This year the University Carol Service takes place on Monday 12 December in Canterbury Cathedral at 7.30pm (please note that the start time is 30 mins earlier than in recent years).

The event will feature the University Chamber Choir and Kent Gospel Choir. There will be plenty of well known Christmas carols for everyone to sing and you will hear traditional readings which will be read by staff and students representing various roles and groups from across the University.

Admission is by free ticket only, and staff may request up to 4 tickets.

Please email Revd Dr Stephen Laird s.c.e.laird@kent.ac.uk with your ticket requests as soon as possible and by 4 December at the latest.

Please note that you will be given the option of accessing e-tickets; or of receiving printed tickets via internal mail. This year’s appeal is for Porchlight, Canterbury’s homelessness charity.

Pictured: James Corbin, Head of The Careers and Employability Service (University of Kent) with Monica Fowler and Sophie Heard from Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

One of the UK’s largest graduate recruiters, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, has donated £2500 to Kent’s Sustainability program.

The global car hire company has been a long-standing supporter of the University, collaborating with Kent Business School and the Careers and Employability Service on various initiatives. One initiative is the Employability Points Scheme, where rewards are offered to students to enhance their career goals.

As an equal opportunities employer that remains focused on their impact on diversity, sustainability and communities, our values are aligned and so our continued collaboration is cherished by both parties. We are beyond pleased this has led to a significant donation from the Enterprise Foundation to our Sustainability Program. Founded in 1982, the foundation aims to give back to the community’s customers and employees of Enterprise live within; this donation will make a difference to our students, staff and local community by driving us our sustainability projects forward.

‘We are excited to strengthen and broaden our relationship with Enterprise, particularly with this new development of sustainability. They provide excellent graduate and placement roles, which a significant number of Kent students and graduates enter every year. This year they are looking to recruit 2,000 graduates as they expand their operations, so it is an exciting time to be working even more collaboratively.’ Remarked James Corbin, Head of The Careers and Employability Service.

Catherine Morris, our Sustainability Manager at The University of Kent, was thrilled about the foundation’s donation:

‘The Sustainability Team are excited to be able to use this donation towards delivery of a number of projects across our campuses. The money will support our work to enhance the green spaces on both our Canterbury and Medway campuses. Increasingly our outdoor spaces are being utilised to engage students, staff and the local community in collective actions to address the climate and ecological crisis and to support health & wellbeing. This funding will allow us to provide more opportunities for students to get involved and to gain knowledge and practical experience of sustainability to improve employability.’

The university is looking forward to continuing our work with organisations such as Enterprise to achieve our goal of having a positive impact on local, regional and international sustainability through collaboration.

With a heavy heart, we note the passing of a great friend and colleague Professor Louis Passfield, honorary professor from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Louis came to the University of Kent in 2007 as a Professor and Head of Department (of the Centre for Sports Studies over on the Medway campus), before overseeing it’s development into the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences (SSES) in 2012.

Current Head of School Professor Glen Davison says:

“Louis was instrumental in shaping the SSES we know now. Indeed, many current SSES staff were appointed by Louis, and others remember him as somebody who helped, or even mentored, them and the School during a key period of development. He left Kent in 2017, and had been working at the University of Calgary as an adjunct Professor, although maintained links with Kent as an honorary Professor in SSES. There are many fond memories of Louis, and he will be missed dearly”

One of his previous students, Dr Ciaran O’Grady, posted on Twitter saying:

“Shocking news of the passing of a great human being who will be missed by so many. I owe so much to Louis, from pushing me in my PhD as my supervisor, to inspiring me to pursue sports science as a career in my first weeks as an undergraduate at Kent. You will not be forgotten”

This is just one example of the many dozens of messages that have been posted over the last few days, showing just how much Louis meant to so many.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Over 90 academic colleagues are celebrating their promotion to professor, reader, senior lecturer or senior research fellow in the 2021-22 academic year!

Our new professors are:

Division of Arts and Humanities

Prof Helen Brooks, Prof Lubomira Radoilska, Prof John Wills

Professor Helen Brooks

Division of Human and Social Sciences

Prof Albena Azmanova, Prof Aleksandra Cichocka, Prof Tim Hopthrow, Prof Zaki Wahhaj

Professor Albena Azmanova

Kent Business School

Prof Kathy Kotiadis, Prof Catherine Robinson

Professor Kathy Kotiadis

Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice

Prof Caroline Chatwin, Prof Ian Reeves, Prof Ann-Marie Towers, Prof John Wightman

Professor Ann-Marie Towers,

Division of Natural Sciences

Prof Alessia Buscaino, Prof Ben Goult, Prof Jennifer Hiscock, Prof Gurprit Lall, Prof Nigel Temperton, Prof Tobias von der Haar

Professor Gurprit Lall

Martin Atkinson, Director of HR and Organisational Development, said: ‘We are pleased and proud to recognise the excellent work of members of our academic community who have been promoted this year. The career development, personal growth and excellence of our academic staff are vital to the continuing success of the University. Congratulations to all those promoted and, on behalf of them and us all, thank you to everyone who has contributed to their success through collaboration and support.’

This week (13-19 November) is Transgender Awareness Week, which aims to:

• raise awareness of the experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming people
• share stories of transgender people in our society
• advance advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community.

The big impact of small actions

At Kent we hope to further our inclusive community, eradicate prejudice, and support one another. Lynne Regan, a senior member of the Student Support and Wellbeing team on the Medway campus and who has completed her Doctorate on the experience of trans students at the University, explains how small actions can have a big impact:

‘Rainbow lanyards are available for staff and students from most college and library receptions at Canterbury and Medway. Wearing the lanyards shows students that they can ‘bring their whole selves’ to you without fear of judgement or an unsupportive reaction. Another thing you can do is to use inclusive language, put pronouns in your email signature and respect pronouns. If someone has told you the pronouns that they use, then respect this.’

Support for staff at Kent

• There is a support group in Canterbury that meets twice a month. It is open to trans, intersex and non-binary people at Kent. The group is run by trans/non-binary people for trans/non-binary people. Family and partners are welcome.
• There are gender-neutral toilet facilities across our Canterbury and Medway campuses.
• Check out our directory of LGBTQ+ self-help resources including details of free, confidential, specialist helplines and support group networks, such as Metro, The Be You Project, and Gendered Intelligence.
• Our LGBTQ+ Staff Network encourages people from all backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities to get involved and welcomes any ideas, feedback and advice you have.

Help us create a university community that belongs to all staff and students, and where everyone feels they belong by sharing this information on transgender awareness. #InclusiveKent

What is Disability History Month?

Disability History Month is a yearly nationwide celebration from 18 November to 18 December, which was started to shine a spotlight on historical and current achievements and issues to do with disability. UKDHM is the national organisation which strives to celebrate the lives of disabled people; challenge disablism or stigma around disability; and achieve equality.

UKDHM ascribes to the social model of disability, an idea first proposed by Kent alumnus and professor Mike Oliver, in the 1980s. This is the now widely accepted idea that much of the difficulty of being disabled is due to societal failure to adapt for disabled people. At Kent we actively work to seek to acknowledge and remove those barriers to create a more inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.

DHM at Kent

The University of Kent and Kent Union are proud to collaborate to amplify the voices of disabled people within our community to educate everyone on the issues people with visible and invisible disabilities continue to face, so we can further de-stigmatise and work together for a more inclusive and equal society.

The full programme is available on the Disability History Month webpage and all events are open to students and staff, and free to attend.

Some key highlights include: a discussion with a debut novelist, Kent Alumnus and disability activist Chloe Timms; a creative workshop where you can try Finger Casting and foil embossing, the inspirational speaker and paralympic skier Millie Knight, Disability Workshop at Medway which discusses and explains the campus provisions, and a fun interactive workshop to look at Accessibility and Ideas for Inclusion to improve your work and study.

Our Stories: Tuesday 6 December

• 17.00- 18.00: Exhibition viewing in Marlowe Building Foyer, refreshments available
• 18.00 18.30: Film shorts screening in Marlowe Lecture Theatre 1

As part of Disability History Month 2022, we’ve been in the Templeman Library archives researching the history and progress of disability provision and communication from the first cohort of students and staff at the University of Kent in 1965, to the present day. Check out the timeline online, or head over to the Marlowe foyer from 24 November to see it hanging as a physical display.

We’ve also created a collection of short films featuring students, staff and alumni on their experiences of disability, all captioned and signed in British Sign Language, which will be screened at 6pm on Tuesday 6 December in Marlowe Lecture Theatre 1. Book your free place on Eventbrite to join current and former students and staff for free refreshments to view the exhibition from 5pm, and stay for the film screening.

#InclusiveKent

We hope you enjoy the programme and that you use it as a starting point for deeper thought and conversations with your friends and colleagues. Follow #DHMKent22 and #InclusiveKent on social media for the latest updates and check out further articles on Disability and Inclusion.

This November we will be hosting our graduates from 2022. We have two days of ceremonies with Rochester on the 23 November and Canterbury on the 25 November. Be part of this amazing experience and sign up to get involved.

Celebrating July 2022 Graduates

Watch some of the highlights from the July 2022 Graduation Ceremonies at Canterbury Cathedral.

What roles can you help with?

• Ushering: As an usher, you will be responsible for making sure the guests are seated promptly and safely in the Cathedral prior to, during and post ceremony

Why should you get involved?

• Spend time working in the wonderful locations of Canterbury or Rochester Cathedral.
• Experience the joy of graduation ceremonies
• Get Free refreshments including one or more meals if you work for two or more consecutive ceremonies.
• You can claim TOIL (time off in lieu) or overtime pay for hours worked outside of your normal working pattern if you’re on Grades 1-6.

Here is what a previous staff member has said about being involved in graduation ceremonies:

‘it was such a pleasure to volunteer, and it was so lovely to see all the proud students and supporters! I’m looking forward to more graduation joy at the next graduation ceremonies’.

Be present in a student’s most memorable day sign up to get involved