Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students), Professor Kate O'Riordan, wrote to all taught students earlier today:

Hello,

As teaching finishes next week and you prepare for the assessment period, we want to ensure that you can achieve your best. The Student Hub’s exams and assessments section,  includes a range of information to support you, while our Skills Hub offers video and written resources designed to strengthen skills like writing and revision. You can check out third-year student Tristan’s tips for active learning techniques in this Instagram video too.

Recently, Sussex’s student newspaper, The Badger, was recognised in multiple categories at the Student Publication Association’s national awards. This is a huge achievement, so congratulations to The Badger team! You can read more on the Student Hub.

Last Thursday, our Education Awards brought staff and students together for an exciting evening of celebration and recognition. Find out more below.

Sussex is a research-intensive university, and many of your teachers are researchers, whose work may make headlines in the media. The research of Dr Eva-Maria Mueller from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences is highlighted in this article about her contribution to an international project making a 3D map of the universe – truly out of this world.

Another research project, The Big Bee Hotel Experiment led by Professor Dave Goulson in the School of Life Sciences, has recently featured in the press. This citizen science project is asking anyone who has a bee hotel, or can make or buy one, to get involved and help improve our understanding of solitary bees. Find out how to take part.

Did you also know your new student blog is live? You can explore a range of posts from student bloggers, including what Amina learned from one of our recent Make it Happen careers events.

Please read on for your regular update, including:

• Celebrating outstanding teaching and support at our Education Awards
• Module evaluation questionnaires
• University housing waiting list
• Discounted meals and free fruit to help fuel your studies
• Campus nature walk and other sustainability events
• Renovated gym facilities on campus
• Next Sussex Universe talk (30 April)
• Money Week with Blackbullion (22-26 April)
• Sussex vs Brighton Varsity (22 April-2 May)
• Learn more about Sussex scholarships during Masters Week (10-14 June)
• Free event to celebrate Jenny Mitchell’s poetry residency (8 May)

Celebrating outstanding teaching and support at our Education Awards

Last Thursday (18 April) we celebrated our Education Awards, which recognise academic and Professional Services staff who make studying at Sussex a great experience.

Thank you to those of you who nominated members of staff who have made a positive impact on your studies. Staff who are nominated and those who win really appreciate the time and thought students put into the nominations – it is a wonderful way to be recognised. This year we received over 600 nominations, with more than 450 of those submitted by students.

You can view this gallery of photos from the evening and read more on the Student Hub.

Module evaluation questionnaires

End of module evaluation questionnaires (MEQs) for Semester two modules are open until Friday 10 May. Please fill these in to share valuable feedback with your tutors and convenors. This will help them to understand what is working well and what could be improved next time the module runs.

There is a separate survey link for each School, which you will receive from your module tutors or convenors, and from that link you can choose your module. You will need to complete the survey once for each module you have taken this semester.

The survey should only take around 3-5 minutes per module and it can be completed on your own devices. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

University housing waiting list

If you are a student returning to Sussex, we will have a number of rooms available in September 2024. We will also have a number of rooms for new Home postgraduate taught students (MSc and MA). If you are interested, please visit the Student Hub for more information.

Discounted meals and free fruit to help fuel your studies

Our catering partners are offering half-price food on the Uni Food app to help support our students preparing for assessments next month. Head over to the Bridge (which spans the divide between Pevensey I and Pevensey II) and order food to be delivered to the kiosk there before 4pm on Monday and Tuesday (29 and 30 April) for 50% off – including Tortilla. You just need to use the code DISCOUNTFIFTY then choose what you fancy. Read more about the Uni Food app.

We will also be giving away free fruit to students from 13 May onwards. You will find bowls where you can help yourself in the Library, at the Student Centre and at Botanical Café in the Jubilee building while assessments are on – plus we will hand out fresh produce to students around campus. Follow @SussexUniFood on Instagram to find out more nearer the time.

Campus nature walk and other sustainability events

You can join a guided walk around campus biodiversity hotspots on Monday 29 April as part of Sustainable Sussex fortnight. The group will meet at 2.15pm outside the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) to walk through some of our biodiversity projects. The route will include a stop at the Love Your Scrub site to discover and record as much wildlife as possible for the annual City Nature Challenge.

For Climate Justice Week, the Students’ Union is also hosting a series of events you can take part in. During the day on Sunday 28 April, they are running the Decolonising Sustainability Festival. In the evening, head to ACCA to catch a screening of Out of the Blue, which focuses on deep sea mining.

Renovated gym facilities on campus

Using your feedback, Sussexsport have just completed an overhaul of the equipment in both gyms on campus, including new resistance machines and cross training equipment. Spin classes will now take place in the dance studio. You can find out more about the improvements on the Student Hub and book classes and ActiveUS sessions using the new Sussexsport app.

Next Sussex Universe talk (30 April)

Book your place for the final talk of the Sussex Universe series this term, taking place on Tuesday 30 April. Dr Jonas Lindert will explain how the language of Quantum Field Theory allows us to provide such precise theory predictions required for the search of the Unknown.

The Sussex Universe lectures are completely free to attend and are accessible to a broad audience with no background knowledge.

Money Week with Blackbullion (22-26 April)

Money Week is an initiative run by our partner Blackbullion, designed to provide you with practical tips, resources and guidance to manage your money more effectively. Whether you feel confident in this area or are just starting your financial journey, there is something for everyone.

Sussex vs Brighton Varsity (22 April-2 May)

Our annual sports competition against the University of Brighton started this week, and we will be looking to defend our title as the winner of the last four years. Check the Students’ Union website to see match dates and book your tickets.

Learn more about Sussex scholarships during Masters Week (10-14 June)

Book your place for our series of short online sessions taking place during Masters Week from Monday 10 to Friday 14 June. This is an opportunity to find out about the types of postgraduate courses available and what they involve, the application process, and scholarships and funding – including tuition fee reductions for current Sussex undergraduates. You will be able to ask current Masters students any questions you may have about Masters study at Sussex.

Free event to celebrate Jenny Mitchell’s poetry residency (8 May)

You are warmly invited to book your place for our celebratory event to mark the end of Sussex alumna Jenny Mitchell’s poetry residency at the University. You will get to hear about the residency and learn more about the Black at Sussex programme. Jenny will share some of her work, as well as an overview and reflections on the residency, and there will be a Q&A about wicked problems and the power of poetry. If you would like to, you will have the opportunity to share a poem during an open mic.

With best wishes,
 
Kate

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

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