Professor Kelly Coate

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

Hello,

As you may have seen, at the end of this academic year I'll be completing my five-year term as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students. I’ve truly enjoyed working with students and staff to improve the student experience at Sussex, and ensure you have the best teaching and learning opportunities possible. It has been a privilege to do this.

I will always be proud of the achievements, passion and spirit that Sussex students show here and take into the world when they graduate. Recruitment for my replacement is now underway and, although I am finishing my current position, I will remain at Sussex as Professor of Higher Education in the School of Education and Social Work.

Recently, Claudia Hammond, broadcaster, Sussex graduate and current Visiting Professor for the Public Understanding of Psychology, launched the Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness, the UK’s only dedicated kindness research centre. As well as outstanding research, we have courses on this subject including an online postgraduate certificate in the Psychology of Kindness and Wellbeing at Work. If you are currently an undergraduate, you might also like to explore many other subjects and postgraduate funding opportunities through our Masters Week (5-9 June, online).

Remember, kindness can have a big impact. It’s one free way we can make a positive difference to someone else’s day.

Read on for this week’s update, including: 

• Support for students during the spring vacation
• Reminder: choosing option modules through Sussex Direct
• Finalists! There’s still time to take part in the NSS
• We’ve been ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies!
• Postgraduate student? Tell us about your time at Sussex
• Pitch for the Planet reopens: win a share of £30,000 to bring your idea to life
• Keep eating for less: University extends its £2 subsidised meal scheme
• Local elections on Thursday 4 May – what you need to know
• Spirit of Sussex Award: celebrating your achievements
• New Active US timetable – designed for students, by students
• Sussex snapshot

Support for students during the spring vacation

As the spring term has ended, I’d like to remind you about online support that is available all year round. Togetherall is a virtual community where you can access peer support and online courses around mental health and lifestyle. You can register for free using your University of Sussex email address and find out more on our mental health page.

The University will be running a minimum service from Thursday 6 April to Tuesday 11 April (inclusive), to give staff a well-earned break. Some facilities will be closed or operating during different hours during the spring vacation. See more information on the Student Hub.

Reminder: choosing option modules through Sussex Direct

The facility to choose your option or elective modules for the next academic year closes today (3 April) at 11.59pm. If you have not yet completed this process, please log into Sussex Direct and select your modules. Read more in this news story.

Finalists! There’s still time to take part in the NSS

You still have time to complete the National Student Survey (NSS) if you haven’t done so yet. Filling in the survey is a chance to tell the world about your time at Sussex.

Plus, we are donating £1 to the charity Mind for every Sussex finalist who takes the NSS before it closes on 30 April.

Take the NSS.

We’ve been ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies!

For the seventh consecutive year, the University of Sussex, together with the Institute of Development Studies, has been ranked as the best in the world for Development Studies in the QS World University Rankings by Subject. It’s also exciting that Sussex has 12 subject areas ranked in the UK’s top 20 – two more than last year. You can read more on the Student Hub.

Postgraduate student? Tell us about your time at Sussex

The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) is an opportunity for Masters and other postgraduate students to tell us about their experience at Sussex so far. Your responses will help shape the future for other postgraduate students.

As a thank you, if you complete the PTES by Monday 17 April, you will be entered in to a cash prize draw, with two £1,000 prizes on offer.

Pitch for the Planet reopens: win a share of £30,000 to bring your idea to life

Our annual sustainability innovation competition for students is open again! Pitch for the Planet gives you the chance to win some funding and a coveted spot in our summer accelerator programme to help you develop a sustainability idea.

This year’s theme is ‘Sustainable Sussex’, aiming to bring together ideas to help us achieve the University’s goal of Net Zero Carbon by 2035. You can read more about our Sustainability Strategy here.

Submit your idea using this online form by 10am on Thursday 13 April 2023.

Visit the Student Hub for more information and feel free to send any questions to sustainable@sussex.ac.uk.

Keep eating for less: University extends its £2 subsidised meal scheme

The University has extended its £2 subsidised meal scheme until the end of the academic year. The scheme, which provides hot and tasty vegetarian and vegan meals for the university community, has proven popular with students and staff alike, with over 20,000 subsidised hot meals having now been served. It has been shortlisted for a Cost of Living Award at this year's Whatuni Student Choice Awards.

If you haven’t tried one already, you can get your £2 meal at Eat Central (on the ground floor of Bramber House) from 12 noon-5pm every day.

Discover more about cost of living support on the Student Hub.

Local elections on Thursday 4 May – what you need to know

The local elections are coming up on Thursday 4 May and eligible voters now need to present photo ID when they vote in person.

This could be a passport, driving licence or other document such as a bus pass. If you don’t have photo ID, you can register for a free voter ID document – but you must do this by 25 April. Find out more about this on the Electoral Commission website.

Not sure if you’re eligible, or where your local polling station is? Take a look at the Electoral Commission website, which will have all the information you need. Polling stations will be open from 7am-10pm on Thursday 4 May for you to vote in person.

You can also check out further advice and guidance about the local elections on the Student Hub.

Spirit of Sussex Award: celebrating your achievements

The Spirit of Sussex Award is our way of celebrating and recognising your achievements, alongside your degree. By taking part in co-curricular activities, such as part-time work or volunteering, you can gain points towards either a Bronze, Silver or Gold award. The award is your opportunity to showcase your engagement to future employers – you can also add your award to your CV and LinkedIn.

Logging your points is very easy. Find out how in this news story.

New Active US timetable – designed for students, by students

An updated Active US timetable will be starting after Easter. Costing just £2, these weekly social sessions are a great way to get moving in a way that suits you. You can spend some time playing football, volleyball, netball, badminton and lots more, with no commitment, no membership and no experience needed. Check the Active Us page for more details coming soon.

Finally, congratulations to all of our teams who took part in Varsity against the University of Brighton over the last couple of weeks. Sussex won 12-6 overall – a brilliant result!

Following this edition, the student update will be back after the Easter bank holiday weekend. Teaching will resume on Monday 24 April.

With best wishes for the spring vacation,

Kelly

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