KENTThe Magazine for the University of Kent | August 2010 | No 6

Honorary graduates

Creative Campus

Dear Colleagues,

Some things about Higher Education have not changed during my career. I still work in ‘academic’ years, from August toAugust, rather than calendar or financial years. So as I come to the end of another year I am delighted again to see all ouraccomplished students graduating in our outstanding ceremonies in Canterbury and Rochester Cathedrals.

As part of the celebrations, we were joined by our honorary graduands. Several were former members of staff or arealumni, while others have very strong links either with the local region or with the University itself. All are highly successfulindividuals in their chosen field and we are proud to be able to honour them in this way.

At the end of July, we are hosting a conference at Medway on the Textus Roffensis (www.kent.ac.uk/history/Events/textusroffensis.html) – an ancient Kentish text setting out the ‘first laws’ housed in Rochester Cathedral. This conference hasbeen championed by our Chancellor, Sir Robert Worcester, and the School of History, and is an example of where we haveexcellence in scholarship relating to a local ‘issue’ of international importance.

Although academia seems to be continuing much as usual, it continues to do so within a very uncertain climate botheconomically and politically. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, and the Minister forUniversities and Science, David Willetts, have both spoken about the need for fundamental change in the university sectorbut also recognise the importance of universities and science to the economy. It is widely acknowledged that the systemwhich supported people of my generation will not work for the large numbers of students now at university. The supportsystem has changed at least twice within the last few years to reflect the size of the sector, and we are currently waiting forthe outcome of the government inquiry into tuition fees chaired by Lord Browne of Madingley which is due in October.

Whatever the proposals, it is clear that we will have to change. The question is how. Kent already delivers world-classresearch and teaching, and attracts a considerable number of overseas students who wish to study in the UK. We alsohave a very strong ‘public good’ role in terms of supporting the local community, both economically and educationally andwe are now the lead sponsor of a new Academy school – New Brompton College. We also have outstanding arts provisionin the visual arts, theatre and music, and have excellent sports facilities which are used by many outside the University,including local schools. In the light of inevitable change, it is this balance – that of our core activities against our ‘publicgood’ role – that I, together with my colleagues, will be considering very carefully throughout the next academic year.

In the meantime, I wish you all a pleasant and restful summer.

Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, CBEVice-Chancellor

Welcome

Special thanks to: Lesley Farr and Chris Lancaster, University Design & Print CentrePhotographs by Robert Berry, Nick Ellwood, Simon Jarratt, Spencer Scott

3 News 6 Feature: Inspire: Creative Campus 8 Research 10 Enterprise11 Honorary graduates 12 Human Resources 13 Administering change14 Kent in the News/Applied Professional Practice degree15 Active August/Oaks Day Nursery 16 What’s on

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News

High rankings for Kent in2011 league tablesThe University of Kent is placed within theUK’s top 30 universities in The Guardian’s2011 league table. Kent is ranked atnumber 27, out of a total of 118universities, representing a leap of 18places upwards from its position in thesame table last year.

The Guardian university league table ratesuniversity subjects against a range of criteria,including teaching quality; how satisfied final-year students are; how much is spent perstudent; staff-student ratios; career prospectsof graduates, and what grades pupils need tohave a chance of being offered a place.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame JuliaGoodfellow, said the university’s high positionin The Guardian table was a result of itscommitment to high-quality teaching, personalsupport and an inspiring student experience.‘Recent National Student Surveys have told usthat the University continues to deliver one of thebest student experiences in the country, and thisis further proof,’ she said. ‘Student feedback isvital, and we listen very carefully when they tellus what works for them and what they wantfrom us.’

The University’s performance by subject is alsostrong within The Guardian’s guide, as threequarters of Kent’s 28 subjects are ranked withinthe national top 30. The University achieved a top

DBE for Vice-Chancellor

Professor Julia Goodfellow CBE, FMedSci, FinstP,was appointed DBE in the Queen's birthdayhonours, announced on 12 June 2010. Theaward is for her services to science.

Dame Julia said: ‘I am delighted. This is a greathonour and one which reflects well on theUniversity and the Kent and Medway region.’

Valerie Marshall, Chair of the University of KentCouncil, said: ‘On behalf of my colleagues at theUniversity, I would like to congratulate Dame Juliaon her award. It is greatly deserved.’

KENTWe have set up a readers’ panelfor staff. Please get in touch if youwould like to become a member. Weare keen to have your feedback andletters are welcome from all our readers.Simply email the editorial team atkentmagazine@kent.ac.uk

Kent is also available online atwww.kent.ac.uk/campusonline/kentmagazine

Editorial team: Posie Bogan, Press& Communications Manager(Communications & Marketing);Colette O’Reilly, Publications Officer(Communications & Marketing);Fiona Jones, Alumni Relations Officer(Development Office);Karen Baxter, Press Assistant,(Communications & Marketing),University of Kent.

Next issue: the deadline for the nextissue is 27 September, with apublication date of 29 October.

Cover story

Honorary graduates

ten position in the country for four subjects –Social Work (8th), Economics (9th), Anthropology(10th) and American Studies (10th).

The University was also ranked in the top 40 inThe Complete University Guide 2011, publishedin The Independent, and in The Times GoodUniversity Guide 2011. Within The CompleteUniversity Guide, more than 80 per cent ofsubjects taught at Kent were placed in thenational top 30. Kent has also been ranked 22ndin the UK for web popularity in the internationalhigher education directory, 4icu.

Within all national guides published this year, theUniversity of Kent has been ranked top of theuniversities in Kent and Medway.

DCMS pays Cultural OlympiadvisitThe Department for Culture, Media and Sport’sHead of Sport and Leisure, Paul Bolt, visited theMedway region on 11 June, praising the SouthEast’s positive contribution towards the London2012 Cultural Olympiad.

A key part of his visit took place at theGalvanising Shop, the design and productionstudio for the University’s Event and ExperienceDesign department, which is based at

continued overleaf...

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News

Chatham’s Historic Dockyard. Mr Bolt wasintroduced to a wide range of cultural projectsmaking an impact across Kent, being deliveredas part of the countdown to the 2012 Olympicand Paralympic Games.

Mr Bolt heard from staff, students and an artist inresidence at the University, and also viewed theUniversity of Kent’s ground-breaking Celebratoryand Outdoor Performance Online Resource(COPOR), which was created by the departmentof Event and Experience Design. COPORprovides a wealth of information, contacts,production support and expert advice for theoutdoor performance sector across the country,and has been awarded a prestigious InspireMark – the badge of the London 2012 Inspireprogramme.

Peter Hatton, the University of Kent’s Director forthe Creative Events: Design and Productiondegree course, said: ‘Hosting the Head of Sportand Leisure from the DCMS, as well as agathering of groups and companies from acrossthe South East, was a great honour, and anopportunity for us to show the projects that staffand students have created within the remit of theCultural Olympiad.’

KBS lecturer achieves top tenworld rankingA lecturer from Kent Business School has beenranked as one of the world’s leading researchersin the field of Information Systems.

Des Laffey was placed ninth in the world in aranking of the top journals recognised by theAssociation of Information Systems (AIS), aninternational professional society of more than4,000 members from 90 countries, includingresearchers and lecturers.

The analysis of research carried out on the AIS-approved journals placed Mr Laffey as thehighest-ranked author for Information Systemsoutside of North America. The ranking took intoaccount leading-edge research published in thetop eight Information Systems journals between2007 and 2009, during which time Mr Laffeyproduced papers on online gambling,comparison websites and search engines.

manslaughter. Lorraine is re-introduced to hermother's plays and private letters and as shereflects on the parallels in their lives, she beginsto come to terms with her past.

New Health StrategyThe University is to introduce a new strategy todevelop its current health-related teaching,research and enterprise activities, enabling it tobecome more responsive to the rapidly changingdemands of the region’s healthcare services andto strengthen its research activity in those areaswhere the University already has world-classexpertise. The strategy will be sent out forwidespread consultation before being launchedin the autumn.

The strategy will build on existing strengths insocial policy, mental health, biomedical sciences,sports sciences, pharmacy, research design andtechnical innovation. A key element will be ‘KentHealth’, an agency which would act as a one-stop shop in terms of promoting, providing andoffering the University’s health activities and itsinterface with the healthcare profession.

According to Professor Peter Jeffries, ActingDean of Health, ‘We already have examples ofexcellence across the institution, such as theCentre for Health Services Studies and theCentre for Biomedical Informatics. However, afterconsultation with key players in the region weestablished there is a need for the University tohave a much closer relationship with the KentNHS, providing leadership in teaching andresearch across the region and helping revitaliseits health economy.’

The University’s health strategy will be supportedby the appointment of ten new academics andclinicians across the range of health-relateddisciplines, including biomedical sciences,cognitive neurosciences, pharmacy, andmolecular processing.

Beach hut residency for KentlecturerPatricia Debney, Senior Lecturer in CreativeWriting at Kent, has unveiled a new collection ofpoetry after completing a six-week artistresidency in a Tankerton beach hut, known asthe ‘Little Blue Hut’.

Mr Laffey said: ‘It’s satisfying to have this type ofinternational recognition. I’m now setting myselfa target to improve on this ranking with somefuture papers I’m planning, which is a challengeI’ll certainly enjoy,’ he said.

Clio Barnard among winnersat Tribeca Film FestivalClio Barnard, Reader in Film Studies at Kent,won the Best New Documentary Filmmakeraward at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival for herfilm The Arbor.

The New York film festival was founded byRobert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and CraigHatkoff to encourage economic and culturalrevitalisation following the attacks on the WorldTrade Centre in 2001. This year’s judgesincluded Whoopi Goldberg, Jessica Albaand producer Eric Steel. The judges said:‘Imagination is a word you don’t often associatewith documentary filmmaking, but this directorbends the boundaries of the form, beautifullycrafting an innovative and detailed film whereingreat storytelling is paramount.’

The Arbor tells the true story of playwrightAndrea Dunbar, who died tragically in 1990 atthe age of 29, and her daughter Lorraine, whowas just ten years old when her mother died. Thefilm shows Lorraine in the present day, also at 29;now in prison, serving a sentence for

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1 Clio Barnard’s award-winning film, The Arbor2 KBS lecturer receives top ten world ranking3 Patricia Debney4 Kent student, Ryan Manton’s award-winning

photograph, ‘Treesleeves’

The Little Blue Hut, home to the Canterbury CityCouncil Artist's Residency programme, providedthe venue for the Artist Open Day on 3 June.Over 50 people attended the event, whichshowcased Patricia Debney’s latest collection ofpoetry. Patricia said: ‘I expected to go to the hutto write something completely different – I had aplan all worked out – but in the event the placeitself took over. The whole collection has its rootsin the coast, from the tides to Whitstable spit, tothe formation of waves and the changing skyline.

‘It is hugely unusual as a residency in that itdoesn't expect anything back. It is simply ‘given’to you as a space to work in – and it is partly thisopen-endedness which has inspired me andothers, I suspect.’

Kent awarded Quality MarkThe University has been awarded the FrankButtle Trust Quality Mark for Care Leavers inHigher Education. The Frank Buttle Trust,founded in 1937, established the Quality Mark in2006 in recognition of Higher Educationinstitutions that ‘go that extra mile’ to supportstudents who have been in public care.

University evaluates a new end-of-life care programmeThe University’s Centre for Health ServicesStudies (CHSS) is helping Pilgrims Hospicesevaluate a new service that will improve end-of-life care for terminally-ill people who prefer toremain at home.

The new service will mean that Pilgrims healthcare assistants can offer care and support topatients and their families on the same day it isrequested and for up to 72 hours. The servicewill work with other community care providers togive everyone in east Kent more choice aboutend-of-life care by early 2011.

CHSS researchers aim to determine whether thenew service will enable more people to diewhere they prefer, especially for those wishing todie at home. The impact of the service on carerswill also be evaluated and the cost of providingthe new service versus the cost of usual care willbe compared.

The evaluation has been funded by the NationalInstitute for Health Research’s Research forPatient Benefit programme.

Kent student wins nationalphotography competitionArchitecture student, Ryan Manton was namedthe winner of a national photography competitionduring an exhibition at London’s BanksideGallery. The theme of this year’s nationalcompetition, which attracted nearly 200 entries,was the relationship between architecture andthe natural world. Ryan was awarded first prize,in architects ADP’s student photographycompetition, for his image ‘Tree Sleeves’.The prize included a £1,000 photographiccommission and £750 of camera equipmentvouchers.

Hat-trick of wins for UniversityaccommodationThe University of Kent has been awardedGroup Travel Organiser’s Best UniversityAccommodation for Groups for the third year insuccession. Group Travel organisers whoregularly use University accommodation vote forthe awards and Kent beat off stiff competitionfrom seven other institutions including Warwick,Imperial College London, Durham and York.

Kent alumni wins HorticulturalSociety goldJames Wong has recently won a RoyalHorticultural Society Gold Medal for the 'TourismMalaysia Garden' he created with David Cuberofor the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show. James, whonow has a successful career as a UK televisionpresenter, including his own series Grow YourOwn Drugs, was a student on the Kent MScEthnobotany programme between 2004 and2005.

Science ExtravaganzaStudents from 15 local schools in the Kent areaenjoyed a Science Extravaganza at theUniversity’s Canterbury campus.

Taking place on 6 and 7 July, the Extravaganzaprovided an insight into the worlds of scienceand technology. The year eight students tookpart in a number of practical activities, rangingfrom extracting DNA from peas in the Biosciencelaboratories to trialling forensic techniques usedby crime scene investigators.

Jane Anderson, Partnership DevelopmentOfficer at the University, said: ‘The eventorganised by the University’s Faculty of Scienceand Partnership Development Office hasbecome so popular that this year we had to run itover two days to accommodate more schools.’

Improving communicationOne of the outcomes of the recent internalcommunications audit has been thedevelopment of internal communications webpages on the Kent site. Run by Communications& Marketing, the aim is to bring together the widerange of activities that take place across anumber of departments, such asCommunications & Marketing, InformationServices, Central Secretariat and HumanResources.

These pages will be regularly reviewed inresponse to any feedback received, andexamples of good practice are particularlywelcome. You can find out more atwww.kent.ac.uk/internalcomms

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In 2008, the University of Kent launched the Creative Campuswith the aim of drawing attention to Kent’s creative strengthsand fostering new ways of bringing people together to work oncreative projects across the University. Since then, the CreativeCampus has been involved in a range of projects that supportlearning and teaching, and develop new arts and environmentalactivities which have brought about many new partnerships,both within the University and beyond. In this feature we focuson Creative Campus Initiative events that took place thissummer.

Inspire

Feature

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The Creative Campus Initiative (CCI) was aproject supported by the Higher EducationFunding Council for England (HEFCE), in whichuniversities across the South East joined forces tocreate a programme of innovative and dynamiccultural events across the region to celebrate thelink between arts and sports. Recognised by theLondon 2012 Inspire Mark as part of the CulturalOlympiad, this initiative collectively producedmore than 100 special commissions, exhibitionsand performances across the South Eastthroughout the summer, which culminated in aone-day conference hosted by the University ofKent on 17th June. Sarah Weir presented anopen lecture highlighting the role of culture andarts within the Olympic Delivery Authorityprogramme and local school children visited theeducational resources produced by this initiativeon the double-decker CCI LEAP bus!

Leading up to this, the University commissionedstaff, students and local artists to produce anambitious and creative exhibition of performedand visual arts called Slipstream. Inspired by theLondon 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games,Slipstream attracted over 600 people to eventsaround Kent over the first two weeks in June.

Two Medway-based projects were showcased toPaul Bolt of the Department of Culture, Mediaand Sport as part of a 2012 themed visit to theHistoric Dockyard in Chatham. Three architecturestudents talked about their design response tothe maritime narrative of Chatham as part of theInspire Mark project, Iron Gym. The lens-basedartist (Juan delGado – deaf and disabled artistsresidency programme) showcased his film LeReve de Newton, which has now engaged anumber of arts organisations in the county.

Likewise, several community projects were runas part of the FUSE Festival 2010 – Elementworked with the visually impaired community tobring opera and music to the Medway towns andVeloDrone invited musicians, cyclists and thegeneral public to come to Rochester Castle tocreate a musical concert through cyclingactivities. Students on the Creative Eventsprogramme in Medway engaged in an extendedcurriculum-based activity involving a guestlecturer workshop and a new digital music andinstallation group.

Three commissions by local artists – Spectators,Society of the Lost Games and RUSH – werewell received by the contemporary artscommunity. Other highlights included, MovingMemory – following from workshops in localresidential homes, performances were staged onthe Canterbury Labyrinth and Jarman Plazawhich brought an age-diverse population to theCanterbury campus and showcased thelabyrinth to a number of new audiences.

In the next phase, the aim is to attract youngpeople to engage more fully with the CulturalOlympiad through the CCI volunteer programme,by building upon the existing CCI networks topromote even wider community engagementwith the London 2012 Games through work withschools, festivals and arts organisations in theKent region.

Further details are available at:www.creativecampusinitiative.org.uk

The Creative Campus Initiative included Slipstream, anexhibition of performed and visual events stagedaround Kent, which included Spectators (main picture,left); Moving Memory (middle); and Element operaperformances at Rochester Cathedral (top) and theAmphitheatre in Strood (bottom).

Feature

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Research

Scientists at the University of Kentand University College Cork havemanipulated simple bacteria intoconstructing internal compartmentswhere biofuels and vaccines can beproduced.

These micro-compartments eventually occupyalmost 70 per cent of the available space in abacteria cell, enabling segregation of metabolicactivities and, in the era of synthetic biology,representing an important tool by which definedmicro-environments can be created for specificmetabolic functions.

Martin Warren, Professor of Biochemistryat Kent’s School of Biosciences, explained:‘Synthetic biology is really exciting becausewe can produce some important and usefulproducts that can be difficult and expensive tomake using traditional chemistry techniques.Bacteria can make these things very easilyand in large quantities if we develop bacteriawith the right characteristics to do so efficiently.

‘What we often do is to make sure that thedesired product is made within one or more tinycompartments that already exist inside the

bacteria. This means that the process doesn’tget caught up or slowed down by everythingelse that is going on in the cell and so is muchmore efficient.’

It is envisaged that these micro-compartmentscould be modified for the synthesis of ethanolor even hydrogen gas, which could reduce thehuman need for many oil-derived products,including certain medicines. The team iscurrently working on ways to produce newantibiotics within these compartments.

Michael Prentice, Professor of MedicalMicrobiology at University College Cork, said:‘Using these compartments, simple bacteria likeE.coli can make chemicals that would normallybe deadly for them. The bacteria are partiallyprotected because the chemicals are beingmade within compartments inside their cells. Weare working on ways to use these ‘factories’ toproduce substances that will kill other harmfulbacteria.’

The research was funded by the Biotechnologyand Biological Sciences Research Council(BBSRC) and Science Foundation Ireland.

Bacteria used to producebiofuels and vaccines

Research awards listSome recent research awardsProfessor Adrian Podoleanu (School ofPhysical Sciences): €1,999,241 from theEuropean Research Council for ‘Combinedtime domain and spectral domaincoherence gating for imaging andbiosensing (COGATIMABIO)’.

Alan Story (Kent Law School): £96,299 fromthe Leverhulme Trust for ‘The north-to-southtransplantation of copyright laws andvalues’.

Dr Balihar Sanghera (School of SocialPolicy, Sociology and Social Research):£48,249 from the Economic and SocialResearch Council (ESRC) for ‘Social justicephilanthropy: implications for policy andpractice’.

Dr Caroline Rooney (School of English):£4,806 from the ESRC for ‘The siege ofBeirut (1982) and the ethics ofrepresentation in literature, art andjournalism’.

Dr Karen Jones (School of History): £5,313from the British Academy for ‘Epiphany inthe wilderness: hunting and nature in theAmerican west’.

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Research

Why donors choosecharitiesA new study from Beth Breeze, a researcherwithin the UK’s Economic and Social ResearchCouncil-funded Centre for Charitable Giving andPhilanthropy (CGAP) and co-founder of theUniversity of Kent’s Centre for Philanthropy,Humanitarianism and Social Justice, intocharitable giving was launched in June.

The study, which involved in-depth interviewswith 60 committed donors, has revealed that,despite people’s widespread beliefs thatcharities exist primarily to help the needy, themajority of donors tend to support organisationsthat promote their own preferences, help peoplethey feel some affinity with and support causesthat relate to their own life experiences. Mostpeople also base decisions on their perceptionof which charities are competent – includingtheir being ‘well-run’, ‘efficient’ and with ‘lowoverheads’ – and their attempt to have thegreatest impact or get the biggest 'bang for theirbuck'.

Prior to this study, more attention was paid toquestions concerning how many donors give,how much they give, what sorts of people giveand why people give, but there was littleattention paid to the specific question of howdonors in the UK choose which charities tosupport. It is hoped that this report on donors’meanings and motivations will increase theunderstanding of the distribution of charitabledonations, and provide guidance on what itmight take to change those patterns.

Beth Breeze said: ‘Donors retain an expectationthat charities exist to serve the needy, yet inreality their own giving decisions are driven bymany non-needs-based factors. Given thevoluntary nature of charitable activity thesefindings are not actually that surprising, as thefreedom to support things that people care mostdeeply about is what differentiates charitablegiving from paying tax. Donors value the controlthey have over their charitable giving decisions,and expect to distribute their money accordingto their judgements about what is important andworthwhile. This raises a timely question aboutthe extent to which the coalition government canrealistically expect donations to plug any gapsthat may result from public spending cuts oncharitable activity.’

Lecturer launchesMiddle Eastresearch projectKent lecturer, Dr Rana Jawad, has launcheda ground-breaking research project intosocial policy in the Middle East. The£260,000 project, funded by the Economicand Social Research Council (ESRC), willexamine the role of religion in social policyand social welfare, with a particular focuson Lebanon, Iran and Turkey.

Dr Jawad believes that her three-yearproject – which will involve up to 300 face-to-face interviews and focus groups acrossthe region – will reveal more about people’slives in the Middle East, and how religionacts as a force for social welfare, than hasgenerally been reported in the past.

‘Though my research is about public policy,it will also show the human face of theMiddle East region. It will tell a story aboutpeople’s struggles for a decent life and theirunderstandings of concepts such asequality, social justice and welfare,’ DrJawad said.

Dr Jawad is to lead a team of researcherswho will be interviewing policy-makers fromMiddle Eastern governments, as well asrepresentatives of international agenciessuch as the World Bank and The UnitedNations Development Programme. DrJawad is hopeful that her research – to bepresented to international experts on socialpolicy and faith-based welfare at aconference at the end of the project –will influence policy making in the region.More information is athttp://blogs.kent.ac.uk/socpolrelme/

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Enterprise

environment is dedicated to developingenterprising ideas and employability skills.

Guests were invited to give feedback at theReflective CabCam, and Denny J Van Liew,Senior Director of the Strategic ManagementGroup for Pfizer Ltd, summed up the importanceof the Bulb for students’ development: ‘The Bulbis great. Critical thinking skills and alternativeways to problem solving are vital skills forstudents to develop. Whatever your academictraining is in, when you enter the business world,there will be things you don’t understand. Beingflexible and adaptable is vital.’

University chosen as showcaseTelecare siteThe University of Kent has been chosen by theSouth East Health Technology Alliance (SEHTA)as one of three sites to showcase the use ofinformation, communication and sensortechnologies in health and social care.

With the need to develop Telecare in the UKaccelerated by an increasing healthcare burden,the project, set up by SEHTA and SEEDA, aimsto draw on the expertise of leading healthcarecompanies, care providers and academicinstitutions to create an International Centre forExcellence in Telecare (ICE-T).

A special unit is being developed at the KentEnterprise Hub to demonstrate the use ofTelecare and carry out action research. Its aim isto explore how technologies can deliver healthand social support to people in residential carehomes and domiciliary care, in particular.

With world-class research facilities and extensivetechnical expertise on campus, the University willbecome a focus for ICE-T projects – drawing onlinks to social care partners, local authorities andthe NHS to evaluate the use of the technologyand provide an initial route to market for servicesthat are developed.

Over 50 guests, including the Lord Mayor,attended the re-launch of the Kent EnterpriseHub and the launch of the new Bulb and DigitalMedia Hub at the Canterbury Innovation Centreon 14 June. Deputy Vice-Chancellor DeniseEveritt re-launched the Hub – the University’sbusiness incubation and support unit– with a treeplanting ceremony and a speech in which shedetailed the strategy for innovation andenterprise development.

At the official launch of The Bulb and DigitalMedia Hub, Professor Peter Jeffries and CaroleBarron outlined how this new interactive

Bulb andDigitalMediaHub launch

New scheme builds studentemployabilityA three-month pilot for a new ‘earn while youlearn’ scheme aimed at further increasing theemployability of Kent graduates is going to belaunched in September.

The Global Employability Points Card willenable undergraduates to collect points forattending a wide range of extra-curricularand co-curricular events available on campus.

The scheme will focus students on building theskills most valued by employers, and provide auseful record of training for job applications.

Points are collected via the Kent One Card,and students are awarded points forparticipating at any level. The scheme hasalready received support from local businessesincluding a £5,000 bursary, which has enabledus to offer rewards for high-scoring students,and the offer of a summer internship for thehighest scoring student

With extra-curricular events a firm fixture atKent, students can participate in a wide rangeof schemes and workshops already hostedby The Student Learning Advisory Service,Kent Union, The Careers Advisory Service,SSPSSR in Medway and the Kent EnterpriseHub. For more information please email TracyCrowther, T.S.Crowther@kent.ac.uk

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Among those who receivedhonorary degrees at this summer’scongregations ceremonies inCanterbury and Rochester wereactors Orlando Bloom and DavidSuchet; and three Kent alumni,Professor Ruth Farwell, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive atBuckinghamshire New University,The Honourable Charles Wigoder,telecommunications entrepreneur,and Professor John Harris,Director of the Institute forScience, Ethics and Innovation atthe University of Manchester.

In addition, degrees were awarded toconstitutional expert Professor Vernon Bogdanor;poet and critic Molly Mahood; Professor RobertFreedman, a leading researcher in the field ofbiological sciences; Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe,Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology atthe University of Oxford; leading philosopherProfessor Colin McGinn; and Martin Sheriff, leadcancer surgeon and clinical lead for the WestKent Urology Cancer Centre.

Born and raised in Canterbury, Orlando Bloomhas established himself as a lead in a number ofHollywood films. He is a former student ofLondon’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama,and made his professional stage debut in arevival of David Storey’s drama, In Celebration.In 2009 he was named a UNICEF GoodwillAmbassador.

David Suchet OBE is one of the country’s best-known actors. He has become best-known forhis range of characterisations in severaltelevision series, most notably in the title role ofAgatha Christie’s Poirot. He has won, or beennominated for, numerous national andinternational acting awards.

Vernon Bogdanor CBE is Professor ofGovernment at Oxford University, and a Visiting

Honorary graduates

Professor of Constitutional History at King’sCollege, London. One of Britain’s foremostconstitutional experts, he has been an adviser toa number of governments, including those of theCzech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Israel andSlovakia. In 2008, he was awarded the Sir IsaiahBerlin Award by the Political Studies Associationfor Lifetime Contribution to Political Studies.

The Hon Charles Wigoder is atelecommunications entrepreneur andphilanthropist, and a Kent graduate inAccountancy and Law. In 1988, he founded thePeoples Phone Company, which became theUK’s first virtual mobile network. It was acquiredby Vodafone in 1996. He subsequently createdTelecom Plus PLC as a fully integrated multi-utilitysupplier, trading under the ‘Utility Warehouse’brand. In 2006, Telecom Plus PLC was ranked asthe fastest growing business in Europe byEuropean Business Magazine.

Molly Mahood is a writer and literary critic,whose titles include Poetry and Humanism(1950), Bit Parts in Shakespeare’s Plays (1992)and The Poet as Botanist (2008). The latter wasawarded the Rose Mary Crayshaw Prize of theBritish Academy. She has also published manyarticles on poets including Shakespeare, Keats,and John Clare. She was Professor of EnglishLiterature at Kent between 1967 and 1979 andremains Professor Emeritus at the University.

Robert Freedman, Professor of Biochemistryat the University of Warwick, is a researcher inbiological sciences, with a particular focus onprotein folding in the cell and on foldingcatalysts. His academic posts have includedHead of the Department of Biosciences andDeputy Vice-Chancellor at Kent. He is currentlyworking on research projects with colleagues atWarwick, not only in biological science but alsoin the fields of chemistry, physics and medicine.

Sir Barry Cunliffe CBE is Emeritus Professor ofEuropean Archaeology at the University ofOxford, where he taught from 1972 until hisretirement in 2007. He has excavated widely inBritain, France and Spain, and has published anumber of books on the prehistory and early

history of Europe, most recently Facing theOcean, Europe Between the Oceans and TheDruids. He is a Commissioner for EnglishHeritage and a Fellow of the British Academy.

Colin McGinn has lectured in philosophy for 35years, in both the UK and the USA, at UniversityCollege London, the University of Oxford,Rutgers University and the University of Miami,where he is currently Professor of Philosophy.He has written 20 books, tackling subjects asdiverse as mind and brain, film, Shakespeareand sport, including an autobiography. His latestbook, Disgust and Death: A Philosophical Study,integrates philosophy, psychology, biology andcultural studies.

Professor Ruth Farwell is Vice-Chancellor andChief Executive at Buckinghamshire NewUniversity. Since joining the University (thenBuckinghamshire Chilterns University College)in 2006, she has led the institution through asuccessful application for university title, a majorcampus consolidation and redevelopmentprogramme, and a period of significant growthin applications. Her posts include the chair ofhigher education representative body GuildHE.

Professor John Harris, one of the leadingbioethicists in the United Kingdom, is Director ofthe Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation atthe University of Manchester. He was elected aFellow of the United Kingdom Academy ofMedical Sciences in 2001, the first philosopherto have been elected to Fellowship of this newnational academy, and was elected a Fellow ofThe Royal Society of Arts in 2006. He is also thejoint Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of MedicalEthics, and is the author or editor of 19 booksand more than 250 papers.

Martin Sheriff was appointed consultanturological surgeon at the Medway MaritimeHospital in 2000, and was until recently the leadurological clinician. He is the lead cancersurgeon and clinical lead for the West KentUrology Cancer Centre, and is both the founderand director of minimally invasive surgicalteaching in Kent.

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1 The Hon Charles Wigoder2 Molly Mahood3 Professor Robert Freedman4 Professor Ruth Farwell5 Professor John Harris

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Human Resources

Ensure your voice is heardThe Joint Staff Negotiating and ConsultationCommittee (JSNCC) is the main forum forconsultation between the University and its staff.The JSNCC is chaired by Professor Keith Mander,Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and sits once a term todiscuss matters such as:

• Current and future University plans andproposals

• Proposed restructuring plans and possibleconsequent redundancy issues

• Proposed changes to policies and procedureswhich impact upon staff

• The possible impact of university sectordevelopments on the University

• The possible impact of legislation on theUniversity.

The Committee’s Deputy Chair is Steve Holland,Secretary, University and College Union, and themembership consists of the Director of HumanResources, the Director of Estates, the Director ofCommercial Services, a Dean and one otherUniversity appointed person, two representativesfrom the University and College Union (UCU), tworepresentatives from Unison, one Uniterepresentative, one GMB representative and fourstaff representatives who represent non-unionmembers (two of those being for academic/research/academic-related staff and two for othermembers of staff). Unions see the JSNCC as avaluable forum in which to express their members’views and put forward suggestions for change.

There are currently three vacancies for non-unionstaff representatives on the Committee. For furtherinformation please contact Jo Pearsall onJ.L.Pearsall@kent.ac.uk, or Canterbury ext 4671.

Forthcoming policiesHuman Resources are pleased to announcethe launch of a new career break policy forall University staff who meet the qualifyingconditions. Alongside the career breakpolicy, a number of other policies will belaunched over the summer. For further detailsplease go to the Human Resources websitewww.kent.ac.uk/hr-staffinformation/index.html.

If you would like to become part of thegroup that is used to consult on new andrevised policies before they are submitted tothe JSNCC and Staff Policy Committee, wewould like to hear from you. Please contactHelen Taylor at policyfeedback@kent.ac.uk

Voluntary Redundancy/EarlyRetirement SchemeThe University of Kent has introduced aVoluntary Redundancy/Early Retirement Schemeas part of its efforts to be proactive inresponding to the challenging financial climatefacing Higher Education. The objective of theScheme is to support a reduction in totalexpenditure with an emphasis on a permanentreduction of staff numbers.

Staff Development AwardsThe annual Staff Development AwardsCeremony took place on Monday 5 July in theGrimond Building.

Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, the Vice-Chancellor, presented around 100 awardswhich ranged from accredited professionalqualifications, such as Association of AccountingTechnicians (AAT) accounting awards to theUniversity in-house award in equality anddiversity practice. Two members of staff, TerryKemp and Angela Lopez-Real received the KentStaff Certificate for Volunteering Gold Award forcompleting 100 hours of volunteering.

The recipients were invited to bring guests andthey celebrated their achievements withrepresentatives from Staff Development; Equalityand Diversity; Admissions and PartnershipServices; Safety, Health and Environment;Information Services; Languages for Staff andPersonal Development; and the Unit for theEnhancement of Learning and Teaching.A special buffet lunch was provided andsponsored by Kent Hospitality.

To view photographs of all recipients and seemore information about the Staff DevelopmentAwards Ceremony please visit the StaffDevelopment website: www.kent.ac.uk/hr-staffdevelopment/awards.html

Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow with Terry Kemp and Angela Lopez-Real who both received the Kent StaffCertificate for Volunteering Gold Award

The University has not taken the decision tolaunch this scheme lightly and we recognise thevalue that all staff bring to the University.However the current financial climate makes itincreasingly important that we introduce variousmeasures to help control costs and to ensurethat we are planning responsibly to sustain theUniversity’s current position.

For further information please seewww.kent.ac.uk/hr-staffinformation/vrs/index.html

TheAcademic Division would like tointroduce the three FacultyAdministration Managers (FAMs);Melissa Bradley (Humanities), DarrenCunningham (Sciences) and ChloéGallien (Social Sciences), and outlinethe projects they have been involvedwith since joining the University a fewmonths ago. The FAM’s role wascreated in 2009 as part of theUniversity’s Administration Review.

The FAMs are currently drafting a three-yearstrategy for Faculty and Schools administrationand as part of this they have identified three keyprojects which they are focusing on as a group,working collaboratively across the University. Thethree projects identified are Business ProcessMapping, Role Profiles, and ProfessionalDevelopment and it has been agreed that eachFAM will take a lead on one particular project.

Melissa has worked in UK Higher Educationsince 2000 in a number of academicadministration roles including programmeadministration, quality assurance and school andfaculty administration management. She is amember of the Board of Trustees for theAssociation of University Administrators (AUA)and is working with the Academic Registrar onraising the profile of the AUA at Kent. At Kent sheis also currently involved in projects to develop

role profiles for administration staff, whichincludes devising role titles, role families and soon and she is working closely with HumanResources.

Having embarked on an academic career in theFurther Education sector, Darren rapidlyprogressed in to Higher Education AdministrativeManagement and has a wealth of knowledgegained in senior faculty management positions inboth the UK and Australia. At Kent, he is involvedin projects that draw on this previous experienceto enhance business processes, as well asdevising methods to reduce the administrativeburden on academic staff.

Chloé has come to Kent from the University of StAndrews. Before this, she held academic andmanagerial positions in France, England,Switzerland and Scotland, where she gainedparticular expertise in taught postgraduateeducation, the project-management andvalidation of international collaborative provision,and of distant learning programmes. Chloé alsohas extensive experience in the design andproduction of learning and training programmesand materials in all media. She is particularlylooking forward to being involved in theambitious professional development projectwhich the Academic Division is currentlydeveloping at Kent.

Helen Taylor, on behalf of the University, receives aCertificate of Support from Colonel David Saunders

13KENT Magazine

University rewarded forsupport for ReservistsThe University of Kent was presentedwith a Certificate of Support in April byColonel David Saunders alongside 16representatives from Kent organisations.The Certificate was to acknowledge ourcommitment to support employees who aremembers of the Volunteer Reserve Forces ata special reception hosted by the DeputyCommander of 2 (South East) Brigade atDover Castle in April.

The Event was organised by SaBRE(Support for Britain’s Reserve Forces andEmployers) to thank employers in the regionfor their continued support, and toemphasise the benefits Reservists can bringto an organisation.

The University currently offers Reservistsone additional week of paid leave to attendtheir annual training camp and hasformalised this in a policy called Leave forPublic Service and Volunteering whichoutlines staff entitlements to time off whencarrying out certain public duties andvolunteering activities.

Academic Division

Managingchange

14 KENT Magazine

Professional practiceKent in the news

The University continues to have a high media profile. Recent coverageincluded a report by David Roberts (Durrell Institute of Conservation andEcology) on the thousands of undiscovered plant species that faceextinction. This was featured in The Guardian and attracted significantonline coverage, including: TIME, Science Daily, nationalgeographic.com,as well as additional coverage in Argentina, Canada, Germany, India,Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, UK, USA and Zimbabwe.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow who was appointed DBEin the Queen's birthday honours, received extensive print and onlinecoverage, including: The Times, The Scotsman, The Daily Telegraph, TimesHigher Education Supplement and The Independent.

Professor Marian Fitzgerald, School of Social Policy, Sociology and SocialResearch, (SSPSSR) discussed the publication of the British Crime Surveywith BBC TV News, BBC Radio London, LBC Radio and BBC Radio Wales.Professor Tim Luckhurst, Head of the Centre for Journalism, appeared onBBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 4 (The Media Show), SunTalk, LBC, BBCRadio Kent, BBC South East and ITV’s Meridian News. He has also writtenfor The Independent, The Guardian and The Independent on Sunday.

Other national media contributions included: Dr Ellie Lee (SSPSSR) on BBCRadio 4’s Woman’s Hour and News Quiz; Professor Frank Furedi (SSPSSR)discussed the sexualisation of children on BBC Radio Scotland; JanMacVarish, Centre for Health Services Studies (SSPSSR) spoke to SunTalkabout her research into women choosing to live alone; Dr Nick Hiley (BritishCartoon Archive) explained 19th Century cartooning and the McGillpostcard censorship cases on BBC4’s Rude Britannia. Dr Mark Hampton’sdive tourism expert workshop gained international coverage via CDNN –the Cyber Diver News Network website. The RIBA nomination for theJarman Building gained BBC News Online coverage and also featured inTimes Higher Education.

Regional coverage included: Dr Ellie Lee talking to BBC Radio Kent aboutmale post-natal depression and ‘More and more rules’ about pregnancy.BBC South East featured the honorary degrees awarded to Orlando Bloomand David Suchet; Dr Alex Stevens (SSPSSR) discussing how effective jailterms are for drug dealers; Dr Catherine Waters (School of English) on thetranslation of Charles Dickens’ work into modern urban slang; and DesLaffey (Kent Business School) on broadband. Professor Nick Grief, KentLaw School, Medway, was interviewed on BBC Radio Kent about theimplications of Kent police’s offer of compensation to protestors atKingsnorth.

Other coverage included Kentish Gazette, What’s On Stage, Your Medway,Kent Messenger, Medway News, Kent on Saturday, Kent on Sunday, KentNews, This is Kent and a host of other regional news websites.

This is just some of the recent coverage gained by the University. For moreinformation, visit Kent in the news on campus online or contact the MediaOffice at mediaoffice@kent.ac.uk

Improvingyour futureBA AppliedProfessional PracticeThe BA in Applied ProfessionalPractice (APP) is an idealprogramme for those in work whowant to gain a degree-levelqualification. Run by the Centre forProfessional Practice (CPP), the BAin Applied Professional Practice is apart-time programme designed toenable working people to study foran undergraduate qualificationusing their workplace as a focus fortheir study. The programme is opento people working at the Universityand those employed elsewhere –currently we have people who workfor the NHS, John Lewis and localauthorities studying alongsideUniversity of Kent staff.

Studying at this level will bothenhance your career prospectsand give you real personalsatisfaction. Current student, AlisonCrump has noticed how studyingon the programme has affectedher: ‘Studying on the APP degreecourse has changed me. I havebecome more confident, with bettercommunication skills, for example Iam now able to get up in front of aclass and complete a 20-minutepresentation, something I would nothave contemplated beforehand.’

APP is a flexible programmeallowing you to study at either theCanterbury or the Medwaycampus. Studying part-time youhave up to six years to gain yourdegree, but there is also an optionthat enables you to complete yourdegree in just four years and oneterm. We offer flexible seminartimes, such as just after work, andallow you to create your own uniquestudy pathway, combining CPP’s

work-based practice modules, suchas Professional Relationships,Recognition of Prior Learning, andManaging Change, ManagingPeople, with modules from otherschools across the University. Thisallows you to study subjects inwhich you have a particularinterest, such as law, psychology ora moderen language. We also offeryou the opportunity to take moduleswith a less direct link to your work;for example, our Fiction and Workmodule gives you the opportunity toexplore how characters in fictiondeal with the complexities ofworking life.

When asked if she wouldrecommend the programme toothers, current student Ruth Coxsaid: ‘I already have. The course isvaried, interesting and flexible. It isa brilliant opportunity to study andwork. Why would anyone pass onhaving the chance to get thatfantastic buzz you receive whenyou hand in an essay on time andreceive a pass mark?’

We positively welcome applicationsfor the Applied ProfessionalPractice degree from candidateswho do not hold traditionalqualifications; you do, though, needa minimum of two years’ workexperience. If you are interested infinding out more about the AppliedProfessional Practice degree, or tosimply chat about returning tostudy, please contact StudentSupport Officer Sue Brown,S.Brown@kent.ac.uk

15KENT Magazine

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As we head into summer the Sports,Physical Activity & Recreationdepartment are keen to encourageeveryone to get active and trysomething new. Throughout Augustwe will be running Active August,a programme of free activities opento all. Activities will include: Archery,Bat & Trap, Tai Chi, Pétanque andHulatastic.

Sports Scholar, Sam Perkins, will berunning Archery workshops forbeginners. Participants will receivean introduction to the sport, be madefamiliar with the equipment and beable to shoot targets under Sam’ssupervision. A maximum of 12participants will be allowed forthis workshop, so make sure tosign up today.

Sports

Active August

Oaks nurserycelebrates 40 years

Bat & Trap and Pétanque leagues willrun on the first four Tuesday’s andThursday’s respectively. These greatteam sports are fantastic fun and canbe enjoyed by all standards. You canalso have a go at Hulatastic and tryTai Chi classes on the green outsidethe Templeman Library. As a furtherincentive to get active, all classes atthe Sports Centre will be free toeveryone in August and gym staffwill be offering personalised fitnessprogrammes.

So why not join in and have some funthis August!

For further information and details onhow to sign up for the ArcheryWorkshops and the Bat & Trap andPetanque leagues, please visitwww.kent.ac.uk/sports or emailsportsenquiries@kent.ac.uk

Oaks Day Nursery celebrated its40th birthday on Saturday 10 Julywith a party, which included abarbecue, face painting, hook aduck, a raffle and music. More than150 people joined in the fun.

The nursery had invited ex-pupilOrlando Bloom to the celebration,but unfortunately he was unable toattend. However, on Monday 14 July,Orlando dropped in to look aroundthe nursery he once attended. Hechatted to children and staff, andmet June Melrose who rememberedlooking after Orlando when he was achild.

What’s on

Gulbenkian TheatrehighlightsMonday 13 September 4.30pmTuesday 14 September 11am,1.30pm Tall Stories production ofRoom on the Broom

Wednesday 22 September 7.45pmPaul ZerdinSpongefest on Tour 2010Talented ventriloquist andcomedian, and stand out performerat last year’s Royal Variety Show,comes to the Gulbenkian.

Wednesday 29 September,Wednesday 27 October,Wednesday 1 December 8.30pmThe Funny Side Comedy Clubpresented by BarnstormersComedy

Friday 15 October 7.45pmInspector SandsIf That’s All There IsA successful, but desperatelyaverage couple, become

unexpectedly entangled with otherpeople, leading to surreal andhilarious territory.

Monday 18 October 7.45pmBallet BlackWinners of the Dance EuropeAward 2010 for outstandingcompany Ballet Black providesa wonderful showcase forchoreographers and dancersof black and Asian descent.

Wednesday 20 October 7.45pmAusten’s Women

Friday 22 October 7.45pmFrank Wurzinger’s new solo showThe Confetti Maker

Saturday 23 October 7.45pmGeorgie Fame in Concert

Sunday 24 October 2pmNew perspectives and ScampTheatre present Farm Boy, byMichael Morpurgo, a sequel toWar Horse.

Saturday 30 October 7.45pmOperaUpClose present La BohèmeTransported from 1830s BohemianParis to present-day Britain thisproduction makes La Bohème asfunny, accessible and engaging foraudiences as its first performancein 1896.

Tuesday 16 November 7.30pmTheatre Unlimited present NotAbout Heroes by StephenMacDonald, the story of themeeting of Siegfried Sassoon andthe then unknown Wilfred Owen.

Tuesday 30 November 7.45pmJeremy Hardy, presents ‘not somuch a one-man show as an under-staffed cavalcade’.

For full details of times please go towww.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian/theatre

ListingsMonday 26 July 6pm, PilkingtonLecture Theatre, Medway campusOpen lecture series‘The legacy of the textus’,Michael Wood

Saturday 25 SeptemberSchool of History alumni dayCanterbury campus

Wednesday 27 October 5pm,Grimond LT1, Canterbury campusDistinguished lecture series‘Making a drama out of a crisis?Speculation, social meanings andsystem logics.’John Clarke, Professor of SocialPolicy, The Open UniversityProfessor Clarke presents anidiosyncratic take on recent events,speculating on how politics,economics and social needs havebeen realigned in the search forsolutions. After the lecture areception will be held in theGrimond foyer.