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THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987
Uni ignores student anger on timetabling
8 December 2014 • Issue 632 • Twitter: @Exepose • www.facebook.com/Exepose • Free
• Pilot scheme to go ahead in spite of student criticism at badly advertised meetings • Guild expresses opposition to teaching day changes • Lectures scheduled for 8.30am-6.30pm next year Emily Leahy News Editor THE University is set to implement its original plans to extend the teaching day in 2015/16, despite strong student criticism. Over the past two weeks the University has hosted a series of open meetings “primarily designed as forums for students to raise speci�ic issues they may encounter as a result of the changes.” However, the discussions have inadvertently provided an opportunity for students to voice their opposition to the plans. While the meetings featured in the University In Brief newsletter, many students complained that they had been poorly advertised. A reminder email sent to the whole student body
only reached inboxes on the morning of Tuesday 25 November, the day of the �irst meeting. For many students it was the �irst chance to express their opinions on the scheme, which the University has de�inite plans to enforce. At the meeting held on 25 November, Ariel Edge, Humanities College Manager, said the decision to change the teaching day was made “following a rigorous process of research and data analysis.” She also referred to consultations regarding the change with various student bodies, which were held in term three of last year. Sam Johnson, Music Society Executive said: “although they did consult us [last term] we were pretty much
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Photo: Edwin Yeung
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Gemma Joyce Editor
OVER £12,000 has been charged in library �ines so far this term for late or lost books, according to information released to Exeposé under a Freedom of Information request. The University also con�irmed that nearly £80,000 was collected last year and that one student wracked up a �ine of £87 in the last two years. According to the University, the money is reinvested into the library and used to purchase new resources, but the large �igure has been criticised by various groups. Shef�ield University has recently been applauded for abolishing library �ines in a bid to create a more ‘userfriendly’ system in which books are automatically renewed until they are requested by another student. The move came after the University was criticised by the NUS and Of�ice of Fair Trading who contacted universities warning them they could be in breach of consumer law if students were not allowed to graduate because of unpaid library �ines. A statement on the University’s website says: “If you have an academic related debt to the University you may be prevented from graduating,” but the press of�ice claimed information on students prevented from graduating because of outstanding library �ines
Comment
Pages 8 & 9
Term One library fines top £12,000
Page 20
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