A paper co-authored by SSPSSR Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Sociology Dr Robert de Vries and Dr Aaron Reeves from the University of Oxford’s Department of Social Policy and Intervention, has won the 2020 British Journal of Sociology (BJS) Prize.

The paper, ‘Can cultural consumption increase future earnings? Exploring the economic returns to cultural capital’ analyses the results from a large-scale quantitative study. The study found that participating in cultural activities is likely to have a positive effect on future earnings, and on the chances of promotion and upward social mobility.

The BJS Prize is awarded biannually for an article published in the BJS during a 24-month period that makes an outstanding contribution to sociological knowledge.

In their paper, Dr de Vries and Dr Reeves suggest the most likely explanation for the effect they found is that economic gatekeepers (such as members of hiring or promotion committees) value cultural participation as an indication of an interesting and well-rounded candidate. They suggest that, when it comes to cultural participation, the message is not that only ‘high-brow’ activities count, but more generally that ‘more is better’.

Their study is based on data from Understanding Society (USoc), the UK’s largest ongoing longitudinal social survey. The USoc sample is considered to be highly representative of the British population, including data from roughly 20,000 USoc participants.

Dr de Vries said: ‘The primary focus of our analysis was the effect of cultural participation on future earnings. We examined the relationship between respondents’ current economic situation and their participation in cultural activities one year previously. In the Understanding Society survey, respondents are asked if they participated in each of a list of 14 activities. These activities include watching a film at the cinema, visiting an art exhibition, visiting a street arts display, attending a carnival, attending the theatre, attending the opera, attending a classical music concert, and attending a rock or pop performance.

‘We found that people who participated in a larger number of cultural activities earned significantly higher salaries a year later than did people who participated in fewer cultural activities. People who participated in one additional cultural activity earned an average of £175 more per month in the subsequent year.’

Microsoft Yammer is now available to all staff, following a successful pilot.

Yammer is a University-wide staff social networking tool. You can use it to connect and engage with colleagues across Kent on topics of mutual interest.

• Start conversations, share ideas and knowledge, and interact with University news
• Discover communities: find community groups that interest you (or set up a new community) based on your personal or workplace interests

How much you use Yammer is up to you; it’s optional. It certainly isn’t something that you need to keep up with and check every day. If you want to, use it to discuss the deeper meaning of life, the universe and everything – or share your cat photo to make someone smile! It’s your community and your social space online.

• Where Yammer fits as part of Microsoft 365 collaboration tools
• Access Yammer via office.com with your Kent IT Account; or use the mobile app in your phone’s app store
• More about using Yammer: Microsoft Yammer for staff guide
• How to control which email notifications you see

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Communications team

Recruiting for a student-staff role? Get in touch with the Work-Study Scheme, you could be eligible for match-funding.

The Work-Study Scheme (based in the Careers & Employability Service) has some match-funding available to Professional Service Departments and Academic Divisions who want to hire student-staff this academic year*. We support Widening Participation students in securing paid work on- and off-campus, take them through a series of activities to ensure they are work-ready, including 1-2-1 CV and application advice, and skills workshops to build up their confidence, and support in applying and interviewing for work opportunities.

We advertise your vacancy to students, collate and send you the applications, shortlist to your requirements and support you in interviewing (if required), and undertake all right to work checks and employment paperwork. We take the student(s) on our cost code and manage their timesheets (sent to us by you) and pay.

Working whilst studying is a fantastic way for students to build confidence and skills, and having student-staff in your team can bring a fresh approach. Undertaking paid work really makes a difference to students’ lives, and helps them prepare for the world post-graduation:

“This scheme is the best resource the university has to offer. CV help, interview tips, unique job opportunities and an amazingly kind staff all combine to give you the best help out there.”

– Nicola, English & American Literature and Film (2020)

“Through your scheme and help I have achieved so much, I am not only more skilled but more confident and motivated to achieve my goals. Tomorrow I start my new role at the Civil Service, and honestly do not believe I would have been able to do it without the Work-Study Scheme.

Zoe, History and Politics (2018)

If you are interested in employing a Work-Study Scheme student, or to discuss any aspect of this, please contact: Hannah Greer / Jen Davey, Work-Study Scheme, Careers & Employability Service – workstudy@kent.ac.uk

*In order to be eligible for funding, the student being employed must be categorised as Widening Participation. We can check this; you do not have to, and we will only advertise the role to WP students, unless otherwise instructed. Funding is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, up to a maximum of £1000 per Academic School/Professional Service Department during 2020-21, and all work must be completed by July 2021.

Phil Robinson is a busy man! Not only does he have two day jobs – Learning Technologist for both Kent Business School (KBS) and the Division of Law, Society and Social Justice (LSSJ) – but he volunteers much of his spare time for good causes.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, Phil, who is General Secretary of Lions Clubs International British Isles as well as Treasurer of Thanet Lions Club, has helped:

• provide PPE and other equipment for local hospital staff at the QEQM hospital, Margate, as well as care homes and funeral directors
• support University colleagues making PPE equipment, including visors
• manage parking at the local (Thanet) Asymptomatic Testing Site (ATS)
• raise and donate money for food bank equipment and hot food deliveries.

Phil says: ‘My voluntary work with the Lions is the best thing in the world to do. When you help people, you get more back than you can ever give’

PPE supplied by Thanet Lions to QEQM staff

Volunteering role

Phil first became involved in volunteering with Lions Clubs International 21 years ago, but became more active in 2010 when he retired as an Area bank manager for Santander in Kent. Phil rose through the ranks, becoming Chairman of the British Isles and Ireland from 2014 to 2015. His Lions roles have taken him as far afield as Belarus (after the Chernobyl disaster), Sri Lanka (following the 2004 tsunami) and the Philippines (post the typhoon in 2015).

‘After my early retirement from banking, my wife Jackie and I became even more involved with Lions Clubs International, the largest voluntary service organisation in the world with 1.4 million members. Since then, we’ve been lucky enough to get involved with projects ranging from supporting the Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance to helping to build an eye hospital in Ghana. But much of our activities are about helping people in our local Thanet community.’

Now as General Secretary, Phil also has a management role, which includes overseeing a small office team based in Birmingham and representing Lions at international meetings around Europe, and is a Trustee for the Lions UK Charity Foundation. ‘My role in Lions usually takes up more time than my now full-time job at the University!’ he jokes.

At local level, for the Thanet Club, much of the recent effort has focused on the community response to Covid-19. Phil says: ‘Most of my recent weekends have been spent overseeing the carparking for our local Covid Vaccination centres, which often means going home cold and soggy. But it’s so rewarding actually doing something to help us all.’

Phil’s wife Jackie presenting equipment for QEQM staff areas to Theatre Assistant, Steve Griggs

Kent role

Phil first joined the University in 2010 working in all sorts of roles for the temp bank. ‘I had retired after 30 years of banking and got bored after a couple of months so returned to work!’, he said.

Initially, he worked as a finance officer on the JISC project for the School of History and EDA, but for the last five years, he has supported distance learning via Moodle and film editing for the Tizard Centre. Following the Organising for Success restructure, he has moved to his full-time shared role with KBS and LSSJ.

‘I’ve gone from four days a week to full-time even though I’m retired,’ said Phil, ‘but I really enjoy what I’m doing. And my work at the University enables me to volunteer at the level I want to.’

Getting involved

Lions Clubs International is always looking for more like-minded volunteers. ‘We welcome support from anyone keen to support their community,’ said Phil, ‘whatever their interests or background.’ You can find out more on the Lions Club International website.

As well as clubs across Kent, there is also a newly formed Canterbury campus club for any interested University students. Find out more by following them on Twitter: @ukclionsclub

Kent staff who give up their time for Lions and/or other organisations may also benefit from University support for volunteering activity. Find out more on our Staff Guide pages.

If you know any other Kent colleagues who are going “above and beyond” in helping others, please let us know at communications@kent.ac.uk. We’re keen to celebrate their good work!

Our official Employee Assistance Programme provider, Care first offers a numbers of services and provide useful advice and support, including weekly webinars.

This week’s (Monday 1 March – Friday 5 March) webinars are as follows:

Monday 1 March 2021 – ‘How Care first can support you’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link.

Tuesday 2 March 2021 – ‘Understanding Vaccine Anxiety & Protocol’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Wednesday 3 March 2021 – ‘Advice for getting support during the pandemic’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Thursday 4 March 2021 – ‘Change, loss and Bereavement’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Friday 5 March 2021 – ‘Maintaining routines for Back to School’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

As those of you who attended this week’s staff webchat will know, a great deal of work is now underway to put plans in place to respond to the Government announcement earlier this week.

You will no doubt be aware that students on practical or practice-based courses can return to campus from 8 March. This means that the majority of students will continue to be taught online until the end of term. As a result, we will be reviewing our position on rent rebates and communicating this when we are able.

Although some staff will be coming back to campus to support the March return, staff who are already working at home as part of an agreed pattern of work should continue to do so until 21 June at the earliest in line with Government guidance. Meanwhile, any return to campus for staff will remain subject to health and safety procedures.

Following the next Government review of restrictions in mid-April, we are hoping to offer on-campus events for the summer term including a range of extra-curricular activities. It is unlikely that we will offer our ‘traditional’ graduation ceremonies at Canterbury and Rochester Cathedrals this summer but, together with Kent Union and GKSU, we are looking at how we can hold a series of small-scale celebratory events.

We would also like to hold an event – or a series of events – to thank staff for all their hard work over the past year and to mark the start of a return to a more normal way of working. We will update you on this as our thinking develops.

Work has also begun on plans for the next academic year. It is likely that we will retain a remote study option, as we believe that international students in particular may benefit from this due to travel restrictions. In addition, we will be prioritising first year students as they will have had several years of interrupted education and our aim will be to give them a clear and understandable offer which concentrates on the delivery of core modules.

As we continue to make our plans for the coming months, I would like to reassure you that the wellbeing and safety of staff and students will stay at heart of all our decision-making. We are keen to ensure that all staff are able to receive their Covid vaccinations as quickly as possible and have been working with line managers to ensure that staff are able to take time out in order to do this.

I know that many of us – staff and students alike – were hoping for more certainty for the university sector from the Prime Minister’s announcement on Covid. While I share this sense of frustration, the national roadmap does provide us with a strong direction of travel and will enable us to consolidate our plans for the summer and a return to some form of normality.

However, we now need to consider what the ‘new normal’ will look like for the University. Work is beginning on a review of our institutional strategy  to ensure we are well-positioned to respond to the requirements of a post-Covid world both for the University and the wider world.

Over the next few months, the Executive Group will work with colleagues across the University as we move through this process and we will continue to keep staff up to date.

With my very best wishes to you and your families,

Karen

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President

When did you join the University of Kent and what did you do before?

I arrived at Kent in May 2011 for a 12-week agency cover, which became a permanent appointment as Housekeeping Manager in January 2012.

I previously worked for the NHS as a Site Coordinator at Sheppey Community Hospital and Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital, responsible for Community Hospital buildings and Fire, Health & Safety, as well as smaller clinical service outlets. I managed reception and office staff as well as portering and domestic teams. I was also a bereavement officer and staff rep for the local units. I loved the diversity but, following a restructure, my role became more about buildings than people. I chose to leave but got bored after three months (!) so joined an agency.

What does your current role(s) involve?

That’s a good question! My main role, as Housekeeping Manager, involves managing a brilliant team of professional cleaners and handy persons who ensure that accommodation is ready for students and maintain it while they’re here. In the summer, we switch over to a hotel-style service. Currently, I am responsible for Park Wood with its 1,938 bedrooms and 355 kitchens. In total across campus, we have something like 4,858 bedrooms and 787 kitchens. I think people would be surprised to know that the team of domestics not only look after the accommodation but also academic buildings– they are a very proud bunch. I have been involved in many accommodation refurbishments, which I love as you can really engage with the students and find out what they want, as well as trying out new colour schemes and ideas.

I am also currently Site Manager for the Asymptomatic Testing Site (ATS) on Canterbury campus. It’s been amazing to help build a new and brilliant team which, in normal circumstances, might never work together. It’s been really good to know we are doing something worthwhile in supporting students and staff to maintain some kind of normality during what has been very trying times.

Last, but not least, is my role with the Joint Staff Negotiating and Consultation Committee (JSNCC). When that first meeting agenda and the volume of papers arrived in my inbox, I couldn’t help but think I was out of my depth! But everyone was so welcoming and taught me little tricks (that will remain secret!) on how to get through it all. The role is about supporting staff and change and being a voice for those who may not always be heard. It’s truly rewarding to know you are in some way making a difference for your colleagues.

Tell us more about who’s who within your team?

There are four Housekeeping Managers, Tracy Rogers, Karen Keen, Lynne Banks and myself, as well as assistant managers who help with day-to-day matters, and supervisors and charge-hands. It’s the domestic team who are very much on the frontline. They are from all over the world and, in better times, we have had some really good cultural days where staff would bring in food representing their culture and we would talk about ‘home’. I love these moments – it reminds me what we represent.

In the ATS, we have worked together as a team since November when we first opened the site. The frontline team are from departments/centres across the University, including Gulbenkian, Sport and Catering. They are now skilled in the testing process and can answer many questions on this. In the beginning, we had some long days, yet they still returned. They choose to be here, which makes them special.

What are your immediate plans/priorities?

Making sure students want to come back to campus when they can and. that when they do,  they enjoy it. If that means keeping the ATS going, and having staff available to do the testing, that’s my priority. If that means making sure their accommodation is ready, that becomes my priority. So really, it’s about making sure we are ready for whatever is needed. I work best when I have challenges as I am reactive and love to get stuck in.

Covid-19 permitting (!), what are your interests outside work?

That’s easy, family is the most important thing to me. I have five grandchildren with my two daughters and their partners and, of course, my wonderful husband who puts up with a lot. I just love spending time with them all – even on the bad days, you can always find a bit of fun.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

My favourite, and one I’ve been known to use, is: “Don’t be telling everyone you’re unhappy, tell the person that can make a difference” A manager gave me that advice in my first volunteering role at the hospital and it has stuck with me ever since.

The first International Women’s Day (IWD) took place in 1911, with the aim of celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

Run annually on March 8, the day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Each year IWD has a theme which continues all year to provide a meaningful framework to connect and amplify action. The 2021 campaign is #ChooseToChallenge and aims to inspire us all to call out gender bias and inequality

Below are some suggested areas that could be implemented to support the campaign during 2021 and beyond.

If you are running an event, large or small please write a blog and ‘Tag’ and add the ‘Category’ EDI and it will show in the new EDI webpage. ‘News and Events section’

Remember to use the #ChooseToChallenge to tweet and share your ideas and encourage others.

Some Ideas

Some event ideas include:
• A talk by an inspiring female speaker related to your field of work
• A presentation of some gender-related research related to your field
• A female senior leader from your area talking about their career and key events/support that helped them to advance
• A panel of women from your field talking about career challenges, important milestones/support, career tips, intersectional experiences, etc.
• An event to share ideas, good practice and promote change on a topic such as collective action to promote gender equality, male champions, allies, equal pay
• A presentation and discussion of a gender-related film
• A presentation and discussion from a gender-related book
• An event on a specific-gender related issue such as menopause, domestic violence, global women’s empowerment, pornography, body image
• A performance by a female artist

Below are some suggested TED Talks for IWD to start your discussions:

Why we have too few women leaders
Know your worth, and then ask for it
Women entrepreneurs, example not exception
How to make hard choices
Can we all ‘have it all’?

Below are some links to relevant reading lists:
Books about women who changed the world 
Like a Woman 

Books to read on International Women’s Day 

International Women’s Day – A vintage reading list

Books to read this International Women’s Day

Women authors – International Women’s Day

Actions for Individuals

• Pay attention to the dynamics in your workplace and ensure that people are not left on the fringes of conversations or interactions – build bridges so that they can move across
• Give credit where it is due – take steps to ensure female colleagues are visible and share their achievements
• Learn more about the impact of unconscious bias and how it can be minimised
• Question your assumptions and bias about women’s abilities, life choices and competence and challenge them in others by bringing the focus back to the facts
• Act as a visible ally and champion for gender equality engaging with colleagues who don’t value inclusion or are cynical
• Question and challenge all-male speaker panels

Attend an IWD event, see the listings here – International Women’s Day Events

Actions for Managers and Leaders

• Discuss what you can do to address gender inequality in your day to day role, as well as what you can do in your leadership capacity, to increase momentum around the agenda

• Support applications for flexible and agile working so that all colleagues can take on caring responsibilities whatever their gender
• Get to know your staff, their strengths and areas of interest and issues that impact on their lives outside of work
• Provide continuous development support which is caring and thoughtful and enables staff to evolve and grow to their strengths
• Develop robust approaches and metrics for measuring performance to avoid assumptions leaking into decision making and assessment

And don’t forget to sign up to the BAME Staff Network event marking International Women’s Day with keynote speaker the Right Reverend Dr Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover,