The National Student Survey launches on 8 February and it gives our students the chance to tell us (and everyone else!) what it is like being a student at Kent.

Although the last year has been challenging, we are encouraging our students to share their thoughts about their experiences.

All students eligible to take the survey, will receive an email invitation from Ipsos MORI week commencing 8th February.

In past years, Kent has scored highly in the NSS for student satisfaction, and the survey results help to improve our university for future students.

We have created all the resources you need to communicate the survey to your students. You can access all the marketing material and resources on Sharepoint.

You can help promote the NSS to your finalist students by:

• Using the artwork. There is also a PowerPoint presentation template for you to use.
• Promote any divisional incentives e.g. prize draws, in order to help boost response rates within your area.
• Highlight to students and colleagues the importance of the NSS.

Please note that the NSS should not be communicated to students before 8 February

To mark LGBT History Month this February, our LGBT+ Staff Network is running a number of events, including:

Queer Quiz Night – Sunday 31 January from 18.00

To kick off LGBT History month, we will be hosting another quiz night! It’s a little short notice… but we’re banking on you not having too many plans which may clash!

So join us this Sunday, along with partners, friends, housemates, bubbles and anyone else you’d care to invite! As always, dressing up for the occasion is encouraged, and make sure you have something to drink and nibble to hand!

Click here to join the Queer Quiz Night at 18.00 on Sunday, or email us at lgbtstaffnetwork@kent.ac.uk if you’d like to be added to the calendar invite.

LGBT in Lockdown – Wednesday 17 February from 18.00

‘LGBT in Lockdown’ is an event for LGBTQ+ people to share their experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic. We will be joined by former network co-chair Dr Christin Hoene sharing her story of moving abroad mid-lockdown for a new job… and we also want to hear from you!

If you have a story to share, please email at lgbtstaffnetwork@kent.ac.uk to be included in the event. We would love to hear about a diverse range of experiences, so please don’t be shy! Now more than ever it’s important for us all to hear and understand the range of lived experiences within our community, and so we hope to see as many of you there as possible.

Click here to join the LGBT in Lockdown Event or email us at lgbtstaffnetwork@kent.ac.uk if you’d like to be added to the calendar invite.

This Is Not My First Pandemic – Thursday 25 February from 18.00

Russel T Davies’ latest drama It’s A Sin has brought to life the horrors, heartbreak and homophobia of what for many of us remains a vivid memory and lived experience in the HIV/AIDS pandemic of the 1980s and 90s. ‘This Is Not My First Pandemic’ seeks to highlight the impact of both the HIV/AIDS and Coronavirus pandemics, and to draw parallels between how these two periods have affected our community. Some speakers have yet to be confirmed, but we will be hearing from experts in their fields including Jose C Mejia from METRO Charity who will be addressing the legacy and continued impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

To join this event, sign up via Eventbright  before 25 February.

We look forward to seeing you!

LGBT+ Staff Network

The University of Kent has achieved an ASPIRE gold rating for their accessibility statement and has therefore become the first UK university to achieve 100% compliance.

Led by the OPERA ((Opportunity, Productivity, Engagement, Reducing barriers, Achievement) project team in Student Support and Wellbeing, this is a great success for everyone involved. Particular credit must go to the web development and Requirements teams in Information Services and the Kent Digital Accessibility Working Group.

TextBOX Digital, the organisation behind the awards scheme has said:

‘The University of Kent have scored 98% in the ASPIREreview (FACTS) and 100% for the ASPIREreview (Compliance). There has clearly been a lot of time, thought and effort invested in the development and writing of your accessibility statement. The statement is clear and well -organised and avoids technical jargon. The accessibility tools section is a work of art and the accessibility roadmap is clear and informative. A 100% Compliance rating is a fantastic achievement on its own. To have a 98% FACTS ASPIREscore as well is inspiring. Very many congratulations on achieving gold ASPIREscores. Thoroughly deserved’.

Huw Alexander from TextBOX Digital explains what the organisation looks for and the  importance of accessibility in the Higher Education Sector:

‘ASPIREeducation has been designed to ensure that further and higher education institutions can measure the compliance of their accessibility statements with the new Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations. However, ASPIREeducation goes further and introduces the FACTS model to measure the quality of the accessibility statement in terms of the transparency, supportiveness and usefulness of the information provided to users.

‘The University of Kent have long been a pioneer in the provision of accessible content to their students, and in supporting faculty in the creation of content. The Kent accessibility statement is a wonderful reflection of the work and dedication of everyone at the University in creating an inclusive learning environment. Kent are the first university to undertake the ASPIREeducation review process and the first university to secure a 100% compliance score. Kent continues to be a pioneer and an inspiration across the education community, and their ASPIREeducation gold award is a testament to the expertise and thoughtfulness of everyone involved in their accessibility project’.

You can read TextBOX’s announcement on Kent’s achievement via their LinkedIn and Twitter pages.

For more information about accessibility at Kent please contact opera@kent.ac.uk 

Eastern Arc, the regional research consortium comprising UEA, Essex and Kent, has developed considerably over the last year.

Developments have included the:

• launch of cross-institutional mentoring scheme
• appointment of champions in key thematic areas
• development of webinars and podcasts, and
• creation of groups looking at sharing archives, equipment and other resources.

To keep you updated, we’ve launched a termly newsletter and the first was published last week. You can find out what’s going on, but also how you can get involved and what the benefits are for you. The newsletter is online here, or you can download a pdf here.

Beyond declaring a climate emergency: An honest update from the School of Anthropology and Conservation.

Join Sustainability Coordinator Emily Mason and School of Anthropology and Conservation Sustainability lead Dr Charlie Gardner for an update on the University’s sustainability culture change project FutureProof. Find out how the School of Anthropology and Conservation have progressed beyond their declaration of climate emergency into action.

This will be an honest and open discussion on the successes of the project along with the challenges and barriers that we are still seeking solutions to. This session is open to all, especially those who may wish to enact similar activities within their schools and departments, along with those who may also be able to provide ideas on ways to move forward.

This will be an interesting and galvanising virtual event for anyone who is wanting to enact positive sustainability change across the University.

Takes place Tuesday 2 February, 11.00-12.00 on Microsoft Teams. For more information, and joining instructions please contact sustainability@kent.ac.uk.

Our official Employee Assistance Programme provider, Care first offers a numbers of services and provide useful advice and support, including weekly webinars.

This week’s (Monday 25 January – Friday 29 January) webinars are as follows:

Monday 25 January 2021 – ‘How Care first can support you’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link.

Tuesday 26 January 2021 – ‘Tips to beat the Winter blues’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Wednesday 27 January 2021 – ‘Tips for Parents on Managing Screen Time, Technology and Social Media use for Children’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Thursday 28 January 2021 – ‘Keeping motivated whilst Working
from Home’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Friday 29 January 2021 – ‘Burnout & Tiredness during the COVID-19 Pandemic’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

The E-Learning Team are pleased to announce that the next event in our series of ‘Digitally Enhanced Education webinars’ will take place on Friday 5 February, 10.00 – 12.10 with a theme of ‘Technology to Develop Inclusive Learning Experiences’.

Please find the agenda for the event below.

10.00 – 10.05 – Dr Phil Anthony: Introduction

10.05 – 10.20 – Ben Watson: Digital accessibility as the fundamental building block for good user experience

10.20 – 10.35 – Paul-Georg (Postgraduate research student in Kent Law School): What technology for inclusion means to me

10.35 – 10.50 – Dr Stefano Biagini: Strategies to improve Accessibility and Inclusivity in Higher Education

10.50 – 11.05 – Matthew Deeprose (University of Southampton): Making it simple to ensure the use of colour is both on brand and accessible.

11.05 – 11.20 – George Rhodes (Accessibility Consultant): Mapping public sector accessibility legislation compliance

11.20 – 11.35 – Daniel Clark (University of Kent): Catalyst or Distraction: The Global Pandemic and its Impact on Digital Accessibility in Higher Education

11.35 – 11.50 – Claire Gardener (University of Derby): Digital Accessibility at Derby

11.50 – 12.05 – Ian Woolner (Microsoft): Accessibility tools in Microsoft 365

If you would like to join the webinar series, please express your interest by enrolling on the Digitally Enhanced Education Webinars Moodle module, or by requesting access to the Team Digitally Enhanced Education webinars linked to the webinar series.

Colleagues from outside the University of Kent are very welcome to join and so feel free to circulate. Please register your interest via the link here if you haven’t already. We will send you an invitation to join the Microsoft Teams site.

We hope to see you there.

The E-Learning team

Kent Hospitality has donated hundreds of packaged food items to Canterbury-based homeless charity, Catching Lives, amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

After another national lockdown was announced and restrictions were tightened, Kent Hospitality made the difficult decision to close all but one of its 13 catering outlets. Instead of letting surplus stock go to waste, they decided to donate it to Catching Lives to ensure the supplies went to those in need.

The team donated items including tea bags, soft drinks and confectionery – all of which were gratefully accepted by staff at the day centre near Canterbury East station.

Catching Lives is an independent charity aimed at supporting the rough sleepers, homeless and vulnerably housed in Canterbury and East Kent. They provide basic services like food, showers, laundry, clothing, and a range of support services to help people tackle their issues and access accommodation.