Today, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students Kelly Coate wrote to all taught students. You can read the full message below.

Dear students,

I really enjoyed reading Pro Vice-Chancellor for Culture, Equalities and Inclusion, David Ruebain's personal and professional trajectory and his plans for Inclusive Sussex in a recent news story. Professor Ruebain points out that, while challenging and defending different ideas is essential to academic work, "disagreement is not incompatible with dignity and respect" - a belief that I also share - and that we need to "find ways to understand each other’s lives and experiences, including recognising the hurt and upset people carry from exclusion."

Incidentally, renowned comedian Stewart Lee has made a profession out of discussing divisive and controversial topics, such as Brexit and political correctness, in his routines. He'll be talking about wokeness, culture, stand-up comedy, and his new show Snowflake/Tornado with Professor Nicholas Royle on Friday 25 February at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA). You can register for free on the ACCA's website.

This week's update includes:

• Strike action
• LGBTQ+ History Month
• Face covering in teaching spaces
• New request letter form on Student Hub
• The Royal Mint Museum Platinum Jubilee medal design competition

Strike Action

As you’ll know if you’ve seen the email I sent to all students yesterday, next week some staff at Sussex are currently planning to take strike action. In some Schools, most (if not all) classes will be running as normal; in others, there might be some disruption depending on how many staff decide to go on strike. 

As I mentioned yesterday, University members and UCU local and regional representatives are continuing talks about this round of strike action. We’re also continuing to work hard to ensure the continuity of all students education, which is our utmost priority and this is key to the preparations we are putting in place. We’ll continue to keep you up to date on these matters and you can check the Student Hub for the latest information and guidelines on industrial action.

LGBTQ+ History Month

To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, the School of Life Sciences is running a special online book group event on 25 February to discuss The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist, by Ben Barres.  

The event is free, but you'll need to register (limited places available).

Face coverings in teaching spaces

We expect all students, unless they're exempt, to continue wearing face coverings in teaching spaces, campus shops, public transport and common areas to protect everyone in our community.

Wearing face coverings and getting vaccinated are small ways of showing we care for each other.

New request letter form on Student Hub

If you need a letter from the University to prove your term-time address, open a bank account or any other reason, we have now simplified the process to make it easier and faster for you.

You can find all the information and the request form on the Student Hub.

The Royal Mint Museum Platinum Jubilee medal design competition

Finally, to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen, the Royal Mint Museum has launched a medal design competition for undergraduate students. The prize for the winning design is £5,000 and a copy of the design, struck by The Royal Mint.

Find more information about the competition and how to enter on the Museum's website.

With best wishes,

Kelly

Kelly Coate

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students

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