Earlier today, Kate O'Riordan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students, wrote to all taught students. You can read her full email below:
Hello,
I hope you have been enjoying the One World Week celebrations and activities this week. There are still plenty of fun events to join in with – check out the Students’ Union website to see what events are happening.
One World Week is a fantastic reminder of the incredible diversity we have here at Sussex. This week, I also want to give a shout out to Zoe Gowers, our very first UNESCO Biosphere Youth Representative. Her work championing environmental action in the local area is a wonderful example of the positive impact our students can have.
Finally, I am delighted to share that the University of Sussex, in partnership with the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), has been ranked first in the world for Development Studies in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 for the ninth consecutive year. This also places us as one of only 24 universities around the world with a QS No. 1 subject ranking.
Our consistent number one ranking for Development Studies reflects the strength of the teaching and research relationship between Sussex and IDS, and the quality of our international research partnerships.
In total over 5200 institutions were analysed in these rankings, and it is excellent to see we also had 22 other subjects included in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 – you can read more about the rankings on the Student Hub.
Please read on for your regular update, including:
- Final-year student? Get your free class of 2025 t-shirt – segmented for final years
- A2 exam timetable will now be available by Thursday 20 March
- Take care of your wellbeing this University Mental Health Day
- How your voice is making a difference to courses and assessments at Sussex
- Last chance to nominate staff in the Sussex Awards
- Where to go for student support
- £10,000 up for grabs with Santander’s Brighter Futures Grants!
- Last chance for you to nominate yourself for a Students’ Union leadership position
- Access and Participation Plan thematic workshops – Freedom of Speech
- Learn about green travel this Sustainable Travel Day
Final-year student? Get your free class of 2025 t-shirt
Complete the National Student Survey (NSS) and collect your exclusive class of 2025 t-shirt from the survey helpers at the NSS stall in the Student Centre or the Library on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 11am and 2pm until 21 March, when you show proof of completion.
By taking part in the NSS, you will be helping prospective students to make decisions about what and where to study. As a thank you, when you complete the survey online you will be entered into a prize draw for one of five graduation packages worth £150.
The NSS can be logged for five points in the Co-Creation and Evaluation category for the Spirit of Sussex Award too. Find more information about the NSS on the Student Hub.
A2 exam timetable will now be available by Thursday 20 March
The A2 examination timetable was due to be published next week, on Monday 17 March . After some unavoidable technical issues, it will now be published by Thursday 20 March instead and will be available as usual via your Sussex Direct pages.
Take care of your wellbeing this University Mental Health Day
Today (13 March) is University Mental Health Day. It's a great reminder to take care of your mental wellbeing, for example by signing up to one of the wellbeing team’s Canine Cuddle sessions.
You can find more information and resources on the University's mental wellbeing page.
How your voice is making a difference to courses and assessments at Sussex
Over the past two years we have been listening to our students and reading your module evaluation feedback to see where improvements can be made. As a priority we wanted to make improvements around assessment timings and workloads for our students.
These improvements are set out in the new Sussex Academic Framework, a document that guides how we teach and assess courses at Sussex, which you can read more about on the Student Hub. The Sussex Academic Framework also integrates employability skills throughout our courses so students can continuously build on their employability each year.
So thank you for making a difference to the future Sussex students. These changes will be felt by our current foundation, first year and incoming students over the coming years.
Last chance to nominate staff in the Sussex Awards
The new Sussex Awards give you the chance to nominate those staff who you want to say thank you to for helping make Sussex a great place to study. These can be academic or professional services staff from your Faculty, or wider University that have made a positive impact on your time here.
Nominations close at the end of this week on Sunday 16 March - don't miss your chance to nominate an inspiring staff member or team for an award!
Check out the categories and put in your nomination.
Where to go for student support
We are all part of a community to be proud of and we all have a part to play in creating the best University we can be. However, if you ever witness, or experience any inappropriate behavour, please remember that you can access support via Report and Support, the Student Centre, and other resources available to you.
£10,000 up for grabs with Santander’s Brighter Futures Grants!
This spring, we’re excited to support Sussex students with the return of the Brighter Futures Grants programme in partnership with Santander.
We’re giving away 10 grants of £1,000 each. All of you are eligible, including undergraduates, postgraduates, part-time and full-time students. Whilst this initiative is run in partnership with Santander, you also don’t need to bank with them to participate!
Find out more on the Student Hub or sign in or register with Santander Open Academy to participate.
Last chance for you to nominate yourself for a Students’ Union leadership position
Tomorrow is the closing date for nominating yourself for a number of Students’ Union (SU) leadership positions. There are a number of roles available, including paid full-time officer roles, volunteer part-time officer roles, and trustee roles, sitting on the board of the SU to ensure it is run well.
Find out more in this recent article in Experience Sussex!
Access and Participation Plan thematic workshops – Freedom of Speech
Join the Student Engagement and Enhancement team alongside staff and students from across the university as they explore key themes relating to our new Access and Participation Plan (APP).
The next session will be around Freedom of Speech on 20 March 2025 in 12-2pm Woodland 5. How we surface the voices of those who may feel less able to speak at the university is central to the work of the APP and this session will aim to deepen our understanding and hone our listening skills.
Learn about green travel this Sustainable Travel Day
Join our Sustainable Travel Day drop-in event in Library Square on Tuesday 18 March, from 11am-3pm.
Learn about public transport discounts, upcoming events, plus, get your bike checked and registered for free, so that it will be safe no matter where you leave it - just in time for the spring!
Whether you're commuting by bus, bike, train, or walking, there are plenty of ways to make your journey to campus greener.
With best wishes,
Kate
Professor Kate O’Riordan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students)