Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students), Professor Kate O'Riordan, wrote to all taught students earlier today (8 February 2024). You can read the full message below:

Hello,

Firstly, I would like to wish a happy Year of the Dragon to those of you celebrating the start of the lunar new year this Saturday 10 February.

This week we are also celebrating Race Equality Week, an annual campaign across the UK launched to address the barriers to race equality in the workplace, and as part of our Black at Sussex programme, alumna Jenny Mitchell is returning to the University as our new Poet-in-Residence.

Jenny has won multiple awards in the world of poetry, including the Gregory O’Donoghue Prize in 2023 for a single poem. In her new role at Sussex, she will facilitate a series of roundtable discussions with students, staff and members of the public, entitled The Wicked Problems Series, which will open up conversations around ‘race’, identities and experiences within the realm of higher education.

Taking part in events like these can help us meet new people, share experiences, ideas and our feelings with others. Being able to connect with others is an important foundation of our personal wellbeing, and I want to share the work of Dr Gillian Sandstrom and her students in the School of Psychology’s Social Connection and Disconnection module who provide advice on what to do if you feel lonely or how you can help someone at risk of loneliness. You can read their top practical takeaways on the blog of the British Psychological Society.

Please read on for your regular update, including:

• Masters Open Day – Saturday 2 March on campus
• Your chance to tackle global challenges with a Clinton Global Initiative Fellowship
• Fun activities to do at the Student Centre this Valentine's Day
• Get your summer job at the University’s Summer Job Fair
• Win a Startup Sussex £10,000 business or social enterprise award
• Remembering the Roma Holocaust – Friday 9 February
• Celebrating LGBT+ History Month 
• In Conversation event on intergenerational justice and equality, 28 February  
• Sussex sport membership deals
• Finalists! Win a £150 graduation package
• Sussex snapshot.

Masters Open Day – Saturday 2 March on campus

If you are an undergraduate student in any year of your course, please come to the Masters Open Day on Saturday 2 March and explore your future options. You will be able to:

• find out about our £3,000 Sussex Graduate Scholarship
• attend subject talks and discuss courses with academic staff
• get tips on applying, scholarships, and funding
• meet current Masters students and find out what postgraduate study is really like
• get advice on career development and find out where a Masters could take you.

Book your place now.

Your chance to tackle global challenges with a Clinton Global Initiative Fellowship

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) has a new fellowship for emerging entrepreneurs. The fellowships will provide essential resources and mentorship to develop and execute initiatives tackling pressing global challenges. In the inaugural 2024 year, the CGI Fellowship will choose 25 individuals to develop CGI Commitments to Action new, specific, and measurable projects dedicated to addressing critical challenges including the climate crisis, global health inequity, and humanitarian crisis. Find out more and how to apply on the CGI Fellowship webpage.

Fun activities to do at the Student Centre this Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day, the University’s Student Experience team have organised a range of fun and free activities for you to enjoy at the Student Centre from 11am. Make some crafts, make new friends, enjoy a free Valentine’s Day lunch with others, and more. Find out more about the programme.

Get your summer job sorted at the University’s Summer Job Fair

Organised by the University’s Careers, Employability and Entrepreneurship team, the  Summer Job Fair is a great opportunity if you are looking to find work over the summer, including part-time work, internships or volunteering roles both on-campus, in Brighton and across the UK.

The Summer Jobs Fair will take next Thursday, 15 February, 12-3pm in the Student Centre. Book a 30-minute time slot through Eventbrite.

Win a Startup Sussex £10,000 business or social enterprise award

Applications are now open for Startup Sussex, an annual University run competition that 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.

Remembering the Roma Holocaust – Friday 9 February

As I mentioned in my update from 25 January, as part of our Holocaust Memorial Day events, this year we are also organising an exhibition titled Remembering the Roma Holocaust. Developed by the Widening Participation Team and partners across the University in collaboration with Friends, Families, and Travellers, the exhibition seeks to re-situate the Roma and Sinti experience within the broader Holocaust narrative, reflecting on contemporary issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion of all people of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller-heritages. The exhibition will be in Woodland 3, Student Centre tomorrow Friday 9 February from 2pm-3pm and is open to all.

Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month  

LGBTQ+ History Month is underway and there are a number of events coming up to get involved in. The Life Sciences Student Experience Coordinator has teamed up with Psychology, MPS and Engineering to organise an event for LGBTQ+ students on Friday 23 February from 1pm-3pm in the Bridge Cafe. More details coming soon and you can also contact: E.Winstanley@sussex.ac.uk for further information.

The Students’ Union is also providing support to student groups planning activities, offering a small grant of £150 for related projects. Find out about support available for LGBTQ+ students at Sussex. 

You can also help tackle loneliness and boost wellbeing by joining “Between generations”, a community project that’s helping to build LGBTQ+ intergenerational communities. You will connect with older LGBTQ+ members and take part in fun art activities.

In Conversation event on intergenerational justice and equality, 28 February  

Join our next Inclusive Sussex: In Conversation event focusing on how inequality and inclusion is viewed across generations and the role universities can play in helping drive change. Two hugely important voices in higher education will be joining the panel. Dame Nicola Dandridge DBE is a former Chief Executive of Universities UK and was the first Chief Executive of the Office for Students (OfS). Dr Omar Khan was formerly Director of the Runneymede Trust, Britain's oldest race equality organisation, and is now Chief Executive of TASO (Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education). They will be joined by David Ruebain, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Culture, Equality and Inclusion) and Dr Emily Danvers and Professor Janet Boddy from the School of Education and Social Work.  

Sussex sport membership deals

You can take out a FREE Bronze membership which saves you up to £4 per gym visit.

Purchase a Gold four-month membership before 29 February and get an extra two months free! Sign up now at Sussexsports reception.

Check the new ActiveUs timetable on the SussexSports website and follow @activeussussex on Instagram for more updates.

Finalists! Win a £150 graduation package

If you are in the final year of your undergraduate course, please take a few minutes to complete the National Student Survey (NSS). The NSS is an external survey, independent of the University, that gives you the chance to tell the world about your time at Sussex.

Complete the survey online for the chance to win one of 10 graduation packages worth £150!  Each prize will cover the cost of gown hire, two guest tickets and a basic photography package.

With best wishes,
 
Kate

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