Earlier today, Kelly Coate, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students, wrote to all taught students. You can read her full email below:

Hello,

With the assessment period nearly upon us, I know a lot of you will be thinking about essay writing and exam revision at the moment. On the Skills Hub you can find resources to help you prepare.  

I was terribly sorry to hear about the unrest and violence currently occurring in Sudan. The University has reached out to all students who have declared either a Sudanese nationality or home address in Sudan to ensure that they are aware of the support available for them. 

Read on for this week’s update, including: 

• Local elections: remember that polling day is Thursday 4 May
• Complete the NSS: last chance to help raise money for Mind
• Campus services re-procurement consultation – a chance to win a £50 voucher
• Win two tickets for Brighton Festival event
• Free workshops with our Psychological Wellbeing team
• Sussex Food Coronation specials and afternoon tea
• New Active US timetable – try low-cost, social sport sessions and join the boundary walk
• Postgraduate? Help donate to charity by telling us about your experience
• Celebrating South Africa’s Freedom Day

Local elections on Thursday 4 May – don't forget photo ID! 

It’s the local elections next week on Thursday 4 May. Your local council has an impact on many of the services you use every day and this is your chance to vote for the candidates who will make the decisions on important local issues.  

Don’t forget that eligible voters now need to present photo ID when voting in person, such as a passport or driving licence.  

Polling stations will be open from 7am – 10pm on Thursday 4 May, for you to vote in person.  

Take a look at the Electoral Commission website has for information about voting in the local elections. 
 

Complete the NSS: last chance to help raise money for Mind 

If you’re a final-year undergraduate, there are some great reasons to complete the National Student Survey (NSS) before it closes on Sunday 30 April. 

We’re donating £1 to the mental health charity Mind for each Sussex finalist who completes the survey. It’s also a chance to reflect on your degree as a whole and help future students. 

See more information about the NSS on the Student Hub.  
  

Campus services re-procurement consultation – a chance to win a £50 voucher 

This year, the re-procurement of a number of critical campus services gives us the opportunity to transform their shape, quality and provision to the benefit of our whole University community. We want to ensure that students, staff, and visitors are welcomed to a campus that is clean, safe, secure and accessible to all.  

We are inviting you to take part in the consultation and share your views on the services that keep our campus running smoothly. Take the survey and you could win one of 60 £50 high street shopping vouchers. The survey closes on 8 May and will take about 10-20 minutes to complete.   

We’re also running a series of focus groups next week. Read the latest news story to find out about the session times and how to sign up.  

To learn more about facilities management at Sussex, watch our short explainer video. 
 

Win two tickets for Brighton Festival event 

Sussex is the official Higher Education Partner for Brighton Festival 2023 and there are lots of interesting events now available to book. 

You have a chance to win two tickets to Suroor on 15 May. Suroor is a shape-shifting, experimental collaboration involving this year's Guest Director, acclaimed musician, producer, DJ and broadcaster Nabihah Iqbal. 

To enter, head to the Brighton Festival page on the Student Hub, and fill in your email details by 12 noon on Wednesday 10 May. 

A winner will be randomly drawn from the entries and contacted via their Sussex email address after the competition has closed. Read the terms and conditions here. 
 

Free workshops with our Psychological Wellbeing team 

The University’s Psychological Wellbeing team continues to run wellbeing workshops on various themes, including Managing your mood. 

Please use the links above for more details. You can email therapy@sussex.ac.uk to sign up or ask any questions about these group sessions. You can visit the health and wellbeing section of the Student Hub for more information and resources. 
  

Sussex Food Coronation specials and afternoon tea 

To celebrate King Charles III’s coronation, Sussex Food is planning a quintessentially British menu. Enjoy a traditional Afternoon Tea picnic experience on campus, with three-tiered stand, sandwich, scone, quiche, cupcake and hot drink. 
   

Try low-cost and social sport sessions 

Moving your body is a good way to boost your physical and mental wellbeing! Designed by students, for students, our Active US programme offers a low-cost, inclusive and diverse range of social sport activities. Check out the new summer term timetable, that’s started now.

As part of Commit to get Fit month in May, Sussexsport is also running its annual Boundary Walk (3 May, 12-1pm) and Boundary Fun Run (31 May, 12-1pm). Bring out your trail shoes and book your free place now. 
 

Postgraduate? Help donate to charity by telling us about your experience 

The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) is an opportunity for you to let us know about your postgraduate experience so far. Your responses will help shape the future for other postgraduate students.  

For every eligible student that completes the survey before it closes on 7 May, we will donate £1 to a charity chosen by you. 
 

Celebrating South Africa’s Freedom Day 

The University of Sussex has a proud history of standing in solidarity with South Africa during the fight against apartheid. Today (27 April) we celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa, commemorating the first post-apartheid elections held on this day in 1994. 
  

With best wishes,

Kelly

Professor Kelly Coate, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students 

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