KentVision is a major project underway at the University to bring together a number of different administrative processes and simplify how we support the student journey. 

With the key features of the new software system now built and testing in full swing, the focus will turn to ongoing training for staff ahead of the new system launching across the University in January 2021. This will also form part of our wider focus on improving how we work together as new structures and teams take shape. 

KentVision aims 

KentVision is designed to introduce simpler and more consistent ways to input, manage and process student data across the University. As well as replacing the expiring Student Data System (SDS), key outputs include a seamless admin journey for students and applicants; united academic administration across Divisions and Central Services; and integrated mobile-enabled services for students and staff.  

Training and support 

A full package of training and support is currently being developed to help staff who will be using the system when it launches in January. This will take place over late November and December, using a blended approach with both online ‘face to face’ training sessions and a series of bitesize videos to explain how the new system works. A full timeline for this, including the detailing plan for closing SDS and launching KentVision, will be shared by mid-November, with a dedicated trainer then working with staff throughout the initial rollout and into next year as staff adapt to the new system. 

Project sponsor update 

“Introducing a large-scale software system to bring together our student admin processes is an enormous undertaking, but I know from having used similar in other institutions that the effort and challenges involved will be worth it. I hope that as staff begin to explore KentVision more they will quickly get a sense of its benefits, both with more straightforward processes for staff and – crucially – a better user experience for applicants and students throughout their time at Kent.” 

Richard Reece, DVC Education & Student Experience 

Find out more about KentVision  

As Black History Month reaches its third week, I am pleased to be able to welcome Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, who will give this year’s Annual Race Equality Lecture via Teams Live on Thursday this week. Please do join us if you can. Sir Hilary has a global reputation for his work on social justice and minority empowerment and his lecture, British Universities as Architects of Slavery and Violent Colonialism: Undoing the Harm, will be challenging and thought-provoking. My thanks go to members of the BAME Staff Network for organising this event.

We continue to work on improving the representation of progression and success of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff and students at our University and, earlier this year, signed up as a member of the Race Equality Charter. We know we have more to do and are currently finalising a programme of work which will underpin the changes that we need to make. We will update you on this shortly. My thanks to Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura for progressing this work.

You will no doubt be aware that, over recent weeks, cases of Covid-19 in a number of areas in the country have increased significantly and that, as a result, universities in these areas are having to introduce changes to their teaching arrangements.

Here at Kent, as our weekly summary of current confirmed cases show, on Monday we had 26 students who have reported as testing positive for Covid-19 and no members of staff. These figures represent an increase on previous weeks. However, these numbers remain comparatively low and the local health protection team have advised that we are taking all appropriate steps at this point.

However, we recognise there is no room for complacency and so we continue to prepare for any changes we may have to make to our own teaching arrangements if we are required to do so. These changes will be in line with the Government’s ‘four tiers of restriction’, which outlines specific changes that universities are expected to introduce if circumstances require it. We will continue to keep you informed.

My very best wishes go to you and your families,

Karen

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President

We are committed to supporting all individual students and households who are required to self-isolate, whether on or off campus.

Our guide to support for students who are self-isolating is now available online.

When we receive notification of a student needing to self-isolate, their academic school will be informed. Staff from across the school, including academic staff, advisors and administrative staff, will be on hand to support the self-isolation period. This will include contacting students to ensure they are on track with their studies, and providing any resources, materials or support they need to help with their remote learning.

Professional services departments from across the University are working together to provide a package of care for students who are self-isolating. This includes providing a food care pack to get through the first day for students in self-catering accommodation and food deliveries for those on our Bed and Flex or Bed and Bistro packages. Arrangements have been made to help students with laundry, bedding, cleaning materials and to ensure they can receive mail and parcels.

A range of support is being offered to students self-isolating, including welfare checks by the Colleges and Community Life Team, regular check in calls and emails, which can be to individual students and households. Students can access online specialist support such as, counselling services and mental health support, if required, through the Student Support and Wellbeing Team. We also have a 24/7 nursing team available on campus.

A programme of events, activities​s, challenges and competitions have been brought together to help students get through their self-isolation period. More information can be found on the Student Coronavirus webpages.

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 19 October – Friday 23 October) webinars are as follows:

Monday 19 October 2020 –  ‘How Care first can support you’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link.

Tuesday 20 October 2020 – ‘Speaking with people who are breaking the Rules’
Time: 12.30-13.00 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Wednesday 21 October 2020 –  ‘Tips to avoid and alleviate conference call anxiety’
Time: 13.00-13.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Thursday 22 October 2020 – ‘Alcohol Awareness’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Friday 16 October 2020 – ‘Breast Cancer Awareness’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Kent Sport is bringing back our popular running groups! Dust off those old trainers and get back to running. Whether you’re just starting out or a confident runner, we have adapted our sessions to suit everyone. All running groups are open to students and staff. Remember to book online and meet at the Sports Centre.

Beginners’ Running (Couch To 5K)

Our 10-week Couch to 5K program is perfect for those just starting out and will get you comfortably running each week, leading up to a 30 minute run (approx. 5km) in just 10 weeks. This relaxed and sociable session requires no experience, just a pair of trainers and a sense of humour. Our experienced staff will support you every step of the way and before you know it, you’ll be confident to hit the roads on your own.

Social Run Club

The clue is in the name – this ‘social’ group will meet twice a week at the Sports Centre and will be guided by an experienced member of staff. Whether you’ve done a bit of running in the past, or a regular runner, this group is perfect for you! Each week the route may change depending on the group’s preferences, but we’ll be there to provide that much needed motivation.

Due to the current situation, we have had to impose social distancing measures into all our sessions:

• You must book and pay for each session online in advance.
• We have restricted the session size to 11 participants and 1 coach
• On arrival, you will need to check in for the session at the Sports Centre reception. You may have to queue outside the Sports Centre before checking in
• Please wear a mask or face covering as you enter reception
• Once checked in, meet the coach outside the Sports Centre and maintain social distancing at all times during the session
• Please arrive ready for your session. Our locker and changing facilities are currently unavailable

If you’re interested in any of the running groups, check out our running groups blog item for session days and times.

In the latest episode of the Nostalgia podcast series, Dr Chris Deacy, Head of the Department of Religious Studies, interviews Leslie De Vries, who is Lecturer in East Asian Studies at the University.

In this interview, Leslie explains why he wanted to be a ‘normal kid’ growing up, and how he was a bit of a dreamer in school. He later became involved in playing music and we discover how he became interested in East Asia through martial arts.

Leslie also talks about his research and teaching interests, about he got to shake hands with Lionel Richie, why playing in a band wasn’t the right path for him, why one lifetime doesn’t seem enough, living in East Asia and how it drives his teaching, his dream for the future and why he prefers to look forward rather than back.

Dr Rosie Wyles, Lecturer in the Department of Classical and Archaeological Studies, has published a new book titled Costumes in Greek Tragedy (Bloomsbury, 2020).

The core of the book focuses on tragic costume in its original performance context of fifth-century Athens, but the implications of subsequent uses in Roman and more recent performances are also taken into consideration.

Rosie says: “I’ve been thinking about the significance of props for the past 10 years. I knew from my work on costume (Costume in Greek Tragedy, 2011) that swords enjoyed a dominant stage presence in tragedy. This project was about understanding the significance of this when interpreted within the wider civic context. Studying the treatment of swords, voting equipment and masks on stage revealed props’ important role in the shaping of Athenian identity. This research is defined by its innovative approach to exploring the notion of Athenian citizenship and theatre’s relationship with society.”

This area of Rosie’s work is also explored in a lecture she gave for the University’s “Think Kent” series:

Ben Hutchinson, Professor of European Literature in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, has recently published a new book titled The Midlife Mind (Reaktion Books, 2020).

The meaning of life is a common concern, but what is the meaning of midlife? With the help of illustrious writers such as Dante, Montaigne, Beauvoir, Goethe and Beckett, The Midlife Mind sets out to answer this question.

Ben says: “Part literary biography, part non-fiction autobiography, this book constitutes a ‘memoir of the middle’. Just as we are all supposed to be middle-class now, so we all seem to be middle-aged. But what does this term even mean? Meditating on what it means to be nel mezzo del cammin, this book represents a transparent attempt to work through my own midlife crisis. I’m not sure it’s worked, but it’s been fun trying.”

We are hosting the next Virtual Open Events on the following dates: 

Undergraduate Virtual Open Event on Saturday 14 November 2020, from 10.00 – 14.00 (UK Time)

Postgraduate Virtual Open Event on Wednesday 18 November 2020, from 12.00 – 15.00 (UK Time)

Our last undergraduate event in October saw 2,360 bookings with 46% attending, that’s 1,652 visitors on the day, as it’s a virtual event we’re able to keep the link live for longer and saw new attendees join the event each day. Virtual open days are a great opportunity to all potential students to engage with course presentations from our specialist academics and attend live Q&A sessions, as well as find out more about our facilities on campus.

Preparations for the event are underway and those who are taking part have been informed by the Recruitment team

It would be a great help if our Staff could promote the virtual event across their platforms, either on their school websites and on social channels, to attend the events, you will need to register for your place – using the link below.  As well as forwarding on to friends or family members who may be interested in our courses at Kent. Please see further information about the events:

Undergraduate event 

Postgraduate event

Here’s some positive feedback from the last undergraduate open day on 3 October: 

‘I found the open day very insightful into the culture of the University of Kent.’

‘It was extremely helpful as there was a mixture of students currently doing the course, and tutors, so we get a few different perspectives on the course that you want to apply for.’

‘An excellent day made the university very appealing. Everyone was really helpful and friendly.’

‘Dr Rosie Wyles was very inspiring and enthusiastic!! Could not have asked for more!’

The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations (2018) requires the University to make sure digital content is accessible to everyone by September 2020, ensuring that all our digital content is ‘perceivable, operable, understandable and robust’ in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA accessibility standard.

What this means is that all of us who produce or share University documents need to make sure they meet accessibility standards.

The standards apply to digital resources we share with students, colleagues, or members of the public by digital means (e.g., by website, Moodle, email, SharePoint, Teams etc). Accessible content is better content and will enable a wider and broader range of users to understand, or act on, your key messages.

Once you know how to do this, creating accessible content becomes second nature and we have lots of guidance to help you:

• Review the guidance in our accessible content guides to help you produce documents, presentations, video, and web pages that meet the regulation requirements.
• Continue to follow the Kent Inclusive Practices (KIPs) 
• All video-based content (including KentPlayer recordings) will need to have closed captions available to students from September 2020. To help meet this requirement all new KentPlayer recordings will have closed captions automatically applied. Further information on KentPlayer captions and how to edit them, is available on the University’s Captions in KentPlayer guide.
• The Digitally Enhanced Education – A Guide to Teaching Online course has been designed to help academic colleagues from around the institution transition their teaching online and includes a focus on digital accessibility throughout.

The Kent accessibility pages are the main source of digital accessibility information and will be constantly updated.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact : opera@kent.ac.uk

We all have a responsibility to ensure that the digital content we create is accessible to all so that the digital experience of students and staff is as good as it can be.

Professor Richard J Reece 
Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Education and Student Experience