An updated copy of the University’s Privacy Notice is now available.
The Privacy Notice sets out how everyone’s personal data is collected, processed and stored by HR. The full Notice can be found on the HR webpages.
Key changes in this update are the use of CCTV images, retention periods for data in Staff Connect and the introduction of an archive system to enable us to provide basic employment references for staff for many years after leaving our employment.
The 31 January will see the UK leaving the European Union. This is a historically significant moment and it will change the political relationship between the UK and our European partners. It will shape a future new relationship with Europe.
The University recognises this moment and its impact on colleagues and students. We understand this day will create many different emotions and will mean different things for each individual.
As a university community, we will continue to strive for international co-operation in Europe and around the globe for the enhancement of knowledge and the enrichment of the student experience. We are proud of our European links and our internationally diverse student and staff community from Europe and around the world.
Events on the day
In recognition of this moment, there are two events on Friday 31 January on the Canterbury campus that are open to both students and staff:
Further information and support
For updates, information and advice on what support and assistance is available, see our Brexit information pages for students and staff.
An article by Kent Law School Professor Rosemary Hunter and a book by Senior Lecturer Dr Rose Parfitt have been shortlisted for a Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) prize.
Professor Hunter’s article, ‘Feminist judging in the “real world”‘ (Oñati Socio-Legal Series, vol 8, n9, 2018) is shortlisted for the SLSA Article Prize. The article presents Professor Hunter’s empirical research on real world feminist judging. Drawing on case study and interview data it explores the how, when and where of feminist judging, that is, the feminist resources, tools and techniques judges have drawn upon, the stages in the hearing and decision-making process at which these resources, tools and techniques have been deployed, and the areas of law in which they have been applied. The article goes on to consider observed and potential limits on feminist judicial practice, before drawing conclusions about the comparison between ‘real world’ feminist judging and the practices of feminist judgmentally projects.
Dr Parfitt’s book, ‘The Process of International Legal Reproduction: Inequality, Historiography, Resistance’ (Cambridge University Press, 2019) is shortlisted for the SLSA Socio-Legal Theory and History Prize. The book explores the legal historiography of the state and features new archival research. It draws upon both anti-colonial and Marxist theory for a critical examination of the role of international law in establishing and perpetuating inequalities of wealth, power and pleasure. The book has also been nominated, in the US, for the Law and Society Association’s J Willard Hurst Book Prize for socio-legal history.
Research for Dr Parfitt’s book was funded in part by a Discovery Early Career Research Award from the Australian Research Council. The grant, awarded in 2015, was for a three-year project on ‘International Law and the Legacies of Fascist Internationalism’.
Nominations are invited for the election of staff representatives to the Joint Staff Negotiating and Consultation Committee (JSNCC).
The JSNCC is the main forum for consultation between the University of Kent and its staff on matters of mutual interest and is one of the most important and influential committees in the University.
Staff membership of the Committee comprises representatives of each of the trade unions and four representatives of non-union staff: two from the professional services and research support staff in grades 1 to 6; and two from the academic, research and professional services staff in grades 7 and above. The current non-union staff members are as follows:
Professional services and research support staff (grades 1 to 6)
Academic, research and professional services staff (grades 7+)
Stephen Rowlstone has notified us of his intention to leave the University, and we would like to thank him for his input and commitment to the JSNCC. As a result, nominations are now invited and welcomed for one position to represent staff in grades 1 to 6. Staff members working within Grades 1 to 6 are encouraged to apply.
Acting as a staff representative is interesting and rewarding. It provides the opportunity to discuss and comment on University plans and policies, to meet a wide range of new people and to gain valuable personal development. Training and support will be provided to the successful candidate.
The deadline for completed nominations is 17.00 on Monday 10 February 2020.
Further information about the JSNCC and the nomination and election processes can be found on the JSNCC website at or by contacting HR via ERBP@kent.ac.uk
The Student Success (EDI) Project is delighted to launch their “Inspirations” website, a new platform to increase the visibility of our staff diversity.
The site brings to life the experiences and contributions of our Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff and those considered first in family to attend university. Their stories contain personal, enjoyable and inspiring journeys but they also provide challenging accounts about their views on equality and their aspirations for the future.
We hope these will inspire our BAME and first in family students.
We are looking for new stories, so if you want to share yours with us or know a member of staff who you feel has an interesting story to share, then please get in contact with the Student Success team
The School of Politics and International Relations and the Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) are delighted to invite you to a talk by Maddy Allen, Field Manager for Help Refugees in Northern France entitled: “Human Rights Abuses on the UK/French Border”
When: Thursday 30 January 2020, at 17.00
Where: Eliot Lecture Theatre 2 (ELT2)
3 YEARS ON FROM THE JUNGLE CAMP
It’s a critical turning point in the political landscape for Britain. As the conversation about our borders are dividing the nation, thousands of refugees are living in dire conditions in Northern France. It’s over three years since the demolition of the infamous ‘Jungle’ Camp in Calais and for displaced people living in makeshift camps, life is impossibly hard. This presentation will explain the current situation in Northern France, including a closer look at increased securitisation measures, human rights abuses and the impact Brexit will have on the hundreds of unaccompanied children who are currently on the move across Europe. Find out about practical ways you can support the crisis and volunteer on upcoming trips to Calais!
Maddy Allen is Field Manager for Help Refugees in Northern France. Help Refugees is a group of everyday people, taking action to improve lives of refugees. It is the biggest facilitator of grassroots aid on the continent, supporting more than 110 projects across Europe and the Middle East.
The talk is open to all and free to attend with no booking necessary.
You are warmly invited to attend our Inspirational Speaker events this term! Here are all the details for the talks we have coming up:
Jade Bentil, a black feminist historian and researcher at Oxford University, will be presenting her talk: ‘Be a thief to the university: black feminist politics and navigating the Ivory Tower’
on Wednesday 29 January at 17.00 in SIBSON sr 6.
As a Black feminist historian who seeks to centre the lives of Black women within her work, the historical tension between theorising Black liberation whilst in the colonial university has been one that Jade has continually meditated on. Using her own experiences in academia and contextualising them within the politics of Black feminism, Jade will explore the irreconcilable nature of this tension and what it means to ‘be in but not of the university’
To book tickets for this event please visit this Eventbrite website
Next up is Dr Kate Fox, the Yorkshire stand-up poet, author and comedian, will be talking about class and autism in: ‘Neurodiversions: or why I won’t be dressing up in a unicorn onesie to talk about autism, class, being a stand-up, fitting in & standing out!’
on Wednesday 5 February at 17.00 in Templeman Lecture Theatre.
Dr Kate Fox has worked extensively in radio as well as live performance and is currently touring with her show ‘Where there’s muck, there’s bras’ about northern women through history. She’s also a gentle activist and campaigner for the voices of Northerners, the working class, women and the neurodiverse.
To book please visit this Eventbrite website
On Wednesday 11 March Professor Heidi Mirza will be returning to Kent and will be speaking as part of the Decolonise UKC Conference. Dr Mirza is Professor of Race, Faith and Culture at Goldsmiths College and co-author (with Dr Jason Arday) of the recently published ‘Dismantling race in HE’. Time and venue TBA.
And finally, Dr Francesca Sobande from Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture, will present her talk: ‘Reframing the “Attainment Gap” and its implications: How institutions undermine the learning experiences of Black students’ on Monday 16 March at 17.00.
To book please visit this Eventbrite website
Dr Sobande’s research explores how issues related to racism, sexism and intersecting structural inequalities manifest in media and the marketplace.
Staff have easy access to expert help with both workplace and personal issues – thanks to a new Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) being launched this week.
Whether you have questions on issues from debt and landlords to nutrition and stress, the EAP website should have the answers.
If not, you can telephone the providers, Care first/Sodexho, free of charge and get help from an information specialist or an accredited counsellor.
Key facts
-All EAP communications and consultations are completely confidential between you and the EAP.
-The same confidentiality applies to any additional support provided or organised for you by the EAP, eg counselling.
-You contact the EAP directly; you do not have to go through your manager to access any of the support the EAP provides
-For managers, a dedicated area of the EAP website offers generic advice on dealing with both individual and team issues; access the link below and click on the Managers tab.
The EAP providers, Care first/Sodexho, were chosen following a competitive tender and interview process, which included input from trades unions. Advice and support is provided at no cost to staff; the University funds all costs associated with the EAP
The EAP incorporates the existing University Wellbeing resource provided by Revitalised, which offers advice on all aspects of wellbeing, including self-assessment.
How to access
Take a look at all the EAP has to offer on its website: www.carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk
Log-in details are: USERNAME: uokent PASSWORD: university
For telephone advice, the freephone number is 0808 168 2143.
If you wish to know more about the EAP before accessing its website or services, see the Occupational Health intranet pages. If you still have questions after this, email occupationalhealth@kent.ac.uk or discuss with your manager, HR or trades union representative.
Remember that the EAP is a great resource so keep these log-in and contact details handy!
The Kent Volunteering Scheme has now launched through the Careers and Employability Service (CES). It has been designed to recognise and support the hard-work University of Kent students do when volunteering, and to help them to understand and articulate their skills development from their volunteering activity.
The Scheme runs this year from 1 May 2019 to 15 May 2020, so students can log hours previously volunteered. Hours are kept track of so students have the opportunity to progress through the different levels of the Scheme, starting at just 10 hours and increasing to 1,000+ hours.
After 50 hours are logged, students will receive support in benchmarking the skills they have acquired, ensuring their experience is positively reflected to potential future employers. To utilise the Kent Volunteering Scheme, simply go online and fill out the short form. CES will keep track of your progress and contact you at the relevant stages of the scheme. If you have any queries, please email studentvolunteering@kent.ac.uk.
This short CPD course is suitable for the whole dental team – Dental Care Professionals and Dentists. During this course, participants are encouraged to address contemporary dental practice within the wider context of social policy and cultural influence.
Dr Sam Shah will address the inequalities effecting health and well-being and the incorporation of health into historical and contemporary political and sociological agendas. Professor Ken Eaton will discuss oral health systems in Europe and beyond. John Darby will deliver an update on the national Advancing Dental Care Project. Plus, Mike Wheeler will discuss the potential of dental care professionals roles related to the future of dental services and how their training may be funded.
This course takes place over two weekends at the University of Kent Medway campus. The dates are 7-9 February and 6 March 2020.
For more information and to book your place, please click on this link.