Kate O'Riordan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students), Professor Kate O'Riordan, wrote to all taught students earlier today. You can read the full message below:

Hello,

Whether this is your first term or the start of your final year, I want to once again wish you the very best with your academic work and life outside of your course. If you haven’t already, you might like to begin working towards a Spirit of Sussex Award, as it’s a great way to meet new people, make friends and broaden your student experience. The awards are our way of recognising all your achievements throughout your time here.

Yesterday, we celebrated the achievements of the undergraduate Junior Research Associates with a poster exhibition. The winners of the poster competition were: Tom Baird-Taylor (Life Sciences); Natalia James (Law Politics and Sociology); and Keerthy Vijendran (Brighton and Sussex Medical School). We also recently celebrated the success of almost 180 scholarship students at events on campus. They included 118 Masters students supported by Chevening (the UK government’s international scholarships programme), who are enrolled across nearly every academic school.

Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global and Civic Engagement), also welcomed 60 Masters students from more than 40 countries to Sussex. These included those being supported by scholarship schemes from their home countries, as well as the British Council, World Bank and Sussex scholarships.

Our international community and global outlook make the University a special place, where we can learn together and live alongside one another. We offer exciting opportunities for undergraduates to study abroad too. For information about the year abroad scheme please talk to your School office and read below for more information.

I know many of you have progression results this week. If you have questions about these, please contact your School office, check the Student Hub, and read below for more details.

Please read on for your regular update, including:

• Reminder about student support options
• Safety and security
• Latest marking and assessment update for continuing students
• Win a £1,000 Santander Brighter Futures grant to support your studies
• Study abroad applications for first and second year students open until 29 November
• Register for our PhD Open evening
• Leave a review about Sussex and enter a £200 prize draw!
• Book your free Kindfest ticket
• Sussex snapshot.

Reminder about student support options

The Student Hub is your first point of information, including about health and financial support services.

Our services can offer advice and support on any issue that may be affecting you. You can contact the Student Centre in person at the Welcome desk, on the phone (01273 075700), or online via the My Sussex portal. You can now use My Sussex to book an appointment to visit our friendly advisors.

If you've experienced bullying, sexual violence or discrimination, please let us know using the report and support tool, and an advisor will get in contact with you if you have indicated that you would like to speak with someone.

On the Student Hub you can also find details of group sessions and workshops run by our Therapeutic Services. Upcoming sessions focus on topics including homesickness, the transition to university, stress control and managing your mental health with a long-term health condition. See more information about our therapeutic and counselling services.

As I mentioned last week, I want to reiterate the recent message from our Vice Chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil. This is a very worrying time, particularly for those of you who have family, friends and loved ones in Israel and Gaza, and for Jewish and Palestinian students. Please do reach out via our support services if you need to speak to someone.

Safety and security

The University is generally a safe place and security patrol the campus 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. However, it is good to be aware of where to find help if you think that you or someone else is at risk.

In an emergency, you should call 999 whether you are on or off campus. On campus, you must also call security on 3333 on an internal phone or +44 (0)1273 873333 on your mobile, as they will need to direct emergency services to your location. It’s a good idea to keep security’s number on your mobile.

You can also call security 24-hours a day from one of the many emergency phones on campus.

Please check the Student Hub for more information.

Latest marking and assessment update for continuing students

Since the marking and assessment boycott ended on 6 September, academic staff have been marking the outstanding assessments and the University’s quality assurance processes applied to confirm individual marks and student outcomes.

If you’re a continuing student who has been affected by the boycott, you would have received your outstanding results yesterday (Wednesday 18 October). It’s important that you check your Sussex Direct pages for your updated results as you may have an updated outcome, or additional re/sit work to complete this year.

We continue to update the Industrial Action page on the Student Hub. Please check this page to stay up-to-date and see answers to frequently asked questions about your results and how to submit a complaint. 

Win a £1,000 Santander Brighter Futures grant to support your studies

We are working in partnership with Santander Universities to offer awards of £1,000 to 10 current Sussex students this autumn. Register through the Santander Scholarships platform for your chance to win! You can find more information in our news story.

Study abroad applications for first and second year students open until 29 November

If you would like to study abroad as part of your degree, you now have the opportunity to apply to study with one of our university partners.

First year students can apply for a semester abroad during their second year. Please note that some subjects are not eligible for a semester abroad.

Second year students can apply for a year abroad during their third year.

Applications for both options will close on 29 November, so please make sure you submit your online application on time.

Contact the Sussex Abroad team on outbound.sussexabroad@sussex.ac.uk for more information or to request the link to the application form.

Register for our PhD Open evening

Join us on campus on Monday 30 October to discover how you could shape your world with a PhD. You’ll have a chance to speak with current postgraduate researchers, hear from the Doctoral School and academic staff taking part in panel discussion, and get advice on student support, career development, funding and how to apply. Book your place.

Leave a review about Sussex and enter a £200 prize draw!

We’re really excited to take part again in this year’s Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs). The WUSCAs are the largest annual university awards in the UK voted for exclusively by students like you, based on reviews on Whatuni.

This year, when you leave a review for Sussex you automatically enter into the WUSCAs weekly prize draw to win a £200 Amazon voucher, and one lucky reviewer is pulled at random every week! Read the terms and conditions of the weekly prize draw.

It only takes 10 minutes to leave a review for Sussex on the Whatuni website.

WUSCA agents will also be around on campus on Tuesday 24 October collecting reviews from students in person and giving out sweet treats, so keep an eye out!

Book your free KindFest ticket

KindFest is returning for its fourth year, ahead of World Kindness Day 2023. Join this virtual festival from 1pm-7pm on Friday 10 November to hear from interesting speakers across three virtual tents. Visiting Professor, broadcaster and Sussex alumna Claudia Hammond will chair a live panel discussion focused on the media, highlighting work by the Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness.

As a Sussex student you can book free tickets via Eventbrite using the promotional code SUSSUNI01. You will receive the online event link a few days before Kindfest begins.

With best wishes,
  
Kate

Professor Kate O’Riordan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students)

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