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

Dear students,

As a university, research and its impact on the world are at the heart of what we do. The Festival of Ideas, organised by the School of Media, Arts and Humanities, is an opportunity for staff, students and the community to connect and discover the transformative power of Arts and Humanities to create new ways of thinking.
 
I invite you to take part in the two-day celebrations at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts on 29 and 30 March. The programme of talks, events, workshops, conversations, screenings and performances has been co-created by Sussex staff and students.
 
All the events are free of charge, but you will need to book in advance for Gary Younge's talk: Not Set in Stone: Why we need more honesty and fewer statues.
 
The second part of the Festival will take place in May as part of the 2022 Brighton Festival.
 
Read on for the student update:

• International students - returning to campus in spring
• Graduation
• Get a £10 Amazon voucher for taking part in a focus group
• Strike action
• Mass Observation Archive 85th anniversary
• Join the Big Biodiversity Conversation

International students - returning to campus in spring

UK Government visa regulations now allow distance learning for international students on a Student Route / Tier 4 visa until 30 June. Find out more.

Graduation

We're looking forward to celebrating graduation with final-year students this July. Don’t forget to confirm your place and book guest tickets via the graduation tab of Sussex Direct by Tuesday 29 March. 
 
If you haven’t received your email invitation and you think you should have, get in touch with the graduation team. 
 
Find out more information about graduation key dates and deadlines, and what you need to do to get ready for the day.

Get a £10 Amazon voucher for taking part in a focus group

The Global Engagement team is looking for students to participate in a new one-hour-long focus group. The groups will be discussing student internationalisation opportunities and activities on campus.
 
Participants can be from any background and nationality and across all levels of study, from undergraduate to PhD. 
 
If you would like to share your experience and views on this subject, please complete this Google form and the team will be in touch.

Strike action

From Monday until this Friday, some staff have chosen to take strike action – as Sussex is one of the universities included in nationwide industrial action. Check the Student Hub for the latest information.

Mass Observation Archive 85th anniversary

The Mass Observation Archive (MO) is celebrating their 85th anniversary. As part of the festivities, The Keep, our archive centre, has launched a programme of events and activities exploring different themes the MO has touched upon throughout its history.
 
Register for next week's creative writing workshop exploring "the collective everyday: celebrating parallels in our stories."

Join the Big Biodiversity Conversation

Finally, don't forget to join the Big Biodiversity Conversation. This is your opportunity to influence which biodiversity projects will be carried out on our campus.
 
Submit your ideas and rate the existing proposals by 7 April. On 28 April, we'll host a Big Biodiversity Workshop to choose the projects to be championed by our Provost, Rachel Mills.
 
With best wishes,
 
Kelly

Kelly Coate
Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students