Medway aerial view

Waterfront Leisure – tours and discounted membership (Medway)

Waterfront Leisure on Pier Road has recently re-opened its doors after an extended period of closure. Facilities include a swimming pool, gym, squash courts, a spinning room and members bar. 

Waterfront are keen to partner with the Universities at Medway and offer a discounted membership to staff and students. There is an Open Day on Thursday 3 November with slots available for tours starting at 10.00, 14.00 and 16.00. They will also discuss membership options and discounts with those who attend. 

If you are interested in taking a look, please sign up for one of the slots by following the Eventbrite link Waterfront Leisure Open Day Tickets, Gillingham | Eventbrite

The Banshees of Inisherin. In cinemas October 21

BFI London Film Festival comes to the Gulbenkian

This November the BFI London Film Festival comes to campus at the Gulbenkian, with a season of screenings of films making waves at the film festival. These include Oscar tipped The Banchees of Inisherin, My Policeman starring Harry Styles, and Bros, the LGBTQ+ rom-com getting rave reviews.

The Banshees of Inisherin

Fri 11, Sat 12 and Thu 17 Nov, 19.00

Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, ‘The Banshees Of Inisherin’ follows lifelong friends Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship.

Book for The Banshees of Inisherin

Decision to Leave

Sat 19, Wed 23 and Thu 24 Nov, 19.00

A man falls from a mountain peak to his death. The detective in charge of the investigation, Hae-joon (Park Hae-il), comes to meet the dead man’s wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei). When she becomes a suspect, Hae-joon finds himself slowly developing an interest in her.

Book for Decision to Leave

My Policeman

Sun 20 & Mon 21 Nov, 19.00

A beautifully crafted story of forbidden love and changing social conventions, My Policeman follows three young people – policeman Tom (Harry Styles), teacher Marion, and museum curator Patrick as they embark on an emotional journey in 1950s Britain.

Book for My Policeman

Triangle of Sadness

Sat 26, Sun 27 Nov & Thu 1 Dec, 19.00

Two-time Palme d’Or winner Ruben Ostlund cements his position as contemporary cinema’s leading satirist with this savagely funny tale of class clashes and role reversals.

Book for Triangle of Sadness

Bros

Fri 25 & Tue 29 Nov, 19.00

Universal Pictures proudly presents the first romantic comedy from a major studio about two gay men maybe, possibly, probably stumbling towards love. Maybe. They’re both very busy.

Book for Bros

Call Jane

Mon 28 & Wed 30 Nov, 19.00

A housewife is overjoyed with the news of her pregnancy – until she learns it poses a threat to her own life. She has nowhere to turn until she meets an underground group of women who risk everything to provide people like her with a choice.

Book for Call Jane

Student discounts at the Gulbenkian

Students get 2for1 cinema tickets for films every Tuesday – so £3 per student currently! You can buy online in advance or on the door – you just need to bring ID with you.  See what’s on and look for the 2FT symbol on films.

For only £5 per year, students can get 20% off film, 40% off selected theatre, and 10% off everything in the Gulbenkian Cafe/Bar. Find out more about student membership.

 

 

Anyone for Tennis? Get involved with our Staff Tennis Club

Join our Staff Tennis Club each Tuesday between 12pm to 1.30pm with our LTA level 5 coach and Tennis Development Manager Nick Skelton. Drop in during your lunch break for an informal game of tennis with Nick and other members of staff.

You can arrive late or leave early to fit in with your lunch break and Nick will organise all the players on the day into games with others of a similar level. So come along whether you’re new to tennis, haven’t played for a long time, would like to find new players to play with, or just want to get some exercise and let off some steam!

To book on any Kent Sport All Active session please visit kent.ac.uk/sports/all-active

All Active sessions are free for Kent Sport Premium Plus members. Premium, Plus, and Pay to Play members pay £2 per session.

 

Jim Ang announced as the new Deputy Director of iCCi

The University’s Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries have announced Jim Ang as its new Deputy Director.

Jim is currently Senior Lecturer in the University of Kent School of Computing, where his main research expertise lies in digital health, specifically in co-designing, deploying and evaluating immersive and sensing technologies in healthcare settings. His team has developed prototypes including virtual reality systems for people with dementia, anxiety and eating disorders, as well as skin-like flexible sensors for monitoring and therapies, some of which are in use in real-world settings.

Jim says: “I hope to help shape the future direction of ICCI, exploring the intersection between my current work, and cultural and creative industries to make an impact.”

iCCi Director Catherine Richardson says “We are delighted to welcome Jim to our team. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise as we develop a Digital Strategy for research, teaching and civic engagement, and will bring colleagues from across the university more closely into iCCi as the Institute continues its work with cutting-edge projects – including the Docking Station, a new cultural hub for immersive technologies in Medway”.

Find out more about the work of iCCi.

Pumpkins and squashes

Events roundup: 24-30 October

This week is the final week of Black History Month. Don’t forget to check out the Black Pioneers Exhibition in Keynes atrium and the Drill Hall Library before the end of the month! Plus other events to help your wellbeing and get you in the mood for Halloween.

Monday: Volunteering opportunities

Find out about the variety of ways you can volunteer – both virtually and in person – at this online session. Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and develop your employability skills. This session will go through the different types of opportunities which are available and how you can make the most of them.

Tuesday: Eat the Garden, Black Owned Business Market and Managing Stress and Anxiety

Make soup using garden produce, meet new people and Eat the Garden at the Kent Community Oasis Garden. The KentCOG Coordinator will take on a guided tour of the garden, harvesting autumn produce to make soup with. Spend some time outside, learn more about good food and how it makes us feel.

If you’re looking for ways to manage stress and anxiety, this practical workshop will give you research-based strategies and will focus on how mindfulness practice can give you tools to build your resilience in the face of study, work and life challenges.

Come along to the Black Owned Business Market in Venue on Tuesday afternoon. Support your fellow students who will be showcasing their businesses and selling products.

Wednesday: Medway Talks open lecture series begins

On Wednesday evening Medway Talks, the open lecture series run by University of Kent, Greenwich, and Canterbury Christ Church, kicks off with a talk by Professor Alex Stevens from University of Kent: ‘Drugs: what are the problems and how can we solve them?’ The talks are open to students, staff and the local community. They are free of charge but registration is required. There will also be refreshments available on arrival.

Thursday: Climate Café and spooky events

If you find yourself feeling anxiety around the Climate Crisis, consider going along to the Climate Café. It’s a safe space to share fears about the climate crisis without judgement or advice, and a place to connect with others.

On Thursday there are lots of events happening to help you get in a spooky mood, including Pumpkin Carving at the Venue, a Rutherford College Tim Burton Movie Night and Creepy Crawlies Encounter at The Hub, Medway.

Weekend: Halloween events

On Saturday join your Medway Residential Life Assistants, Holly and Cole, for the Medway Spooky Quiz in the Oasis Lounge.

Do you like scary films? On Sunday, come along to Eliot Lecture Theatre 2 for an Eliot Scary Movie Night. Open to all students.

See more events for students

Opportunities

See more student opportunities

Student in a wheelchair talking to Kent Union staff

Share your experiences with disability

At the University of Kent, we believe in being part of the drive for a more inclusive society, where diversity is celebrated, opportunities are created and voices from all corners of  our community are amplified. As we approach Disability History Month (16 November – 16 December), here are some ways you can share your perspective and get involved in showcasing and growing inclusivity at Kent and beyond.

Share your experiences with disability

Are you interested in being involved in a campaign to raise awareness this Disability History Month? We’d like to give everyone at Kent an insight into the experiences of our community in disclosing parts of identity, so we can better understand and support one another.

We’re inviting students past and present as well as staff to share your experiences by writing a blog post, attending a storytelling event to share in person with others, or being professionally filmed for a few minutes at a location convenient for you. To structure what you say or write about we’ll have some questions available that you can think about ahead of time, but you are also welcome to can make up your own question or theme which draws out your particular lived experience of disability and study/work/opportunities at Kent, or how it set you up for where you are now.

Interested in sharing your story at a live evening event in December, in short-film form or written word? Please fill in the online form. so we can contact you about being involved.

#DHMKent22 is coming soon!

Stay tuned for events and resources as we approach Disability History Month 2022 #InclusiveKent @UniKentSSW.

Women of Colour sat or leaning against wall

Exploring intersectionality therapeutic support group for Women of Colour

The University environment may have provided opportunities for you to notice things about yourself that you might want to explore and talk about. This therapeutic support group will take place online over six sessions and will provide a safe space to explore experiences and themes with others, who you may have things in common with. Commitment to attend all six sessions is required.

The group has been run over the last two years and came about as a response to feedback from students in the context of Black Lives Matter and the pandemic. Having access to others and role models that look like us is fundamental to our wellbeing; all of participants reported feeling a sense of connection and a sense of belonging.  Quotes from previous participants include “everyone listened and supported each other”, “felt a sense of sisterhood”, “felt seen in a way that gave me comfort, topics resonated”.  All participants felt that the group had a positive impact on their sense of identity as a Black woman or woman of colour.

The group will be experiential, and you are expected to bring yourself and be willing to share your thoughts with others and to be able to listen to others. We will decide together in week one which themes we would like to explore each week. Previous themes include; Who am I? – What does it mean to be me? – Relationships – Friend or enemy? – Self-love – Mental health – Self-care. You may have other themes that you want to suggest and explore.

Please note that you need to commit to attending all six sessions which take place on Tuesdays from 12.00-13.30 on the following dates: 1 November, 8 November, 15 November, 22 November, 29 November, and 6 December 2022.

If you are available for all six dates and would like to participate, please email wellbeingevents@kent.ac.uk to book your place, you will then be contacted for a brief 1:1 online meeting with the group facilitator at a mutually convenient time before the course begins. Please think about why you would like to join the group and what you would like to get out of it.

Find out more about the group. If you have any queries, please email wellbeingevents@kent.ac.uk

Comtemplativee person looking out at view

Student expectations survey – chance to win £300 Amazon voucher

To be in with the chance of winning a whopping £300 Amazon voucher, take just 10 minutes to fill in the Student Success Expectations Survey.

This questionnaire is for first year students and aims to find out your academic expectations and plans for the year. We use the results to find out what you hope to achieve at Kent, and how best to support you (so taking part is a win-win). 

Complete the survey to be in the running for our star prize, and you’ll also be added to a Divisional draw for a £20 Amazon voucher! The more students that complete the survey in your Division, the greater your chance of winning, so remind your friends to take the survey too (we’ll even organise a Divisional social if enough students take part).

Completing the survey is also worth 5 Employability Points – these can be cashed in to apply for exclusive internships, placements and training on the Employability Points Scheme. The Student Success Team will get in touch directly with any lucky winners to arrange prize collection.

The survey closes on Monday 24 October at 17.00.

Register of Interests – 2022/2023

You are invited to submit new or updated declarations for incorporation in the 2022/2023 Register.

What is this?

The University Council holds a Register of Interests for all staff and members of Council, in line with the Higher Education Code of Governance and the Office for Students Audit requirements. This register is where individuals declare any interests they have. Some examples are:

  • Any financial or personal interest you may have between the University and an external body, such as another organisation.
  • Consultancy, employment, directorship or other activity within a commercial concern
  • Shareholding or membership of statutory and public authorities
  • Other education establishments and companies where the University has an actual or potential business relationship
  • Any interest a family member might have that could give the appearance of a conflict, even where no actual conflict exists.

When should I make a declaration?

It is up to you what, if any, interests you declare. However, making a declaration provides protection for both you and the University against any possible allegations of misconduct, corruption, or impropriety.

It ensures transparency so it is clear you did not exploit your position for personal gain in some way or used your position within the University for your personal advantage. The rule of thumb is if in doubt, declare it to cover yourself.

Documents, including the Policy and a Declaration Form can be accessed on the Governance website Policies and Procedures – Governance – University of Kent and on SharePoint. You can also find the University’s Policy on Personal Benefit  on our Governance pages.

Colleagues are welcome to contact Council Secretariat for confidential advice if needed.

Completed forms should be returned by the end of November 2022.

man looking at laptop in the Templeman library

Complete satisfaction survey for Estate Customer Services and Print Centre

The Estate Customer Services and Print Centre would love to get your feedback on their services and invite you take part in their annual short satisfaction survey.

The Estates Customer Services Centre acts as the key contact point for all enquiries regarding services provided by the Commercial Services & Estates Department. They work in line with their Customer Services Policy, which is available to view on the department’s website.

The Print Centre provides high quality, cost effective print solutions, they will take care of the whole process of getting an item produced from the design to sourcing the best quality and value products.

The short survey should take no more than five minutes for you to complete and is open for two weeks, closing at midnight on 2 November.

Your views are very valuable as they will be vital in helping make improvements to their service.