Concrete 324

Page 1

Issue

13.05.14

298

Concrete online Scan for all the latest news, sports & society blogs!

concrete-online.co.uk

UEA to raise fees for rented campus accommodation

@Concrete_UEA ConcreteNewspaper

• Average rise of £156 a year • Student union not consulted

05

The underlying dangers of nationalism

08

Eurovision: beers, beards and bodices

13

Getting a degree versus getting experience

Elliot Folan News editor Concrete can today report that the University of East Anglia plans to increase the rent students pay for campus accommodation, despite objections raised by the Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) and concerns expressed about an alleged lack of consultation. The fee rise will see rents go up by an average of around £16 per month, or £156 a year – an average increase of 4.2% on 2013-14. Students in en suite accomodation such as Britten House, Colman House, Constable Terrace, Kett House, Nelson Court and Paston House face the biggest rise at £340 per year (a 7.5% increase on 2013-14). Students in Mary Chapman Court will not face the fee rise, with rents remaining the same as in 2013-14. See the table on this page for full breakdown by residence. Although the university argues that the rent increase is needed for “essential maintenance, refurbishment and utilities costs” student union officers have opposed the increase, pointing out that that the expected £1m profit raised from the increase will go into “general university funds” and not specifically into any accommodation investment. Union officers argue that the fee rise comes at a time when student support grants are being cut, and say that “there is Continued on pg 3

incluvise Building an ign campa >P13

Flickr: brownwindsor

UEA accomodation fees 2014 – 2015 Accomodation

Yearly cost 2014-15

Fee rise (£)

Change (%)

En-suite campus

£4,878

£340

+8%

Two bedroom studio

£4,280

£205

+5%

University Village

£4,179

£122

+3%

Norfolk/Suffolk, single

£3,830

£184

+5%

Standard campus

£3,040

£117

+4%

Mary Chapman Court

£2,923

£0

-

Norfolk/Suffolk, double

£2,620

£125

+5%

Marking boycott cancelled as university staff accept 2% pay rise

Roald Dahl at 100 >Venue

feared that a boycott would lead to a delay in students graduating from university. However, after a 2% pay increase for next year was offered by universities the UCU postponed the boycott until the 6th of May to allow its members to vote on the offer. Almost 84% of the union’s members took part in the vote and only 16% voted to reject the new pay increase. Speaking on the issue, UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt said: “UCU members have made it overwhelmingly clear that they wish to accept the 2% pay offer and call off the

The University and College Union (UCU) has announced its decision not to boycott marking student exam papers after its

Christmas with Concrete

2016 took a vote on new pay deals members 23rd February e 322 Issu being offered by employers.

spaper

ConcreteNew

is off. My thanks go to UCU members for their support in this dispute”. The 1% pay increase given to university staff for the current year has been the cause of much anger among university staff with several strikes being Frontier, held by higher education union members since last Concrete’s October. The 2% increase, which universities said was their “full and final” offer, followed a fierce standoff literary

ALSO

>P14 Homeless at Christmas >P16 Budget Christmas dinner >P18 Quiz of the year pullout >Venue Christmas TV Issue 296 • Free • Tuesday 25 March

The UCU originally decided to call a marking boycott from 28th April after e.co.uk concrete-onlin universities chose to offer their staff just a A 1% increase in their pay for next year. It was _UE rete onc

@C

proposed marking boycott.

“We shall be informing universities of UEA’s Student Newspaper their decision and that the marking boycott

Dan Falvey News editor

between the employers and their staff, with universities threatening a 100% pay reduction to all employees who took part in the boycott. Following the UCU’s choice to call off the protest, Professor Neil Ward, Pro Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UEA spoke of his delight that the dispute had been resolved: “We have assured finalyear students that graduation will proceed as usual and are pleased that this situation has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion for everyone involved”.

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Flip to Sport for a five page Derby Day special!

Frontier

1st December 2015 Issue 318

UEA claim historic Derby Day win concrete-online.co.uk @Concrete_UEA

ConcreteNewspaper

Exclusive interview with ‘Eddy from Pool’ and captain Nikolas Charalambous

Union snookers Pool society

Billy Sexton Sports Reporter

Derby Day 2014 will go down as a memorable day, not only for those involved competitively, but for spectators who followed the event, be it in person or via the extensive online coverage provided by UEA’s media societies. Derby Day has taken place annually EXCLUSIVE since 2001, Dan and Falvey the 2014 contest was undoubtedly Editor-in-Chief the closest encounter between UEA and the University of Essex. UEA Pool club is facing Since 2005,The the home teamand hasSnooker traditionally existential crisis strolled to an victory and the last after away vital win facilities by the Union of UEA Students occurred inpromised 2004 when UEA beat Essex in (UUEAS) never materialised, following the Colchester.summer Organisers decided to move the House. redevelopment of Union competitionIntoana email Sunday in the seen hopeby that it exchange Concrete, the hasclosely admitted responsibility for the lack would yieldunion a more contested event of facilities, claiming that that and their epiphany did not disappoint. there was a “miscommunication between [UUEAS] and It was clear that Derby Day 2014 was the architects” and that “there are no excuses”. going to be different fromSnooker recent club, yearswho won The Pool and as UEA put much Derby more of a fight to theupannual Day tournament for against in 2014,were is onetraded of UEA’s oldest the home UEA team. As blows sports clubs. It has throughoutstudent the day, Essex took firstexisted bloodever since the university was established in 1963 and with a dominant win in the Futsal, but members have always had access to two fullUEA fought by tables recording victories sizeback snooker to practice on. However, in Women’s Korfball, Ultimate theLacrosse, snooker room, previously located upstairs in Union House, was demolished during the Frisbee, Men’s Table Tennis and American the building the Football torefurbishment name but aof few. Indeed, during it summer leaving club with nowhere to appeared that UEA werethe easing toward train. victory only for Essex to pounce back and Nikolas Charalambous, President of Pool narrow theand gapSnooker by emerging victorious in captain, and Bucs England expressed his frustration at the club’s Men’s andhas Women’s Athletics, Women’s situation,Squash arguing that a result of their lack Hockey, Men’s andas Women’s of facilities the club has seen membership Tennis, amongst others. Essex tookits the drop by that 45% since the last academic year: Joshua Edwards, formerly of the UEA Pool society, whose victory clinched Derby Day 2014 for UEA Photo: Will Cockram Will Cockram lead early “Only intoves the evening, but grit and in the UUEAS belie epast five years the club changed madboth be zing staff pay. situation before he entered the has frame said the Nik, whoyou won five some out of time the six frames club had sent somebody to the BUCS determination from UEA’s Netball provided a great environment”. when have free... Team Pool “The lack of facilities effected from Pool,ent to Poolofand Snooker and this year savings can less or free significantly stud er efficiency and ices that tomembers take ‘theweopportunity to The he played, that the Derby Daywith winthe snooker tournament. illustrious teams and Waterpolo meant the The union did not notifyNik’s the club that they morale hopes has of course been affected, number of have at the club. we are going to be playingthat in Bucs for the firsthe wanted , leaving it with latest monetary no furth tline serv cash reserves harming fron the out with after with d rtin on .Ma ciate would not be able to provide thehe promised opportunity to not practise as much as we had snooker tables were such a good opportunity time in the team event. To lose such a valuable get a bit of glory’ . Eddy also notes that can serve as a catalyst for growth of the Pool background in snooker, where ranked overall victory would s asso fall back ember be decided by the Photo: Flickr, Sept nditure. Cost ntly cash to activities. previously, I helped some the of our 7th in the country for under 21s players, for people towas play great, at a great rate of £15 andclub, to done part of our club tables. that offers members ented last unfunded expe the LCR were “significa pres ‘Thean atmosphere the football particularly given thatcoach clinching which are n’sPool ongoing contest the unio the at Documents get loss. n meetings, ts in is h bud unio even s whic members last year on the snooker tables as it be able to play on campus between lectures incentive to join has affected us dramatically”. inal ing Continued on page 5 – from rd The rest, as they host en losse Minutes when the orig The union say, is history. As UEA team came down, that made things really victory for UEA at Derby Day was merely helped him on his way to reaching er charities ate unforese the Trustee Boa king ted” und r Sheehan y to indic , tima bod Pete rol eres lable and cont und avai summer. red side Dan Falvey ate decision-ma brilliant. We got a lot of support from the tip of the iceberg of a highly successful the BUCS final, only to lose narrowly. “con get, publicly from poor cost uty editor students sat on the edge of their seats has ultim ared over the bud Dep stem AS prep coand even that UUE ef k was that a brea ding union that in 2014-15 inclu Editor-in-Chi law – indicate ned to run agreed,asand he’d ‘never season. Indeed, theworld-class club reached the final theoffered tournament saw branch of the ent activityin and their masses to ensure them.’ Nik for the year year, aftergiven coursesthat being for only four as attract more academics and to However, announced partsaid of thethat university’s 2030 vision, studtweeted s to ts. Events, the ) is had plan crete it nor a loss, and club nigh actual reduction that ever, the in ents (UUEAS neither a prof ts clubs”. Con the years. enhance university’s teaching andand research. a tournament where you’ve BUCSthePool championships it 128 players take part, finishing in the top to increase student numbers by up togot 20% inofa the trended nationwide played in of spor#DerbyDay2014 the union’s July 2016. How this in ordinates gigs, bars of UEA Stud culty after it making resulted in reported on the reduction The Union July 2015 and thereachievement have been questions to Richardson that he wanted to maintain move thatbetween would seethe up pool to 3,000 new students exerciseMatch tables. It was there that stressed they experienced the most two isHowever, a fantastic for Nikasand financial diffi costs now puts that this Concrete first in 2012, when it was get between alongside ofwhic thehDay and The Only three bouncers understands experiencing y of the missing sports clubs July 2015-16 bud il on culty its over whether this aim to increase student numbers what makes UEA “so special” and stressed joining the university in the next few years. reta in diffi s disc sure cost from cial pres has theypool team member was almost like a home and away fan base. pressure they’d been under all season, the club. ing Way Is Essex (thehow irony), overed finan underestimated Concrete investigation to show falling revenue doubt. n union putt These proposals are a part of the university’s that the vision would focus on investing and in such a short time span is achievable. A report 30 members h was disc a overed that get, serious ted to the unio bership; ground.’ When quizzed on having won twothe tiebreakers in two playoffs Withby it the costing just £10 to join the club, Edwards, now affectionately known Like a football had fewer than Josh blunder, whic headache for the disc by £160,000, their mem had contribu sight in the bud d The issued School of Biology states that one developing Norwich campus, rather than ease 15-year vision, which is due to be unveiled in emic LCR over incr the and acad to e ts -12 is another cial outle were planning as ‘Eddy from Pool’, kept his cool to clinch whetherthehe deficit in 2011 uncovered. Sinc ened students with increase enjoyed the fiveto reach the At ofDerby Day, Eddy and Nik encourage even those with a of the operational problems, which the School looking intofinal. options other campuses in the Eddy New Year. Thisplaying will be theunder first of three in October, been in finan has voted 6 ing a £250,000 ed on page Union Council UUEAS has burdoutlets, considered reducing organisation which has Losses in the 2014- runn ing pressure, mentioned he was ‘knewUKsomeone else I had small interest in thewith game has had to contend overgetting the past involved year. The or around thecould world.win “In it ourif planning, Continu yearEddy plans and follows on that from record-breaking an overall victory for UEA. Since then, n tion from mak ng of not giving , of year. several years. prices in unio the organisa reportthe argues that the highofnumbers weit are mindful of later the opportunities recruitment the current academic year, with difficulty for d to £712,000 that he inthrived in the situation; lost so wasalso a win or win situation.’ for given ‘big mix’ abilityof students present has accused UEA Speaking to Eddy and his captain ‘surprised’ to prevent from either cutti year amounte sports clubs and the organisation. are a “testament to BIO’s teaching and research expansion which areseason not purely location based, UEA accepting 900 more new pressure students than in Additionally, geted for. This further redundancies, and 15 academic bud to the ing not ‘I thought it would put a lot more this marked the already. At the end of the day ‘anybody can for fund was Nikolas Charalambous, g enough Jessica Frank-Keyes Concrete & Joe Jameson the union’s but which can be offered via online and flexible reputation”, but that it “has put a huge strain on 2013-14. which £261,000 when budgetin depletion of I could handle.’ first time in over 10 years that the UEA win’ in pool. ‘It’s eight balls. That’s all it is.’ resulted in Errors made discovered that Eddy aware of the on me thanSpeaking News editorwas & Editor-in-Chief esented a 46% teaching resources”. The School of Biology’s at the launch of UEA’s 2030 vision, learning.” year have

EXCLUSIVE

Save our union

... from its own

financial blund

>> No sign of special new facilities promised by union

>> Membership declines by half

ers

UEA plans to recruit 20% more students by 2030

of emic 2015-16 acad ning £160,000 ittingly plan the union unw

repr

The University of East Anglia is preparing to announce its expansion plans to recruit thousands more undergraduate students. The Vice Chancellor, David Richardson, has

professor Richardson said “There is no doubt that as a university we will need to grow our student population in the coming years”. He argued that growth was essential if UEA was to retain its position in global standings as well

The Vice Chancellor’s remarks that the 2030 vision will focus on the Norwich campus is confirmation of a move away from a previous strategy which had seen the university open a campus in London in 2010 which closed last

own data allows for it’s intake to mirror that of this year, even though that will mean the school will have 100 students more than they think is manageable, putting BIO’s intake up to an approximate 332.

2016

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