To give you certainty and reassurance in the current circumstances, we’ve made some changes to make it easier for you to manage your library loans.

Fines and charges 

We have cancelled all outstanding fines for late return of Templeman and Drill Hall Library items for Kent students, staff and external borrowers. We’ve either removed these from your library account or will do so in the next few days – so please don’t pay them. 

Other types of charges, for example to cover the cost of lost items, will remain on your library account until you clear them.  

Books now due end of July 

We have further extended the due date of all library items you have on loan. You won’t have to return your items until at least 31 July.  

This also means you won’t be able to reserve items for now. We’ll review this, so you may have to return books in August/September if someone else reserves them. 

Returning library items 

In line with government and NHS guidance we ask you not to make non-essential journeys to return your library items. 

If you’re coming back to Kent next academic year, we recommend holding onto your books until you return, though you may need to return them after 31 July if someone else reserves them. 

If you’re a final year student or want to return your books for any other reason, you can still do so.  

• If you live on the Canterbury campus, use the external book drop at the Library Road Entrance. 
• Otherwise post them to us at: Templeman Library, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NU. 

We understand that posting books can be difficult, especially if you have multiple or heavy items on loan or have gone abroad. We are exploring ways of making returns easier for you and will share advice as soon as we can. 

If you have left books in your campus accommodation and are not planning to return, please let us know. 

Contact us

Thank you for bearing with us. We are still working out some of our processes and advice, as these are unprecedented times for all of us.  

If you have any problems or concerns about borrowing, returns or fines, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help: 

• email lendingenquiries@kent.ac.uk 
• use “Chat to us” on the library webpages 
• phone +44 (0) 1227 82 4999 

Dr Jennifer Hiscock, Reader in Supramolecular Chemistry in the School of Physical Sciences, has been awarded a Future Leaders Fellowship as part of UK Research and Innovation’s flagship scheme – which invests in outstanding individuals across the UK.

This funding will support Dr Hiscock to develop her career while tackling two global health threats simultaneously. Her exciting and ground-breaking research focuses on the development of novel molecular weapons for deployment in the fight against antimicrobial resistant bacterial infections and cancer, and the grant will enable her to continue to address these challenges.

Dr Hiscock says ‘It is my hope that I can use this fellowship opportunity to not only fulfill my research aims, but also to inspire the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists to accomplish their aspirations. I would like to thank UKRI for supporting this work and all of my mentors that have enabled me to get this far.’

The Scheme and the fellowships have long been used to support up-and-coming researchers in universities. Sir Mark Walport, Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation, explains: “The Future Leaders Fellowships are UKRI’s flagship talent programme, designed to foster and nurture the research and innovation leaders of the future. We are delighted to support these outstanding researchers and innovators across universities, research organisations and businesses.”

Dr Hiscock is one of 90 UKRI Future Leaders Fellows in a milestone year for the scheme as it will now extend to fellows based directly in businesses. Helping to foster new research and innovation career paths will increase the movement of ideas and people between the business and academic sectors; breaking down barriers and developing new ways of working.

Kirsty Grainger, Director of the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships, said: ‘The Future Leaders Fellows represent some of the most brilliant people working in the country. We’re supporting researchers from every background – from the arts to medicine, and the social sciences to engineering – helping them become the research and innovation leaders of the future.’

UKRI’s initiative aims to support the creation of a new cohort of research and innovation leaders who will have links across different sectors and disciplines. Awardees will each receive between £400,000 and £1.5 million over an initial four years. The grant supports challenging and novel projects, and the development of the individual, and can pay for team members’ wages, equipment and other needs.

For more information about the scheme see the UKRI website.

The E-learning team are excited to announce the launch of a suite of online training resources focusing on key learning technologies including Moodle, Turnitin, KentPlayer and Ombea!

These resources are based on the ‘Essentials’ training sessions and guidance that the team has previously delivered via both online pdf guides and bi-monthly training sessions held on campus. As such they cover basic functionality and are targeted at new colleagues and existing academic and professional services staff seeking a refresher.

Colleagues can self-enrol and, as the resources are self-paced, they can dip in and out as other commitments permit. Upon completion of all required activities, participants receive a notification that they have earned an electronic badge that they can download and a certificate to evidence their completion of the training.

Given the continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic (when we can return to campus), the e-learning team hope that these training resources will provide an increased level of support to colleagues who are working remotely and starting to turn a tentative eye to the production of modules for the 2020-21 academic year.

Please visit our Information for Staff webpage for more information and for links to the newly-launched online training resources. Interested colleagues can self-enrol however bulk enrolment of both academic and professional services staff can be done on a per request basis by contacting your Faculty Learning Technologist.

What’s your role at the University?

I work as an Access Control Adviser, mainly responsible for administering the University’s online security management systems (Pegasys and SALTO). I also design and project manage new installations of automatic and access-controlled doors.

How has your role changed as a result of Covid-19?

Normally, my working day involves adding new access control panels and doors but, because of Covid-19, I have spent many hours manually re-programming doors, ID cards and access fobs for students living on campus.

What specific additional tasks have you been asked to do?

So far, I have been asked to:

• Change the operation of all 50 access-controlled buildings on the Canterbury and Medway campuses so they can only be accessed using KentOne ID cards during lockdown.
• Prevent around 25,000 staff and student ID cards from working on doors/ buildings to which they would normally unlock.
• Remove access from 1300 accommodation fobs, which were taken off-campus by students who moved out of their halls.
• Provide all resident students with access to Rutherford College so they can use the catering facilities.
• Re-program ID cards for circa 700 staff, who appear on the approved list of key staff and are permitted access to work on campus; for example, Security, Maintenance, Estates Support Services, Kent Hospitality etc.

How have you been finding your “new” role?

Although these tasks have given me a huge amount of extra work, I’ve really enjoyed doing my bit.  I’ve been asked to carry out some very important tasks, allowing me to use my expertise in re-designing how we use our access systems. It shows my senior managers have real trust in my work – which is great!

Have there been any major hurdles along the way?

When I found out that no-one was going to be allowed to work on campus unless they had been authorised, this meant the work involved was going to be a lot more than I initially thought – I would need to find a way of preventing just some staff and students ID cards from working on the readers.

I tested a number of different software configurations before I identified the ones, which would not only enable the campus to operate when required, but would be easy enough to revert back once the campus returns to normal.

What’s been the feedback so far from colleagues?

My senior colleagues have been very appreciative of my work and how fast I’ve done it. Colleagues in Estates, including Security, Maintenance & Support Services, have been extremely helpful and carried out a number of tasks I would have done if I’d been working on campus. I’d like to say a big thank you to them!

Colleagues I’ve worked with outside of Estates and who’ve requested my help, have also been extremely helpful, friendly and very understanding of the work involved.

Love a spot of gardening? Ahead of National Gardening Week (from 27 April – 3 May 2020) and while many of us are at home more, we’ve got just the thing for green-fingered colleagues.

From perfect timings to pest control, here are our ten top tips for how to make the most of your outdoor oasis:

1. Sunflowers and marigolds are just some of the pretty annuals perfect for planting in spring. Easy to grow, these flowers almost guarantee an amazing colour show come summertime.

2. Avoid watering your plants during the hottest part of the day and aim for mornings or dusk instead.

3. Plants in a terracotta pot will dry out quicker than ones in a ceramic or plastic container. So, if you’re using a terracotta pot, line it with plastic or an empty compost bag with holes punched in the bottom before planting, to keep the soil moist for longer.

4. Be careful not to over mow your grass and never cut shorter than two inches, as this can weaken the grass and make it more susceptible to weeds.

5. Edge your flowerbeds with rocks to discourage grass and weeds from taking over.

6. Add a tiny bit of fertiliser to water for new plants to help improve health, growth, and productivity.

7. For planting fruit and veg – save space by sowing two different crops in a single row. Mix a slow growing crop such as parsnips or carrots with something faster like lettuces or radishes.

8. Holes for bulbs should be two to three times as deep as the bulb itself as they need room to grow.

9. Slugs hate caffeine – so spread a line of used coffee grounds around emerging seedlings and new plants to keep the slugs away.

10. Run your fingernails across a bar of soap as this will seal off dirt from accumulating under your nails.

Can you think of any more gardening top tips for us to share? Send your ideas to stories@kent.ac.uk

We are pleased to welcome Jordan Regan to the School of Computing as Student Success Project Officer.

The Student Success Project is a University of Kent initiative that commits to helping every student to achieve the best degree that they can. Jordan will be working as part of the professional services team and with Student Success Lecturer, Jacqui Chetty, to evaluate and improve the retention, attainment and progression of undergraduate students.

Jordan started work the day before the Covid-19 lockdown so has been working from home and meeting colleagues virtually.

Jordan graduated from Kent in 2017 with a BA Sociology degree. Since graduating she has worked in Higher Education at Kent Union, Canterbury Christ Church University, and most recently as the Democracy and Engagement Manager at the University of Essex Students’ Union. She is currently studying a part-time Masters in Business and Management.

Jordan said: “I was not expecting to start a new job in the middle of a global pandemic. Relocating back to Kent a few days before lockdown was an unexpected challenge, as is having to meet the majority of my colleagues online and work from home. However, both the Student Success Project and School of Computing teams have been incredibly welcoming and have really helped me to understand my role. Having studied at Kent, I am fortunately very familiar with the University and look forward to starting to work back on campus. I am excited to meet students and staff from the School of Computing in person, and to begin supporting the delivery of various interventions. “

We look forward to working with Jordan and meeting her in person as soon as we are back on campus.

I hope you managed to get something of a break over the Easter period.

Just a brief update from me before the start of term to let you know that Executive Group met on Monday and had an update from COVID-19 response group lead Professor Christina Hughes.

The update covered the work of colleagues associated with examinations and assessment, as well as updates on our infrastructure response and support for staff and student welfare. We are now moving from the immediate/crisis response mode to look at the next few months in terms of delivering examinations, exam boards, supporting completing students and enabling ongoing work related to the COVID-19 response and planning ahead for the autumn and the start of the 20/21 academic year.

In order to prepare for the autumn term, I have asked Professor Richard Reece, our new Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience, to work with colleagues across the University to bring together a team to begin to map out how we would do this.

We remain operational as a University and, while we are uncertain as to the exact conditions we will be working in over the next few months, we want to be clear with current, returning and prospective students, our partners and stakeholders that we remain ‘open’ and are planning our autumn activity. We will always of course keep health and safety issues front and centre and so we will need to prepare for a range of scenarios. Further updates and ways to get involved will be shared over the next few weeks. Division Directors will also be working with their Schools to progress this work with Richard.

In the meantime, thank you all for all that you are doing. I hope you, your families and friends are all well.

Karen

Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President

These sessions are for staff and students at Kent, so if you need any further information or would like to join the Choir, email Susan Wanless. These are strange and stressful times and we must all keep safe, smiling….and singing!

International Partnerships would like to invite you to our virtual event as part of Kent’s International Visiting Academics Network (IVAN) via Zoom.

The meeting will be lead by the Dean for Internationalisation and will address the topic of ‘Adapting to new ways of working’. The network has been established to give you the opportunity to build on your existing connections at and beyond the University.

Date: Wednesday 29 April 2020

Time: 11.00 – 11.35 (BST)

Book your place via the Eventbrite website

The Zoom meeting ID and password will be sent to attendees in advance of the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you soon!