a range of public engagement and impact work with think-tanks, educational organisations, museums and national abuse inquiries.

On his appointment, Gordon has commented, ‘This is an important time for the University as we seek to provide the best possible educational and research environment for our postgraduate students and academic staff in the context of wider national changes. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to take on this role and look forward to working with colleagues as we take this forward.’

When: Thursday 16– Saturday 18 June 2022
Where: At the British Academy Summer Showcase, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH
Tickets are free but registration is needed
Link and programme:https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/british-academy-summer-showcase-2022/programme-exhibits/

Dr David Garbin, Senior Lecturer in SSPSSR, will contribute to the prestigious Summer Research Showcase Festival organised by the British Academy in central London on 16-18 June. He is curating an exhibition on urban sustainability and the informal economies and ecologies of waste tyres in mega-city Lagos (Nigeria).

The tyre is a truly global commodity, a symbol of historic dependency on motor vehicles. But in a mega-city like Lagos, the problem of waste tyres is particularly acute: end-of-life tyres (ELTs) are discarded on the streets, in waterways, stockpiled or burned. Non-biodegradable, stockpiled ELTs can pose significant fire hazards and become a breeding ground for malarial mosquitos.

Used tyres are not only the by-products of deficient, pot-holed and overburdened road infrastructures, they are at the heart of a thriving – mostly informal – roadside economy of small garages, vulcanizers as well as an ‘upcycling’ sector (dominated by female workers), through which tyres are repurposed in many ways.

The project explores the complex relationships between waste, sustainability, creativity and wellbeing in the use and re-use of tyres across economic, infrastructural and social domains of the mega-city, using Lagos as a case study.

The exhibition draws upon data collected as part of the ‘Pneuma-city’ project (2019-2022) which Dr David Garbin leads as Principal Investigator, working in collaboration with award-winning visual artist Andrew Esiebo. The exhibition will showcase photography, video as well as innovative tyre-based installations and material culture of tyre repurposing. The project is supported by a £300k award from the Global Challenges Research Funds as part of the wider ‘Cities and Infrastructure of Well-Being’ Programme.

The project is a collaboration between the Universities of Kent, York, Toronto, and Lagos and is truly multidisciplinary as it combines Urban Anthropology, Sustainability Science, Material Engineering, Urban Planning and Sociology of Work.

A reminder to colleagues in grade 10 and above as well as academic colleagues in the Division of Arts & Humanities, that the University is currently offering a short-life Voluntary Severance Scheme. The scheme is open for applications until 5pm on Monday June 13 and full details have been sent to eligible staff.

As we continue on our path to financial sustainability we must continue to explore opportunities for potential savings when they are available. With some available funds available this financial year we have the opportunity now to do that and so can offer this scheme for colleagues who may be considering leaving the University.  If you any questions about the scheme, please contact the central Employee Relations Team at VSscheme@kent.ac.uk or, alternatively, via your own HR Manager.

For those for whom the severance scheme is not suitable, the University also has a number of existing options available to staff across the organisation who are looking to move on at a time that is right for both them and their division/directorate. These include efficiency retirement, flexible/phased retirement, ill health retirement as well as our existing voluntary redundancy package. If you would like an informal, confidential conversation about any of these schemes please contact your local HR Manager.

When: Monday 20th June 2022

Where: Darwin Conference Suite, Canterbury campus

Rethinking assessment and feedback designs for learning enhancement

As teachers, we are designers.  How we design assessments and opportunities for feedback enactment are critical aspects of teaching practice.  Assessment design offers a key point of leverage for enhancing education, because many students strategically focus on it. While students may skim assigned readings or skip lectures, they must complete assessments to progress.  Higher education assessment also structures many hours of students’ independent effort and influences classroom preparatory activities educators design. Thus, improving assessment can have a big impact on student learning.

Likewise, feedback can be one of the most powerful ways of enhancing students’ learning if students are prepared to seek out or use all available sources of feedback to improve their subsequent work.  Teachers can and do design opportunities into their curricula for students to receive, interpret, and act on feedback.  Those opportunities can act as a bridge between the assessments students are completing and the teaching environment. Students harnessing the power of diverse potential feedback sources that exist within the learning environment is one area that is developing within feedback research and practice. The challenge for teachers is how we help our students to attend to a wider range of sources of feedback information.

The programme for the conference is now available here.  Presentations are grouped into the categories of ‘Authentic Assessment’ and ‘Formative Feedback’.  The conference will be opened by Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, and other highlights include a keynote speech from Dr Edd Pitt and Professor Kathleen M. Quinlan of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE), workshop-style activity sessions, poster presentations, and the award of this year’s University Teaching Prizes and Diversity Mark Award.

To book a place at the conference, please sign up via Eventbrite by 13 June 2022.

From Professor Jeremy Carrette, Dean for Europe

The University of Kent has a long-term legacy in Europe with its European Centres in Brussels and Paris, its foundational piloting of the Erasmus scheme and its historical positioning as the ‘UK’s European university’, as well as its long-standing partnerships and dual-award programmes with key Universities across Europe.

As the new Kent in Europe strategy shows, our commitment to Europe remains vital to our regional and international relationships. The recent decision to locate the European Centres into the Divisional structures – the Brussels School of International Studies into HSS/LSSJ and Paris School of Arts and Cultures into A&H – shows the commitment to a sustainable delivery of postgraduate programmes for the future and also offers new opportunities for wider University engagements.

While the European legacy will always remain a valued part of the tradition of a University connected across the English Channel and situated in the European gateway county of Kent, the new global context of higher education and the importance of reaching a wider world requires a new integrated vision for the University of Kent. There is a need for a greater inclusive global perspective and a recognition that Europe is part of the wider strategy of global outreach. This inclusivity is part of welcoming students from diverse cultures and continents and embracing a wider understanding of global outreach and education.

As the European Centre become integrated in Divisions and the Dean for Europe role evolves in the coming years into supporting a new Global Outreach Project within the Global Engagement team and their development of a new Global Engagement Strategy, a new focus is emerging for the University identity. There will be new developments that link regional, European and global outlooks in one vision for the University of Kent.

In the next few weeks, we will see a new brand emerge that opens a new direction and those familiar European university powerpoint presentations and tag lines will evolve to show our new place for Kent in its new global context.

While Europe becomes part of the new global strategy and while the future will continue our commitment to the European Centres, the 3i Network (with Lille, Ghent and LU Leuven) and our key partnerships in Europe, these engagements will stand alongside a newly emerging Global Outreach Project. The new global outreach will support new income generation with projects in Asia, Africa and the Americas and our long-standing commitment in Europe will become part of our global university vision.

Together we are making a new future for Kent – embracing new opportunities to make a better world.

The bOing! Family Festival is back Sat 27 & Sun 28 August 2022 and we are looking for people who are interested in either paid or volunteer opportunities over the weekend. 

If you would like to get involved, take a look and the opportunities available and get in touch with hfp@kent.ac.uk to sign up!

Architects of Air Steward (Luminarium) – Fri 26, Sat 27 & Sun 28 August 2022

‘Arboria II’ is an immersive and interactive sculpture, dedicated to the theme of ‘trees’ and designed to evoke wonder at the beauty of light and colour.

Inside the inflated structure, you will encounter three tree-like structures where cones and spheres combine to create a brightly luminous tree trunk and branches that reach over their head. A transformative and sensory experience for any age.

A luminarium provides a very accessible way of bringing a visual arts experience to a broad public. Visitors are encouraged to take it slowly when they explore the luminarium. People will walk round following their maps through the maze observing the effect of different coloured light on the appearance of their skin and clothing. They can sit down in the ‘pods’ and lie back to immerse themselves in the ambience of the colour and music. Visitors often have questions and like to discuss their experience with the stewards.

The stewards staffing a luminarium have a varied role to play. There is the purely practical aspect of running the structure – opening doors, taking tickets, helping with the cleaning etc. More importantly there is the relationship with the public – this is where you can make the biggest contribution in helping visitors to have the optimum experience of the luminarium.

You will need to be available for all of the following times: 4pm – 7pm Friday 25^th, 9am – 5pm Saturday 26^th & Sunday 27^th August 2022. (Friday is a training session for the weekend)

Rate of Pay: NMW + holiday uplift

For more information email: hfp@kent.ac.uk

Architects of Air Crew – Friday 26 and bank holiday Monday 29 August 2022

The creative vision underlying the Architects of Air luminaria comes from a desire to create monumental works whose purpose is to generate a sense of wonder through the particular phenomenon of luminous colour. The inspirations are the pure forms of geometry and nature and spiritual architecture from around the world.

We need help to set up this amazing structure! We’re looking for people who fit the following critera:

• Heavy lifting, manual handling, outdoor work
• Punctual, committed and multi-skilled
• Good common sense, practical, a sense of humour and willing to work hard is essential

You will need to be available for all of the following times: 8am – 2pm Friday 25 & Monday 28 August 2022.

Rate of Pay: NMW + holiday uplift

For more information email: hfp@kent.ac.uk

Boing Volunteer – 27 & 28 August 2022

You will be:

• Attending volunteer briefing and training sessions
• Handing out maps, balloons, brochures or publicity material
• Welcoming any audience who approach you at performances/screenings/workshops and directing them to their reserved seats
• Liaising with venue management and staff
• Handing out publicity material
• Participating/assisting with workshops
• Assisting with dissemination and collation of customer evaluation forms

Any help is appreciated throughout the weekend between 09:00-17:00, whether that’s for the whole weekend, one day or even part of a day. Lunch will be provided on both days.

For more information email: hfp@kent.ac.uk