As we begin the new academic year, it’s timely to remind our community that academic freedom and freedom of speech are embedded in our University Charter and governed by UK law. The University and York SU have worked together to agree our joint Code of Practice on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech which ensures that all members of our community can engage in vigorous enquiry, discussion and debate. We are a Community of Respect and it’s important that we share our views and challenge each other fairly and thoughtfully. Read our Statement on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech.

If you haven't already done so, you should complete the Respect at York on ‘Understanding consent and being an active bystander’ training on the VLE.

Campus West will be extremely busy from Thursday (15 October) until Monday (19 October), with limited access and restricted parking due to the Yorkshire Marathon taking place on Sunday (18 October).

If you are struggling with Kortext to access textbooks, see our step-by-step guide to correctly creating your account in this Kortext guidance document (University login required).

The IT Support drop-in help desk has reverted to its usual semester opening. Get help with IT issues between 10am-12pm and 2-4pm, Monday to Friday (10am-12pm only on Tuesdays).

Hate has no place in our community and we support anyone who is affected by it. We’re marking National Hate Crime Awareness Week in the Library today (11am to 2pm), where members of Conduct and Respect and other teams will be on the first floor of Fairhurst with Respect at York goodies, information about how we tackle hate crime and details of the support available to students and staff.

Whether you know exactly what you’re looking for in your career planning, are searching for a placement or internship, or are still figuring out what could be next, our two forthcoming careers fairs are a great place to start.

Want to feel more confident at a careers fair? Our new Careers Fair First Steps guide helps you to prepare and know what to say when you meet employers. Walk in feeling ready! And on the day, you can get extra support too, including our Work Wardrobe: of free interview and workwear for York students, CV reviews to help you put your best foot forward,and free LinkedIn headshots: get a professional photo for your profile.

The International Communities team has just launched our full schedule of trips and events for this semester. Check out the forthcoming trips to Whitby and Manchester, plus York’s Rawcliffe Country Park Bonfire and Fireworks Display! And don’t miss this week’s International Social for craft and connections!

Remember, we offer lots of support and advice for international students, including English language support. Starting soon, our General English Conversation short course is ideal for students with at least a B1 level or equivalent in English who wish to improve their speaking and listening skills and their overall ability and confidence to communicate in English.

Learn more about the groundbreaking geothermal project happening right here on Campus East in our World Geothermal Day lecture on Thursday (15 October). Find out about how we’re aiming to reduce fossil fuel consumption at the University and, in turn, lower the City of York’s overall carbon footprint.

Vlog. Write. Create. Get paid! Applications are now open for our student content creator programme. This is a paid, flexible role where you can share your own stories and creative content ideas about life at York. You’ll have the opportunity to create blogs, vlogs, TikToks, Reels, feature on podcasts and/or professional video and photoshoots. Apply to join our Content Creator Team.

In the run up to the autumn Careers Fairs (see item 2), listen to the Hey York podcast on Preparing for my career to find out how careers events and advice helped students, Mohammad and Ellen, choose the right path for them.

Log on to Handshake, our careers platform, for jobs and opportunities:

See all updates for students on our website:

Things to know this week is produced and distributed by the University's Student Communications Team. Please email any feedback to 
student-communications@york.ac.uk.

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