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University Updates
Welcome back to your regular University Updates.
This week in University Updates...
There's information on COP26, an invitation to engage on the Night Safety scheme with the Provost Commission and many more exciting events!
Safety
Drink spiking
If you think your drink has been spiked (or you think someone else’s has) please let staff in the venue you’re in, know. Many clubs and venues have a plan in place and will be able to help you. It’s important to also report it to the police as this provides vital intelligence and helps arrests to be made. All police patrol cars have testing kits on board.
You can read advice from the Students’ Union on what to do if you, or a friend, has been spiked. Remember you can collect your own spiking detection kits and personal alarms from Glasney Lodge, the Compass Helpdesk, Students' Union Office, the Security Information Building and the Stannary Bar.
Opportunity to engage with the Provost Commission – Wednesday 10 November
There’s an opportunity to join the Provost Commission session to hear updates about student safety and more about our work to support equality, diversity and inclusion across our community. The University has been working with students to develop a pilot Night Safety Scheme in Exeter and there will be a chance to hear about the development of that scheme too. It takes place via Microsoft Teams this Wednesday 10 November (10am – 11.30am).
To sign up please email Lizzie Caughey/Jen Fook on Caughey.Fook@exeter.ac.uk. If you’re unable to attend but would like to find out more do reach out to Jen and Lizzie and they will share details.
COP26
It’s week two of COP26 in Glasgow and once again we have a strong team of experts leading action on the climate emergency and ecological crisis. This week Professor Richard Betts has a series of events on climate risk and adaptation; Richard is also part of an event with Professor Pierre Friedlingstein one of the lead authors on the Global Carbon Budget who will discuss ‘1.5°C: where are we now, where are we headed, what are the risks?’; Professor Gavin Shaddick will be part of an event on public health in a warmer world; and Dr John Wedgwood Clarke will lead an exhibition on the Red River poetry project.
You can find details on COP26 events on Green Futures. You can also catch up on last week’s activities including Professor Saffron O’Neill’s work on climate change communications, Professor Gail Whiteman’s Arctic Basecamp’s activities including an event hosted by the Business School and the multi-disciplinary One Chance Left poetry project.
One Chance Left campaign
Leading health professionals and climate scientists are using poetry to warn of the catastrophic impact of the climate crisis and there is “one chance left” to act during, and after COP26. You can read the poems in an e-book, One Chance Left, available online via our Green Futures website, and the poems are displayed around the Penryn Campus. Find out more here.
BBC Radio Cornwall live broadcast from the ESI
Listen to the brilliant BBC Radio Cornwall broadcast from the Environment and Sustainability Institute about COP26. Presenter Julie Skentelbery spoke to a wide range of academics and students including Dave Hosken about our environmental expertise in Cornwall, Emma Bland on the Local Climate Adaptation Tool to guide health and wellbeing planning which she is showcasing at COP26, Bridget Woodman on energy policy, Ian Fussell and Dave Hodgson on the One Chance Left Poetry project, and Stevie Preece the Students’ Union President who attended COP26 last week. Thank you to all the students that took part - you were brilliant!
Update on recent University and College Union (UCU) ballots
UCU members were asked if they would be willing to take industrial action over the USS pension and pay and conditions. At Exeter, the turnout for the USS pension ballot was 47% and the turnout for the pay and conditions ballot was 47.2% - both are below the legally required 50% minimum threshold needed to support strike action and/or action short of a strike. On the basis of this outcome, no industrial action will be taken at Exeter in relation to either the USS pension or the pay and conditions ballots, however, we will keep you informed of any further developments.
COVID-19
Vaccinations - protect yourself this winter
Boost your immunity this winter with the flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. If you are eligible for a free flu vaccination, your doctor will contact you. If you are not eligible, you can pay for a vaccination at local pharmacies or supermarkets with pharmacy departments. If you haven’t already had your COVID-19 vaccinations, you can book at your nearest vaccination centre online, or come to any of our campus vaccination clinics below:
Penryn and Falmouth, all clinics, 10am-3pm
- Wednesday 17 November, ground floor of The Exchange, Penryn Campus
- Tuesday 23 November, outside Drawing Studio, Falmouth Campus
- Wednesday 8 December, The Exchange, Penryn Campus
Please book online for these clinics. All clinics will offer 1st and 2nd dose Pfizer vaccinations, as well as booster doses for those that are eligible. If it is your second dose, your first dose must have been Pfizer, and must have taken place at least eight weeks ago. Please ensure you bring your NHS number and details of previous vaccinations.
Your learning
January 2022 exams
The majority of January 2022 exams will take place online, with some modules running as on-campus exams, where this is a requirement of the learning outcomes. Exams are being held on campus where invigilation is required, and submissions are difficult to capture online, such as formula-based/graphical exams, practical exams and oral exams.
Online exams will be delivered in one of two formats, called Options:
- Option 1 - An open-book, non-invigilated paper that must be completed and submitted within 24 hours following the start time written on your paper and on your exam timetable.
- Option 2 - An open-book, non-invigilated exam that must be completed and submitted within a fixed duration during a specified 24-hour period as defined on your paper and on your exam timetable.
Exams will start on Monday 10 January. For more information, please read the updated Student Handbook for Exams.
Complete our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Consent training
All students are expected to complete our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Consent training. This training is an important step in ensuring everyone feels welcome and included at our University and you are central to this. We realise that some students will already have deeper knowledge about the topics covered but these are introductory modules designed to ensure all our students have a foundational understanding of these key issues. There will be opportunities to further explore these important topics throughout the year.
Find a tandem partner online for language and intercultural exchanges
If you’d like to find a tandem partner, the European University Tandem (EUniTa) project can match you with a student from one of our partner universities in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. You can sign up for free to find a partner for practicing speaking any foreign languages and to engage in intercultural exchanges. The EU-funded EUniTa online platform was co-developed by the University’s Department of Modern Languages and Cultures and is open to all Exeter students. If you want to find out more, please contact Christian Mossmann (C.Mossmann@exeter.ac.uk).
Wellbeing
Need Help? Look no further
It’s ok to need help from time to time. Whether you’re feeling homesick, need a hand with an essay, have a welfare concern, or something else, we are here to support you throughout your time at university. Here’s where you’ll find the help you need:
The Compass offers help and advice on any aspect of university life whether you have a quick query or require specialist support
Penryn Info Point can help with queries related to your academic programme of study. Call in see the team in Peter Lanyon or get in touch on 01326 371800 or email info.penryn@exeter.ac.uk
The Education Welfare team will offer advice and support if your mental or physical health or wellbeing is having an effect on your ability to study, or your studying is creating health problems for you.
A full list of all the support services available to you is online.
Fika: Mental Fitness
Fika is a Mental Fitness platform designed to help you improve your Seven Skills of Mental Fitness.
In the Fika app, or web platform, you can work through the extensive library of exercises across all skills. All of the exercises are delivered in a 5-minute format, making it easier for you to fit it in to your day. If you want some extra guidance with the exercises, the Fika trainers put on livestreams via the app, where you can tune in and hear from experts and other users. As you work your way though, you can also earn endorsed certificates, which you can add to your CV, LinkedIn profile and other places.
Fika is accessible for free by searching 'Fika' and downloading the app from the App Store/Google Play Store, and registering using your university email address.
Together this Movember
This Movember, whether you grow a moustache, get moving, or simply check in with someone you care about, share the Movember message. If you need a safe place to share how you’re feeling, togetherall is an anonymous online community with self-help resources.
Checkout our Movember podcast
Last year saw the University’s Movember efforts raise vital awareness and over £200,000 for men's health - putting us at the top of the hotly contested 'Big Moustache On Campus' leader board. On the back of this successful campaign, we interviewed three Movember Ambassadors about their involvement with the charity and why they think Movember has become the face of men's mental health. You can listen to the episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Compassion and Community
Would you like to help create and learn more about a compassionate community? As part of the Festival of Compassion themes of compassion and community, St Petrocs will be joining us on the Penryn Campus to talk to students about their organisation, volunteering opportunities and to speak to and learn from students about their ideas for how best to help others. The Education Welfare team will also be there in the Wellbeing Campervan for any student wellbeing and welfare questions.
Keeping checking our webpage for more events as they get finalised. All the events are free!
You can also receive a surprise envelope filled with kindness and compassion. Sign-up before Friday 12 November - visit the Festival webpage to find out more. Ticket numbers are limited.
Writing from the margins
On Wednesday 10 November, 12:30-14:30pm, author Kes Otter Lieffe will run an online Creative Writing Workshop called “Writing From the Margins”, geared towards holding creative space and inspiring creativity (and beyond) as marginalised people. In this workshop, Kes will share some of her writing techniques and hold creative space for dreaming and writing. Kes will invite participants to dive into our visions of resistance and utopia and to turn some of those images into writing and maybe even action.
No experience of fiction writing is necessary to participate. You can register online via eventbrite.
If you have questions or concerns, contact transcafe@exeter.ac.uk. If you are trans, nonbinary, questioning and/or intersex and would like to take part the Trans and Non-binary Café, just email us to join.
Women and Leadership event
Women continue to be vastly under-represented in decision-making in politics, businesses, and communities. Research from the World Economic Forum shows that, at the current rate of progress it will take another 108 years to reach gender parity. However, women are powerful agents of change, and the far-reaching benefits of diversity and gender parity in leadership and decision-making are increasingly recognized in all environments. This event will explore some of the challenges we are dealing with.
- Date: Tuesday 30 November 2021
- Time: 18.00-20.00
- Venue: Daphne Du Maurier building, Seminar I (Hybrid) and by Zoom
- Speakers: Dr.Sue Kinsey, Dr.Costa Manolchev, Manda Brookman (Director Permanently Brilliant) and the Students’ Society Women and Business
For more information and to register, visit the Women and Leadership Eventbrite page. If you are attending in person, please email M.M.Van-Loef@exeter.ac.uk, so you can be included in catering numbers.
Student Incubator Projects: Work in Progress Sessions
Our Work In Progress (WIP) meetings are an opportunity to hear about projects run by our fellows this year. They also represent a chance to meet like-minded colleagues and engage with them on exciting and innovative projects. These lunchtime sessions will take place between 12:30-13:30 and are held every two weeks this term, with the next session being held on Thursday 11 November.
While initially online, we are intending for these sessions to move to face-to-face later in the year. If you would like to join any of these sessions, please email us at educationincubator@exeter.ac.uk.
CoLab Event
Join us on Wednesday 10 November at Rosya Space, Killigrew Street for our first CoLab Live Event! For more information and to get your free ticket head to our website.
Student Art pass
Art Fund, a charity which supports UK museums and galleries offers a Student Art pass. Until December this costs £5 for a year and gives free or reduced-price access to arts experiences across the UK. Find out more on their website.
Law Virtual Careers Fair Wednesday 10 November - Book now
On Wednesday 10 November, we will be holding our second Law Virtual Careers Fair from 11:30am-3:30pm. We will be hosting organisations which are either advertising training contracts or vacation schemes. All students are welcome. Over 40 companies have signed up and are keen to talk to you in group sessions and 1:1s.
You can book your space in sessions at any time, up to the end of the fair – as long as they aren’t full!
Congratulations to our award-winning Civil Engineering Degree Apprentice
We are proud to announce that one of our Civil Engineering Degree Apprentices, Brian Munyanyiwa, has been named the South West’s most promising apprentice at the annual Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Young Achiever Awards. He was recognised for his leadership, planning and communication skills. Brian works at South West Highways (parent company: Eurovia) and is now in his third year of studying on the Civil Engineering degree apprenticeship programme with us. Read more here.
Postgraduate Study at the University of Exeter
We offer a range of Masters programmes, many of which can be studied without a background in the subject. 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. Current University of Exeter students also get fee reductions and fast track applications.
We are running a Postgraduate Open Day on Tuesday 16 November and Postgraduate Subject Information sessions from 3 November – 7 December. Book your place to find out more about all levels of postgraduate study.
Join us to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is taking place this week, 8-14 November, and is the world's biggest celebration of entrepreneurship. As part of GEW, the Career Zone will be hosting a range of events to inspire and help you explore the skills, knowledge and attributes needed to go freelance, be self-employed, start-up your own business or to become an entrepreneurial employee. Keep up to date with what events are running on the GEW webpage. We’ll also be releasing some special episodes of the Career Zone Podcast on Social Enterprise and Student Startups, which you can listen to on Spotify or iTunes.
Access to Internships (A2I)
Did you know Access to Internships (A2I) can help you to arrange an internship with your lecturer? If you are eligible A2I could provide support and generous funding to help you do this. All funding is issued on a first-come-first-served basis until Friday 13 May 2022. For more information, including how to apply, please visit these webpages.
Fortnightly on Tuesdays, 6 - 7.30pm, from Tuesday 9 November, in the Chaplaincy. Georgia’s Voice confidential support groups for young women with mental health concerns. Find out more here.
Fortnightly on Thursdays, 7 - 8.30pm, from Thursday 11 November, in the Chaplaincy. Many Rivers facilitated groups with fortnightly themes agreed by the BAME group attendees.
Wednesday 10 November, 10 – 11:30am, Provost Commission meeting taking place via Microsoft Teams. Come along to hear about and shape the development of a pilot Night Safety scheme in Exeter.
Tuesday 16 November, online, Postgraduate Open Day. Book your place and find out more information about all levels of postgraduate study on our website.
Wednesday 17 November, 10am - 3pm, in the Exchange on the ground floor, in the street area, COVID-19 vaccine clinic, please book here.
Wednesday 17 November, 10am – 3pm, ground floor, Exchange building, Penryn campus, COVID-19 vaccination clinic, you can book here.
Wednesday 17 November, 4pm, How we invest responsibly. The event will take place in the Alumni Auditorium, Streatham Campus, and online using this Teams link.
Wednesday 17 November, Virtual Aspiring Educators Fair. Don’t miss out – register now!
Tuesday 23 November, 10 am – 3 pm, outside the Drawing Studio, Falmouth Campus, COVID-19 vaccination clinic, please book here.
Wednesday 8 December, 10am – 3pm, ground floor, Exchange building, Penryn Campus, COVID-19 vaccination clinic, please book here.
Don't forget to also keep your eye out on events and activities run by your Students' Union.
Tell us what you think of this newsletter:
Get in touch with your feedback or news stories at: studentcomms@exeter.ac.uk
