Kelly Coate, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students

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

Hello,

With teaching starting this week, it’s been great to see so many more students on campus, and as our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil said in her message to all students on Monday, “it’s wonderful to see campus buzzing with life again.”

Outside of the university, it’s been an eventful week with the government’s ‘mini-budget’ and the cost of living frequently in the news, and I appreciate some of you may have concerns about this. I want to reassure you that support is available if you need it. As a university one of our main priorities is your wellbeing, and that’s why we have invested in providing excellent student services all backed up by professional experts should you need their support.

You’ll find more information below about our student money and support services, along with some great student experience opportunities for you to enjoy in the coming week. Please read on for information about:

• Cost of living support
• Look out for fraud attempts
• Services to support your wellbeing
• Black History Month events
• Learn a new language at Sussex
• Santander Universities awards
• This week’s Sussex snapshot

Cost of living support

• Please read our update on the Student Hub for the latest information on support through the cost of living crisis. We will be sharing further updates and taking action in response to student need as the situation continues.
• We are running Finance drop-in clinics at the Student Centre every Wednesday, where you can talk to an advisor about your financial situation or money worries.
• There is also support through Careers and Entrepreneurship to improve your CV and job applications, including an online workshop on 7 October.
• International students can join a webinar on 5 October to learn about interview techniques when applying for part-time roles in the UK, as part of the Career Equity Project - a partnership between your Students’ Union and Careers and Entrepreneurship, which focuses on giving additional career support to students from underrepresented communities.

Look out for fraud attempts

The Student Loans Company is advising students to be aware of scams around student finance payments. You’ll find more information in our online story and advice on the Student Hub about how to protect yourself against fraud. You can also take part in a workshop on campus on 11 October, designed to support your personal and digital security.

Services to support your wellbeing

Please use the Student Hub to find information on University services here to support you. In this online news story you can also find reminders about registering with a GP, the free NHS app, and a new text messaging service for immediate mental health support.
There are lots of activities to help you find community too, including societies, the Buddy Scheme and the Language Café, run by your Students’ Union.

Black History Month events

On 5 October, as part of Black History Month, join Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) for an evening of music, activism and conversation around menstrual health and human rights. On 11-12 October, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) is delighted to welcome choreographer Seke Chimutengwende performing It Begins in Darkness. This new group dance performance uses ghosts and haunted houses as metaphors for how histories of slavery and colonialism haunt the present.

Learn a new language at Sussex

Enrolment is open for a new series of evening and lunchtime language courses, starting in October. Courses in Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish are all available at various levels. See the full list and enrolment information.   

Santander Universities awards

As a reminder, we are working in partnership with Santander Universities to offer awards of £1,000 to ten current Sussex students this autumn. Sign up to the Santander Scholarships platform for your chance to win and find more information in our news story. Over 1,000 of you have signed up so far this academic year!


With best wishes,

Kelly

Kelly Coate, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students