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. Below you can read her email to returning undergraduate students:

Hello,

I hope you have started to settle into the new academic year. We have seen students from all around the world join us this year and something I take great hope from is the way that thousands of students and staff from over 120 countries live and work together at Sussex. The inclusive environment we create together on campus is one that welcomes and thrives on diversity and it is a place where we can all learn about difference, as well as experiencing commonality and connection.

As a community we recognise and celebrate this diversity in a wide range of ways, for example by marking of religious, cultural, and awareness days throughout the year at Sussex. So, on that note, I wish all of those who have celebrated this week “L'shanah tovah!” (Happy New Year!).

Our Inclusive Sussex events this month, In Conversation with Kalwant Bhopal, and Fox Fisher: My Genderation (screening and discussion), will involve discussions about race, social justice, and trans inclusion, and you warmly are invited to be part of these conversations.

Recent days have seen further escalation in the ongoing and devastating conflict in the Middle East, and I know that many members of our community have been personally impacted by the war, violence and loss of life that shows no sign of abating. This humanitarian catastrophe, and other conflicts occurring in the world, are deeply upsetting. If you are affected by these events, or any other issue, support is available for everyone – please do reach out to University support services via My Sussex, the Student Centre, and the chaplaincy.

These global conflicts give rise to profound emotions and strongly held views which may be expressed through protest and dissent, including on our own campus. There is very real disagreement about the causes and solutions to such conflicts and this can be difficult for any community, as well as for the individuals within that community.

The capacity to express difference and to disagree respectfully is the foundation of learning, research, and the creation of new knowledge and understanding. Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil has set out some guiding principles to support our collective ability to navigate contemporary contentious issues. At Sussex we have a commitment to support all members of our diverse and international community, and to enable lawful freedom of speech and academic freedom, with dignity and respect – to ensure that when we differ, we do so with empathy and recognition of our shared humanity. Antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, and, indeed, any form of racism, harassment or discrimination are unacceptable, and if you or any student, staff or visitor experience this on campus, please report incidents via the University Report and Support tool, and in an emergency, please contact University security.

Please read on for your regular update, including:

• The Big Event: Clive Myrie in conversation with Vice-Chancellor Sasha Roseneil (14 October)
• Learning resources to help you succeed
• Study abroad applications open on 7 October
• Reregistration reminder
• Do you need accommodation?
• Coast is Queer literary festival passes and day passes competition
• What are you doing to look after your wellbeing?
• Remember to register with a doctor
• Becoming a Student Rep and Students’ Union elections
• Apply to be part of our student content creator team
• Join our new returnable cup scheme
• Sussex snapshot.

The Big Event: Clive Myrie in conversation with Vice-Chancellor Sasha Roseneil (14 October)

As part of The Big Read, multi-award-winning journalist and Sussex alumnus, Clive Myrie, is coming back to campus for a live, in-person event at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) from 1-2pm on Monday 14 October.

Prompted by the reflections of Sussex students, hear Clive talk with Vice-Chancellor Sasha Roseneil in greater detail about themes from his book, Everything is Everything: A Memoir of Love, Hate & Hope.

Whether you have read the book, or simply want to hear from Clive, book your free place at this exclusive event via CareerHub. You can find out more on the Library pages.

Learning resources to help you succeed

For all of your modules you will need to use Canvas, the University’s online study platform, which is designed to enrich and support your study. I recommend watching this video about how to get the most out of Canvas and other useful resources.

The online Skills Hub will help you to develop essential skills for academic study. There you can find a range of resources, including expert advice, and suggestions from other students.

Visit the Your Studies area of the Student Hub for further information and advice, and see the Library website for details about using the Library, our collections, study rooms and more.

Study abroad applications open on 7 October

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. From 7 October, first year students will be able to apply for a semester abroad during their second year. (Please note that some subjects are not eligible for a semester abroad.) Second year students will be able to apply for a year abroad during their third year. Applications for both options will close on 27 November.

For more information or to request the link to the application form, contact the Sussex Abroad team on: outbound.sussexabroad@sussex.ac.uk.

This Friday 4 October from 11am-12.30pm, you can also join a webinar to learn more about studying abroad in 2025/2026 and how to complete your application form.

Reminder: please complete re-registration

You should have received instructions for how to complete an online re-registration via Sussex Direct. If you have not done this yet, please register as soon as possible for the 2024/25 academic year. For continuing students, re-registration triggers release of any Student Loans Company payments you may be expecting and ensures the payment of your tuition fees to the University. See more information on the UK government website.

Do you need accommodation?

If you still need accommodation, the University has some on-campus accommodation places available. To get your place, please contact housing@sussex.ac.uk with ‘I need a room’ as the subject line of the email. Our Housing team will be in touch with more details.

Coast is Queer literary festival passes and day passes competition

Sussex is partnering with the Coast is Queer – the UK's largest LGBTQ+ literary festival, running from 10-13 October. The festival is being held at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) featuring events curated by recent graduates and a student from the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities.

The programme is filled with lively conversations, panels, workshops, performances and films celebrating some of the best and brightest LGBTQ+ writers. Students can book tickets to events for only £2 – check out the full programme. We are also running a ticket giveaway for Sussex students, too! You could win either a pair of festival passes, which grants you access to all events in the festival, or one of four single day passes for the day of your choice. To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is enter your Sussex email address and select your preferred date for the day pass on this form. The deadline is this Sunday 6 October.

What are you doing to look after your wellbeing?

Our mental wellbeing affects how we feel about all areas of life. Looking after it can really improve the way we feel every day. This can be really helpful at times when we are not feeling our best, but it is also important to make sure we look after ourselves during the good times.

There are lots of ways we can look after our mental health and wellbeing and the University is here to support you. Find out more, including what is happening this month and specific support for our various student communities.

Remember to register with a doctor

It is important to register with a doctor (known as a General Practitioner or GP) near where you live while at university, as soon as possible, so that you can receive medical help if you become unwell. If you live on campus or within the Brighton and Hove catchment area, you can register at our on-campus NHS health centre. Alternatively, you can use the NHS website to find a doctor near you if you live outside the campus health centre’s catchment area.

On the Student Hub you can find more information about services available if you are unwell or need to arrange healthcare. If you are an international student, find out about the health services available to you.

Becoming a Student Rep and Students’ Union elections

Student Reps act as the link between the student body and course convenors to make sure you are receiving an education that works for you. Any student can become a Rep and join the work of building a better Sussex.

Nominations are also now open for the University of Sussex Students' Union's Autumn Elections – your first chance this academic year to lead your students’ union and help to shape student life here.

Voting will take place from 10 October for:

• Union Councillors
• Student Reps
• LGBTQ+ Students Officer
• Trans and Non Binary students’ Officer
• BAME students’ Officer
• Postgraduate Officers
• Student Trustees
• Wellbeing Committee
• Mature Students Representative
• Part-time Students Representative
• First Generation Scholar Representative
• Student Parent Representative
• Sustainability Committee
• International Students' Committee members.

Ready to make a positive difference? Visit sussexstudent.com/elections to find out more or see the Student Reps page for detailed information about Rep roles.

Apply to be part of our student content creator team

Our Digital Media Creators create engaging content and share community and research stories on University channels. The scheme offers casual, paid roles with flexible hours, so you can earn extra money and develop your CV while you study. Apply by midnight on Sunday 6 October.

Join our new returnable cup scheme

Did you know that in October 2023, more than 17,000 cups were thrown away in just five cafes here on campus? That is why we are launching a new scheme to save thousands of disposable coffee cups from going into the bin.

You can now join our returnable cup scheme in Eat Central, Botanical Café, the Library Café, ACCA Cafe and the Veg Bowl @ Dhaba. It is really convenient and you don’t even need to carry your empty cup around – you can just swap it for a key ring token until you are next on campus! Find out more about the scheme.

With best wishes,

Kate

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