No images? Click here University Updates Welcome to your regular update This week in University Updates...There's information on the first of our Strategy 2030 Big Conversations and the Career Mentor Scheme. You can also find out about this week's Mind Over Natter event. Thank you!A massive thank you to all our students who moved to alternative accommodation over the last few days, after leaving their accommodation following the discovery of an unexploded World War 2 bomb. Damage caused during the explosion meant a number of students could not return to their blocks and have been living in hotels in the city. Over the last few days they moved into their alternative accommodation. Remember the Residence Life team is still holding virtual drop-in sessions throughout this this week for those students who were displaced. You can find the details in our recent emails, along with the special Students’ Guild Facebook page and events which are available for you. If you have a new student(s) moving in with you, we’re sure you’ll do your best to make them feel welcome. If you need further support, please check out the Residence Life team web pages or contact the Students’ Guild Advice service. A statement following the death of Sarah EverardMany of you will have been following the truly terrible and shocking story from London over recent days, surrounding the disappearance and death of Sarah Everard. Our thoughts are with Sarah’s friends and loved ones and all those who have been affected. We have published a full statement on our Speak Out webpages. (TRIGGER WARNING: content involving violence and sexual violence.) Our first Big Conversation is going liveThe first in a series of three Big Conversations, which will enable us to work together to shape our future strategy, will be live tomorrow, Tuesday 16 March. The first conversation focuses on what the future of education and research, and universities as a whole, could look like and will be open until 5pm on Monday 29 March. Once you’ve received your unique username and password, which will be sent to you tomorrow morning via email, you will be able to login and share your ideas and suggestions. Please do take the time to get involved in the development of our new strategy. Visit the website to find out more. Get regular tests to stop the spread of COVID-19Thank you to those of you who have engaged with regular testing for COVID-19. Following Government guidance we expect everyone who is taking part in in-person activities, or using facilities on our campuses to book free twice-weekly rapid tests, to protect those around us and to ensure that we can continue to offer in-person activities. If you are coming onto the campus irregularly, please get a test each time you come. Booking is simple and the tests are free. Schedule your slots and book in advance: If you live in the St James’ Park area of the city, we now have a test centre based in the Centre Spot Bar at Exeter City FC’s ground. This is open Mondays and Thursdays 1.30-4.00pm, and there is no need to book. Further information about our rapid twice weekly COVID-19 tests can be found on our dedicated student COVID-19 testing webpages. If you receive a positive test result, let us know via the form online. IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 THE TEST YOU NEED IS DIFFERENT Remember, if you develop COVID-19 symptoms, such as a high temperature, new continuous cough or a loss of taste/smell, you must self-isolate and request a HALO PCR test through our Rapid Response Hub. Staying up to date with library services and support during COVID-19For up-to-date information on the different library services and support available, please check the Library Service and Coronavirus: FAQs and Resources guide. This page is updated frequently and the best place to look for current information on:
Mind Over Natter… You’d be barking to miss itGet your free ticket to Mind Over Natter on Wednesday 17 March to find out how we can improve our physical and emotional health by hanging out with dogs and learning from the way they meet their wellbeing needs. Whether you have a dog or not this talk by Dogs for Good is sure to inspire and entertain. Graduate Route visaFrom 1 July 2021 anyone with a Tier 4 or Student visa who is graduating from a UK degree programme will be able to apply for a Graduate Route visa. With this visa, you will be able to remain in the UK and work, look for work or be self-employed for two years (or three years if you are a PhD graduate). You must apply for this visa from within the UK. If you are not currently in the UK, the date you need to arrive here by will be different depending on your situation; you can find a list of the dates on our website. If you need advice about your individual circumstances, you can contact us in a digital drop-in or via email: visaadvice@exeter.ac.uk Celebrating the hard work of our Educators and studentsOver the last year, colleagues across the University have worked alongside our graduates and current students to transform our teaching into blended and online learning, delivering some innovative teaching approaches along the way. Two education-focused blogs have now been launched to share some of these stories, and the experiences of both students and academic staff. The Auditio blog is run by current students and is designed to share and learn from our experiences of blended and online learning. Our new Excellence in Education blog highlights examples of innovative education at Exeter. Student Handbook for examsLast week we released your timetable for the April/May examinations, which you now can access via MyTimetable. Please remember to read the updated Student Handbook for Online Exams to learn more about how the different exam formats operate, submitting an exam paper, and the support available to you during the examination period. You can also find more information on the Exam FAQ page. Anti-Racism Education Innovation Lab Projects 2021/22The Exeter Education Incubator is looking for project teams of up to three students who want to work to make our University anti-racist. You will need to have identified a clear challenge or problem that you are willing to explore and look to find responses to or solutions for. To apply, you will also need to be available for at least four hours per week from 4 May to 9 July. Each project will benefit from a supported and structured approach to designing and implementing a solution to address racism affecting students. In addition to paying you for your 4 hours per week, we will also fund up to 30 days of work on your project (7 hour days, paid at £10.65), which can be distributed flexibly across weeks and the three applicants. We can also fund up to £750 project costs (which must be spent by 31 July 2021). You can find out more here. The application deadline is midday, Wednesday 31 March. If you have any questions about the project, please contact educationincubator@exeter.ac.uk. University of Exeter Online Postgraduate Open Day - Wednesday 24 March 9 – 11:30am & 4 – 6:30pmIf you're still deciding what you want to do next, you might want to consider a postgraduate degree here with us. We offer a wide range of Masters programmes, many of which can be studied without a background in the subject, giving you the chance to change direction. Our research expertise is vast and we offer over 100 funded PhD studentships annually in addition to advertised PhD projects and the opportunity to create a PhD thesis of your choosing. if you’re currently studying with us your application will be fast tracked and you’ll get fee reductions. Book your place to the open day and find out more information about all levels of postgraduate study on our website. Student Elections 2021Voting for the Student Elections opens at 9am on Tuesday 16 March. Visit the Students’ Guild website to choose the candidates who will best represent your interests. As a thank you, if you vote you will also be entered into a prize draw. This is your chance to have your say and vote for the candidates who will have a real impact on your university experience. You can see all the candidates here. Widening collaboration projectAs part of the "Widening collaboration in gendered educational settings" project (supported by the Centre for Social Mobility), researchers are looking to know more about your academic experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. All undergraduate students from the University are invited to participate. The online survey won't take more than 10 minutes, and all the participants will enter a raffle to win one of the three £80 Amazon vouchers. You can access the survey here and find more information about the project on the Centre for Social Mobility website. If you have further questions, please send an email to dpf204@exeter.ac.uk. Sign Up for Challenges OnlineAre you passionate about tackling global sustainability problems? Do you want to boost your transferable employability skills? Then don’t forget to sign up to Challenges Online, a fantastic project week running from 7-11 June 2021 where you can network with top academics and other like-minded students on a topic that matters to you. Challenges Online allows you to work in interdisciplinary groups to tackle real-world issues relating to the climate emergency, food sustainability, social inequality, planetary health, and fake news. Online Module FairAre you interested in taking a module outside of your chosen degree? The Online Module Fair is still open and is your chance to see all of the modules available for you to select outside of your degree programme. Selecting up to 30 credits outside of your discipline can enhance your employability prospects, broaden your student experience, and widen your research skills. Please check out the website and see if you can benefit from the Online Module Fair before module selection closes on Friday 26 March. Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Trade Up ProgrammeWhen we emerge from these challenging times, social enterprise will play an important role in helping re-shape society for the better. This programme is for people with a commitment to helping those in need or improving the environment. It is also for those that have set up an effective social enterprise already, and plan to increase their impact in the year ahead. Maybe their business and trading income has been affected by the pandemic? We’ll get them back on track. There are 20 places available on this programme which runs from October 2021 and includes:
Applications are open until Friday 16 April. Find out more and apply online here. FLC- Evening language programmeYou can now register for online language courses starting the week commencing Monday 3 May. Classes will run for ten weeks, and available courses include Swedish, Polish, Greek, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish classes. Please register here. SID ONLINE - PLANNED OUTAGESDue to an essential system upgrade, SID Online will be unavailable from 6pm Friday 26 March until 9am Monday 29 March. During this time, no new enquiries can be logged, but emails sent to SID@exeter.ac.uk will still be received and processed once the upgrade has completed. For urgent out of hours welfare support during this time, please visit this webpage. If you have any questions regarding the SID Online upgrade, please contact sid-upgrade@exeter.ac.uk. Calling all Instagram fans, bloggers and vloggersFancy sharing your experiences and best uni life tips with current and prospective students by taking over our students’ Instagram account for a week or producing blogs/vlogs? If you’re keen to be a part of our @exeterunilife account or Students’ Blog, we want to hear from you. Email us at studentcontent@exeter.ac.uk and let us know your name, programme, campus of study and what type of content you’re interested in producing. Class of 2021 - yearbook deadline approachingThe Class of 2021 Yearbook Deadline is Friday 19 March. If you haven’t finished (or started) your Yearbook entry online, please do so here. If you have any problems uploading your pictures online or you have forgotten your login details, please email admin@gradfinale.co.uk. Career Zone Podcast - New EpisodesWe’re always looking for new ways to let you know the best and most up-to-date careers information and guidance; that’s why we’ve added even more episodes of the Career Zone Podcast. Recent episodes have covered a diverse range of topics, including learning from failure, careers wellbeing tips, de-stressing job hunting, support for International Students and Assessment Centres. The podcast is hosted by Rae, one of the Careers Consultants; past guests have included current students, Exeter alumni and top employers. You can listen to the podcast here. The Career Mentor Scheme is openThe Career Mentor Scheme brings students together with an experienced professional of your choice, to provide you with one-to-one careers advice and guidance over six months. Applications are open now, and you can apply even if you have previously participated in the scheme. There are over 250 mentors from a range of job roles, companies and sectors to select. The application process is first-come, first-served, so don’t delay in checking out who might be right for you! Please go to My Career Zone and search under ‘Job Type’ and click on ‘Career Mentoring Opportunity’ to view the full list. For further information about the scheme, please visit this webpage. All of the following events will be held online: Wednesday 17 March, 12:45 – 1:30pm, Mind Over Natter: What has 4 legs, a tail and a knack for helping wellbeing. Please register here. Wednesday 24 March, 9-11:30am & 4-6:30pm, Postgraduate open day, please book your place here. Don't forget to also keep your eye out on events and activities run by your Students’ Guild. Tell us what you think of this newsletter:Get in touch with your feedback or news stories at: studentcomms@exeter.ac.uk |