Congratulations to James Devine, a graduate from our Professional Practice MSc, on becoming the Chief Executive of Medway NHS Foundation Trust, known as Medway Hospital.

James graduated in 2013 with the Master’s in Professional Practice and is very fond of his study time in Medway: ‘My employment prospects have improved vastly. Not just having a degree on my record, but the new skill set, confidence and proved competence are all benefits to studying this programme. This degree allows for greater insight, personal reflection and the time to challenge yourself to complete a unique degree programme. It lends itself to each student focusing on their own practice and actually improving it by taking the time to reflect on excising practice based on reality, as well as theory and literature.’

The Master’s in Professional Practice is one of a number of part-time, flexible, work-related programmes for working professionals offered by the Centre for Professional Practice. Its programmes and short courses including the Professional Practice MSc and Introduction to Masters-Level Study, have been specifically designed to meet the needs of those who wish to develop their academic ability while maintaining their professional role. Students may be eligible for loans for both undergraduate and postgraduate study (subject to eligibility criteria).

For more information about the Centre and its programmes, see the CPP webpages,  email cppmedway@kent.ac.uk  or telephone 01634 888929.

There’s another great reason for signing-up on our new Staff Wellbeing Zone this month!

Occupational Health are running a prize draw running throughout November. The main prize is two coaching sessions with an external coach to explore any element of wellbeing you wish: weight loss, smoking cessation, mindfulness.  There are also three runner-up prizes of massages at Kent Sport.

The draw will be carried out by the Wellbeing Zone hosting company, Revitalised, so all employee details will continue to remain totally confidential.  Once you have been notified by them of your success, you need to contact Brenda Brunsdon, Occupational Health & Wellbeing Team Manager, and she will give you the details of how to claim your prize.

Just to remind you, this is what the Wellbeing Zone can offer to help you to improve and manage your wellbeing:

• A 12 sector wellbeing assessment and advice on how to improve in all these 12 areas. You can make changes and goals and re-assess to follow your progress.
• The Zone includes exercise programmes, weight loss advice, recipes and a calorie counter. There are also articles, videos and TED talks on all aspects of wellbeing including mental health, mindfulness and stress reduction.

Launched on 1 November, the Zone has been set up and will be maintained by external specialists, Revitalised, whose other clients include Royal Mail, the MoD and Virgincare. All the information you enter into the Wellbeing Zone is totally confidential and not accessible to any University department or individual.  

Take a look at the new Wellbeing Zone website now and register using the code KENT 1, or log-in (top right-hand button) using your Kent sign-in details.

The PRIDE (‘Personal Responsibility In Delivering Excellence’) Award recognises members of Kent Hospitality staff who go out of their way to deliver excellent customer service.

Any Kent Hospitality staff member (permanent or casual) may be nominated from Canterbury and Medway campuses. The award is given out four times a year with each winner receiving £100 of shopping vouchers, a certificate and badge.

Nominations can be made by any member of University staff, students or visitors. Make your nomination online or alternatively you can pick up a paper form next to the red nomination boxes located in all Kent Hospitality’s catering outlets in Canterbury and Medway, as well College reception areas.

Please make your nominations detailed, providing as much information as possible why the nominee is being put forward for a Pride Award. The panel are looking for staff who achieve more than just what is expected in their role (i.e. hardworking, professional, positive and friendly attitude).

Congratulations to September’s Pride Award winner – Becky Wyatt, Keynes College Receptionist.

For further information or for guidance on submitting nominations please contact: pride@kent.ac.uk

The University are making some changes to the Campus Shuttle service. We need your feedback to help us make these decisions.

If you are a user of the free shuttle service between Canterbury and Medway campuses, please select the link below to complete our survey. The results of the survey will be presented to the University’s senior managers so make sure you have your say.

Complete the Campus Shuttle survey

The survey should take around 5 minutes to complete. The deadline for the survey is 9 December 2018 (23.59).

Professor Richard Drayton, Rhodes Professor of Imperial History at King’s College London, will deliver the 2018/19 Centre for Critical International Law (CeCIL) Annual Lecture on Thursday.

His talk on ‘The right to property vs the property of rights: The British Empire and Private International Law’ begins at 18.00 in Grimond Lecture Theatre 1 (GLT1) and will be preceded by a reception in Aphra Foyer from 17.00.

Originally from Guyana and Barbados, Professor Drayton’s research explores how persistent forms of global inequality were constituted through the European imperial expansion. In 2001 he was awarded the Forkosch Prizeby the American Historical Association and in 2002, he was awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize for History. His 2016 book Whose Constitution? Law, Justice and History in the Caribbean has been cited by the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago in the 2018 judgement that struck down the criminalisation of same sex sexuality in the country.

Each year, the CeCIL Annual Lecture brings leading figures in the field of international law to Kent to share their cutting edge contributions to international legal thinking. Previous speakers have included Professor Anne Orford (Melbourne Law School), Professor Peer Zumbansen (King’s College London), Professor Gerry Simpson (London School of Economics) and Professor Vasuki Nesiah (New York University).

In anticipation of this year’s event, CeCIL is posting a special series of Professor Drayton’s quotes on its Facebook page.

CeCIL is an innovative research centre which aims to foster critical approaches to the field of international law, and other areas of law that touch upon global legal problems. In addition to an annual lecture, CeCIL offers a busy programme of activities for Kent Law School students, including a speaker and films series and workshops for students keen to develop their employability and international law skills.

Christmas is almost upon us, and if you’re looking to celebrate the occasion with a festive meal on campus, here are a few suggestions:

Rutherford Dining Hall:
Christmas Lunch (3 – 14 December) – 2 courses for £7.50 (ex VAT). Choose from traditional roast turkey or festive nut roast* followed by Christmas pudding or chocolate orange torte*. To book a table, please call the dining hall on 01227 823500.

For more information, please visit Rutherford Dining Hall’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/rutherfordbagit

Dolche Vita:
Christmas Lunch Special (3 – 14 December) – £8.50 (ex VAT). Includes a complimentary Christmas cracker and mince pie. Choose from roast chicken or festive nut roast* with all the trimmings. No booking required.

For more information, please visit Dolche Vita’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/dolchevitakent

Cargo (Medway):
Christmas Menu (26 November – 16 December) – 2 courses for £14.95 or 3 courses for £17.95. Booking required. Choose from a range of starters, mains and desserts. Menu features Christmas favourites such as: homemade leek and potato soup, traditional roast turkey and Christmas pudding. To book a table, please call the bar on 01634 582615, email cargobar@kent.ac.uk or message through Facebook.

For more information and to view the full menu, please visit Cargo’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CargoBarMedway

And that’s not all! There are plenty more festive offers and promotions across campus to celebrate the season. Keep an eye out for festive hot drinks, cakes, street food and specials. Visit your nearest café, bar or restaurant to discover what’s on offer.

*Suitable for vegans

Colleagues are invited to attend the Learning & Teaching Network session taking place on Wednesday 5 December, from 13.15-14.30 in Cornwallis North West Seminar Room 6, Canterbury.

In this session Kent Business School’s Student Success Team and Director of Education will go through their new academic adviser system and the rational for its implementation. The new system includes the use of an appointment management system and offers students the opportunity to meet with their adviser as part of a group meeting or one-to-one. The team will also discuss the different variations introduced at Medway and Canterbury.

To confirm your attendance please complete the online booking form.