Kelly Coate, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students

Kelly Coate, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students, emailed all taught students at the end of Welcome Week. You can read the full message below:

Hello,

I have greatly enjoyed welcoming new students to campus and saying hello to many of you who have been returning these past few days, and I hope this coming academic year is full of possibilities for you. We have a new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil, and new opportunities to help you make the most of your time at Sussex, whether it’s your first year here or you’ve returned to continue your course.

It’s already been a memorable week so far for me. On Monday I joined 150 students in the Jubilee building to view the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, followed by a Boundary walk I led with 50 students and staff in the countryside around campus. On Wednesday evening I enjoyed meeting more students at one of our many sustainability initiatives: a Silent Disco Beach Clean organised with our charity partner, Surfers Against Sewage, and I was, as always, impressed by our community's commitment to helping make a difference in the world. I hope to welcome lots more of you in person over the coming weeks – and if you see me on campus, do come up and say hello. I’d love to hear how you’re getting on!

In this update you can find out about:

• Check your timetable
• How we’ll communicate with you
• Win a £1,000 Santander award to support your studies
• Useful learning resources
• Verify your student ID for discounted bus tickets
• Keeping well – make sure your vaccinations are up to date
• University of Sussex ‘twins’ with Ukrainian University
• Sussex snapshot

Check your timetable

Following some essential works taking place in Bramber House, the venues for your teaching sessions may have changed. Please check your timetable ahead of Monday to ensure you go to the correct room. The times of teaching sessions have stayed the same.

How we’ll communicate with you

I’ll be using this weekly update to share opportunities and keep you up to date with important information for your time at Sussex. At Graduation, back in July, I had lots of lovely conversations with students and their families, who said they found these updates helpful – I hope you do too! You can find information about the ways we’ll communicate with you on the Student Hub, and you can follow our Student News Twitter account for updates. Look out for a message from our Vice-Chancellor as term begins next week too. 

Win a £1,000 Santander award to support your studies

We are working in partnership with Santander Universities to offer awards of £1,000 to ten current Sussex students this autumn. Sign up to the Santander Scholarships platform for your chance to win and find more information in our news story. 

Useful learning resources

Take a look at our new, student-produced quickfire guide to our main digital learning platforms, Sussex Direct and Canvas. You can also read about study options and resources on the Student Hub – your online home for information about studying, housing, money, health, news, campus events and more. 

Verify your student ID for discounted bus tickets

Brighton & Hove Buses are introducing a verification process for students from 30 September 2022. Make sure you complete this process to get discounted bus tickets on the mobile app. We have further information about how to travel around Brighton & Hove on the Student Hub.

Keeping well – make sure your vaccinations are up to date

It's worth being aware of the signs of meningitis and septicaemia, as university students are at higher risk of meningococcal disease. If you are a UK or overseas student under 25 years of age and you haven't been vaccinated yet, you can get the MenACWY vaccine for free on the NHS. In addition, we encourage students to get vaccinations for mumps, measles and rubella (MMR), and HPV, if you haven't had them yet. Find out more about vaccinations.

University of Sussex ‘twins’ with Ukrainian University

We have signed an official agreement to ‘twin’ with Ukrainian University Oles Honchar Dnipro National to support students and academics disrupted by the war actions in Ukraine. You can read about the partnership, which will include sharing access to online courses and teaching materials, as we work together to progress education and research.

With best wishes,

Kelly

Kelly Coate, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students

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