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,

An important part of supporting our community of students and staff, includes understanding what you need from our campus spaces – places where you learn, eat, gather together, exchange ideas and have fun. Back in November, almost 2,000 of you told us about the spaces you like and what you want to see more of. You can now read the survey findings, which will help ensure the spaces you use are the best they can be. We are using the results to help plan changes to our Library and cross-campus study spaces, as well as to help us make decisions about how Falmer House can be best used for you.

We are making lots of improvements in other areas of campus too. Colourful artworks by students and staff are now on display around the perimeter of the West Slope development adjoining Refectory Road. In food news, the build-your-own lunch menu at The Veg Bowl @ Dhaba is proving popular and, at the Student Centre, work is well underway to build the Atrium Market, which will be the first of its kind in a UK university.

Last week, as part of our pledge to support the inclusion of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) communities, we welcomed Priscilla, Queen of the South, to campus. The metal sculpture, created by Roma artist Jake Bowers, will be temporarily hosted outside the Jubilee building, reflecting the lived history of our immediate landscape. Priscilla's arrival aligned with the Deemed Dirty Symposium organised by the School of Media and Humanities, which explored representations of GRT communities. You can see a photo of Priscilla in this week’s snapshot [add anchor link].

You might also be interested in reading this profile on Emma Potts, the University’s Interim Chief Operating Officer. Emma talks about working in higher education and the best advice she was given earlier in her career. Monday’s edition of Flint magazine has plenty of content to support you with your own career journey as well.

Please read on for your regular update, including:

• Choose your option module(s) for next year
• Last chance to win up to £10,000 for your business or social enterprise idea
• Black@Sussex: the Wicked Problems series
• Celebrating transformative research and world-leading expertise at Sussex
• Football careers event for female and non-binary students (1 March)
• Boost your employability with the Spirit of Sussex Award
• You could win £500 during National Student Money Week (4-8 March)
• Sussex Universe: free science lectures on campus for everyone
• Join a new pilot programme to recycle PET plastic bottles on campus

Choose your option module(s) for next year

Option module choices will open for continuing students in Sussex Direct in the week commencing 4 March, when you will be able to browse your options for the next academic year.

On Monday 11 March you will be able to make your option module choices in Sussex Direct. The module options will open by year group:

• from 00:01 for current Year 3 undergraduate students
• from 8am for current Year 1 undergraduate students
• from 10am for current Year 2 undergraduate students
• from 12 noon for current Year 4 undergraduate students, and current postgraduate part-time Year 1 students.

Last chance to win up to £10,000 for your business or social enterprise idea

Applications for Startup Sussex close next Wednesday, 6 March. This annual University run competition gives students the chance to win up to £10,000 to fund your business or social enterprise idea and access high-quality support. Find out more and how to apply on the Student Hub.

Black@Sussex: the Wicked Problems series

Our new Poet-in-Residence, alumna Jenny Mitchell, is facilitating a series of roundtable discussions with students, staff and members of the public, entitled The Wicked Problems Series, to open up conversations around ‘race’, identities and experiences within the realm of higher education.

Each roundtable discussion focuses on a different theme including the refugee crisis and healthcare and aging populations. The Wicked Problems Series will launch with a welcome reception on Wednesday 6 March, hosted by Jenny, and students are encouraged to participate in the open mic. Book a free place for the next session on Poverty and Economic Stress on Wednesday 13 March.

Celebrating transformative research and world-leading expertise at Sussex

We are sharing a new video showcasing three of our Centres of Excellence – our flagship centres of research.

Hear from world-leading researchers; Professor Anil Seth, Director of the Centre for Consciousness Science, Professor Linda Morrice, Co-Director of the Centre for International Education and Professor Michael Gasiorek, Director of the UK Trade Policy Observatory.

You can learn about the impossible challenges they are taking on and how each Centre is driving progress for our planet and its people. These amazing researchers also teach at Sussex, directly supporting your education. Read more on the Student Hub.

Football careers event for female and non-binary students (1 March)

Brighton & Hove Albion are hosting a free careers event tomorrow, Friday 1 March, at the American Express Stadium to celebrate International Women’s Day and National Careers Week. You will have the chance to meet some of the women working at the football club and learn about career opportunities within football. A range of local employers will also be in attendance with workshops running on CV writing and much more. Find out more and sign up.

Boost your employability with the Spirit of Sussex Award

The Spirit of Sussex Award (SoSA) can help you demonstrate key skills such as time management, teamwork or creativity. If you take part in co-curricular activities, including part-time work, events or volunteering, you can log points towards a Bronze, Silver or Gold Spirit of Sussex Award. These will be awarded at your graduation ceremony.

For undergraduate finalists, the deadline for logging your points is 1 April. Log onto the Spirit of Sussex Award platform to log your points.

Do you need some advice on the activities you can log points for? Join the Spirit of Sussex Award team at the SoSA logging party on Monday 11 March: log your points, ask questions and eat free pizza!

You could win £500 during National Student Money Week (4-8 March)

With National Student Money Week next week, there has never been a better time to take a look at your finances. Keep an eye out for our stall in the Student Centre from 11am-2pm on Tuesday 5 and Thursday 7 March, where you can ask HSBC your banking questions and find out about managing financial risk (and how you can win £500) with our partners Blackbullion.

Sussex Universe: free science lectures on campus for everyone

Sussex Universe is the series of free science lectures where you can learn about the groundbreaking research carried out in the science Schools at Sussex. In the next talk, Professor Gianluca Memoli, from the School of Engineering and Informatics, will be presenting “The light and sound quiz show”, an interactive lecture about acoustic metamaterials and how they are bridging the gap between light and sound. Get your free ticket for Tuesday 5 March (6pm, Fulton A lecture theatre).

Join a new pilot programme to recycle PET plastic bottles on campus

Finally, I would like to highlight that colleagues in the School of Life Sciences are looking for students to take part in a new project to reduce plastic waste on campus. Precious Bottles aims to recycle plastic PET bottles into 3D printing filament, which will be used in printers at Sussex. If you are interested in finding out more about this opportunity, please email Dr Andre M Chagas (a.maia-chagas@sussex.ac.uk) and Dr Zahid Pranjol (z.pranjol@sussex.ac.uk).

With best wishes,
 
Kate

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