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>> Features looks at the pro-lifers coming to a city near you 30th January 2018 Issue 347
The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | concrete-online.co.uk
Controversial Israel policy renewed Emily Hawkins Editor-in-Chief A controversial vote to keep the students’ union’s policy relating to solidarity with Palestine and the boycott of Israeli products, will be examined by trustees as it may fall foul of government legislation. Councillors voted by 44 to 19 in favour of retaining the policy ‘1714
In support of international law and human rights in Palestine.’ Policies lapse after a few years unless the Council votes to renew them. The motion was originally passed in April 2015 and saw UEA join a national trend of universities supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The policy obligates the SU to sever ties with companies seen to be “facilitating the occupation in
the Gaza strip”, including products served in the Union shops and bars. It means the SU supports “an academic boycott of Israeli universities”. Students’ unions’ policies faced government investigation last spring, when the Charity Commission wrote to SUs on concerns over anti-Semitism. The SU is a registered charity and so is legally bound to avoid
participation in political campaigns which do not further objectives such as the promotion of education and welfare of students. The Chair of the Trustee Board, India Edwards, said: “Whilst students in general and our Union Council in particular will rightly want to debate issues of political or global concern, the SU itself has to abide by Charity Law- and that means spending our money and
time on things within our charitable objects that are focussed on the student experience at UEA. We’ve already had legal advice on Motion 1714 a few years ago, and we’ll make sure that in the coming days this is re-communicated to all concerned”. The Trustee Board will meet on
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72 students did not pay full rent last year
Mingming Zheng and Matt Nixon News Reporter and News Editor An investigation by the Liberal Democrats has revealed more than 17,000 students living in UK university accommodation failed to make rent payments last year. The data, which was released under the Freedom of Information Act, showed the number of rental arrears increased by 16 percent nationally since 2016. Izzy Lenga, the Vice-President of the National Union of Students, has
called the current student finance system broken. Ms Lenga said: “Rather than falling into the easy temptation to label these as cases of rent avoidance, we instead need to urge the government and the higher education sector to wake up to the reality that students are being priced out of housing and their education.” Prompted by the Liberal Democrats’ investigation, Concrete looked into rent payments at UEA, and can exclusively reveal that in the 2016/17 academic year 72 students living on campus failed to pay their accommodation fees in full. So far this year a total of 14 UEA students
have failed to make their rent payments.
"We understand that while students are studying at university, their finances can be a worry" UEA’s accommodation manager, Paul Bailey, told Concrete: “If these students are still studying at university, we have liaised with
them to mutually agree affordable instalment payment plans.” When asked if these figures suggest more should be done to support students financially at UEA, Mr Bailey said: “We understand that while students are studying at university, their finances can be a worry and we do our best to support them.” Mr Bailey said students who are aware they may not be able to meet accommodation payment deadlines should contact the Accounts Receivable Team as soon as possible. He explained: “The Accounts Team can put together bespoke
instalment plans for students whose student loan does not cover all their accommodation costs”, and added: “Any student with general financial issues is strongly encouraged to seek advice from UEA’s Student Support Services Finance Team.” Commenting on the picture at UEA, SU Welfare Community and Diversity Officer India Edwards told Concrete: “For a decade the cost of [UEA’s] accommodation has risen by more than inflation, and now represents a huge proportion of
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