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CONTENTS
RADIO 1 AT CONCRETE
VERNON KAY’S VOLUNTEER ARMY
VOLUNTEERING LATEST
BYE-ELECTIONS
YOU HAVE SPOKEN
WHAT DID THE SU EVER DO FOR US?
COURSE REPS LATEST
TV LICENSE CASH-BACK
ADVICE LATEST
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Radio 1’s Big Weekend
As part of BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend BBC Introducing carried out 3 days of unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar music. The Students Union was lucky enough to play a big part in one of these events that was carried out on your Official UCSU night at Concrete. The BBC, Concrete and Students Union worked together to ensure that the students were guaranteed to have a fantastic night and that’s exactly what happened. The Union was allocated a number of wristbands to be given out on the day of the event to guarantee entry. Giveaways took place at Brampton Road, Fusehill Street, Caldewgate and Concrete, with students lining the street outside Concrete to grab a wristband. Local DJ’s played a variety of music to get the party started then DJ Target from BBC Radio 1Xtra took to the decks and certainly got the crowd going. Not only did DJ Target stir up a storm on the dance floor with his fantastic set, but he also visited Concrete in the afternoon to offer master classer to local talent. Listening to demos and offering positive feedback. Article by Jeanne Gate
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Vernon Kay’s Volunteer Army This year students from the University Of Cumbria have been involved in volunteering, taking part in one off volunteering days and projects or doing it regularly, such as helping at local sports and youth groups. On Saturday 7th May 20 students joined Vernon Kay’s Volunteer army in Carlisle on different projects around the area in the run up to Radio 1’s Big Weekend. People who have never done any volunteering and those who have lots of experience all offered their help and chose an activity that they thought they’d enjoy. Steven Baty, a second year Child and Family Studies student said of the day: “Today I’ve been doing a bit of gardening, planting flowers and general tidying up. I feel like I’ve achieved
Left; Vernom with his army, right; A proud Volunteer
Radio 1’s Big Weekend
something. Tidying the local community has been a good way to bridge the gap between local residents and students” Rahul Mehrotra, a first year Animal Conservation Science student at Newton Rigg, who is a volunteer in the Conservation Society said “As a team we did habitat restoration and landscaping for Longtown Community Centre. It was a good work out and I got muddy which I enjoy. It was also good to be able to use my own expertise to help other people.” Other volunteers took part in activities ranging from refurbishing a neglected radio control race track to volunteering at a local hospice. Louise Managh, a second year Childrens Nursing Diploma student at Lancaster said “I found it really enjoyable and had a good laugh with the other volunteers. I’d like to continue volunteering but probably a bit closer to home.” As a special thank you from Radio 1 all the
volunteers received a ticket for the Saturday of the One Big Weekend which was a brilliant surprise for everyone who took part. Lewis Walker, a second year Criminology and Law student stayed on site at the Youth Zone, a new £5m centre for young people in north Cumbria, and was able to watch a live lounge performance whilst he and other volunteers made canvases. He let us know what the highlights were; “The best bit was doing something different to usual every day stuff and it was cool to see a live Radio 1 event. For three days I volunteered in the acreditation office at the radio1 big weekend. this was a hands on experince into behind the scenes of a major festival. There were several tasks that I was was allocated. One of these was that three of us all from the University of Cumbria helped write up passes and organised passes to the faces, voices and crew of the bbc, this included Fearne Cotton and Chris Moyles. Other duties were such as taking tours round the site the tours which I took round were students from the Richard Rose Academy. The work experience was very enjoyable, meeting new people and working in a completely different environment where new duties and challenges arose each day. The most enjoyable bit of course has to be the guest passes to all of the big weekend, however I am not one to brag... pah!” If you would like to be kept up to date with volunteering opportunities please register online as a volunteer at; www.thestudentsunion.org.uk/volunteering Article by Kati Brown
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A Great Year
Article by Kati Brown
It’s been a great year for volunteering, with lots of people taking part in one off events and many of you carrying out regular voluntary work. Next year we’re going to be organising more one off projects, giving you the opportunity to try your hand at loads of activities either relating to your courses or something totally different!
Beach Clean at Silloth Lancaster and Penrith students carried out a beach clean at Silloth Beach in October to help clear up some of the mess – and did a brilliant job! It was a great day to mark the start of the years volunteering projects. When we arrived at Silloth we were all given our litter pickers, gloves and bin bags and off we went to see what grotty bits of litter we could find. The bigger the pieces the better too, it was the only time I’ve ever seen people excited to find soiled nappies and abandoned push chairs! Marine animals can mistake rubbish for food and many have died from consuming plastic bags, fireworks debris, and cigarette butts so the little bits of rubbish we removed was a big help. It was a really rewarding day, lots of fun, it was a nice excuse to be outside and the hot chocolate and soup breaks back at the bus were a good way to warm everybody up.
I.T Sessions for Elderly Residents Lancaster students volunteered to teach I.T on Wednesday afternoons to help local OAPs. Over the 10 weeks it became so much more than an opportunity to learn how to use a computer and became a great social event to look forward to each week. It was a friendly environment where residents could chat with student volunteers in addition to learning how to network online. Many residents set up their own email account
and were communicating with family and friends online when they hadn’t done so previously. Others set up Facebook profiles, uploading photos and inviting their friends to join them.
Painting, Decorating and Befriending More than 15 volunteers from the Lancaster, Penrith and Carlisle campuses worked with service users at Heathlands on a painting, decorating, and outdoors project and ten students took part in a similar project at the Eden Foyer in Penrith. Heathlands Farm day centre for adults with learning disabilities at Harker, Carlisle, provided an opportunity for students to form a befriending environment whilst working on a painting, decorating and outdoors project, allowing the members to develop confidence and relationships by offering practical assistance and support.
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Painting and Decorating at Eden Foyer The Eden Foyer is the only facility in Cumbria which provides young people with support and opportunities into independent living. The Foyer offers a wide range of services for young people and the wider community. All the volunteers got stuck into the painting and decorating, some of whom had never done anything like that before, and completely transformed the rooms in the building
Activities and Information Day for Children with Disabilities 16 UCSU Volunteers and SU staff helped run an Information & Activities Day for Families with Children with Disabilities at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre. The aim was to design an accessible and fun event to enable families with children with disabilities to access support and information about local activities and agencies, providing an opportunity for the children to try out activities, such as; archery, trampolining, boccia, cycling, arts & crafts, curling and multi-skills.
And that’s not all….. Other volunteering that students have taken part in over the year include tree planting around Cumbria with Diggin’ the Trees, running sports sessions for adults and children around Cumbria and Lancashire, being panel members for the Youth Offending Team and Cumbria
Police Authority, habitat management with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Fundraising for Read International, Arts workers for the Youth Zone, Conservation days with Friends of the Lake District, window displays and shop work for charity shops, Special Needs Assistants for the Scouts, website developers/social networking sites for charities, Ambassadors for Drugs and Alcohol Services, and many more………
RAGfun Rachel Garlick has this year run fundraising events for the RAGfun Society (Raising and Giving), raising money for different charities. RAGfun raised a fantastic £260 for Children in Need through a Wednesday night carnival themed social. This included many games, face painting, fancy dress and an auction of promise and money was also raised through a cake sale around the campuses. Over November or ‘Movember’ men around the country embarked upon the moustache-growing month. The Try-It society and members of Lancaster Rovers Football Club chose this month to raise money for the Prostate Cancer charity. They planned an openmic night and quiz to raise money for this cause. Money has also been raised for The Wallace and Gromit’s Children’s Foundation for sick children in hospices and hospitals around the UK. Staff and students baked cakes and RAGfun hosted a Great British Tea Party, making £160 for the foundation.
Volunteer of The Year This year’s award went to Matt Tennant, a volunteer from the Lancaster Campus. Matt is the Ethical and Environmental Officer for the Students’ Union and has this year gone above and beyond the role, listening to student opinion and putting things in motion, such as securing a student allotment and introducing a Fair Trade Policy, to make the SU and the University more sustainable. Matt has also volunteered his time as Secretary
for Outdoor Pursuits and for QAA (the Institutional Audit) to put forward the views of students within Arts Business and Science. All volunteers, whatever you’re involved in, are eligible for nomination for this award so keep letting us know about your volunteering and we’ll look forward to receiving nominations in the next academic year.
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WANTED! Volunteers for Welcome Weeks Activities include: • • • •
•
Help new students locate their rooms and move on to campus. Talk to new students and answer questions they have about Uni life. Help with the registration process and guide people around campus. Support, promotion and recruitment of Students’ Union services and activities (for example student reps, volunteering and advice). Help in additional areas where volunteers are needed at times.
Benefits for volunteers • •
Loads of fun and you’ll meet lots of new people. .An opportunity to develop and use your teamwork, time management, communication, guiding and problem solving skills.
If you would like to apply for this volunteering role please download an application form at www.thestudentsunion.org.uk/volunteering and email it to Kati at suvolunteering@cumbria.ac.uk
We are now recruiting for friendly and enthusiastic volunteers to help out during the day over welcome weeks in September. Student Run Self Help (SRSH) for students with Eating Disorders Could you work with a team to provide support for students with eating disorders? We need more volunteers to help establish and run this valuable service to benefit students on our Lancaster campus. Training takes place in Aug/Sept and on-going support provided. You don’t need any prior experience with eating disorders just a passion to offer support and to make a difference. This is a great opportunity to gain new skills and experience, or develop existing skills!
IT Sessions for Retired Local Residents We’re looking for volunteers who could help teach basic IT skills to retired local residents at Lancaster and Fusehill Street, Carlisle. You don’t need to be an expert in IT, just able to use a computer, create a word document, surf the internet and have the patience to teach those skills to someone who hasn’t used a computer. These sessions are friendly, non-threatening and provide an opportunity for students to help residents and get to know them.
RAG Fundraising (Raise and Give) Are you passionate about raising money for charities? Want to run fun events and help make a difference to the lives of others? RAG Fun is the SUs charity fundraising group, organising events throughout the academic
year to raise and give to identified charities. If you have a charity you’d like to support, email us today!
Students’ Union Allotment, Lancaster Could you help on the SU allotment? Maybe do some weeding and/or planting? Are you staying in Lancaster for the summer or could you spare an hour or two periodically? We need extra hands to help! If you’re free and willing to help please get in touch! Also, we’d like to encourage student parents to bring your children to the allotment – it’s a great opportunity to learn together and get some fresh air at the same time!
READ International READ International Book Project is a national award winning, student founded and entirely student volunteer-led project. Volunteers collect books from secondary schools & colleges during the academic year, sort them and send the most relevant & best quality to school kids in Tanzania, in summer 2012. You’ll run fundraising events to raise £7,500 by summer 2012 and deliver school workshops and presentations to schools. You need to be outgoing, fun, driven & motivated. For more information please email Emma at suvolunteering@cumbria.ac.uk
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3pm Friday 20th May
your candidates Christopher Mason (Carlisle) - Independent Chair* Tom Kenrick (Lancaster) – Lancaster Campus Rep Steven Shaw (Lancaster) – Postgraduate Exec Rep* Emeline Crossley (Lancaster) – Lancaster Health Faculty Rep Iain Younger (Lancater) – Lancaster Health Faculty Rep Davide Angeletti (Carlisle) – Carlisle Education Rep* Alex Walker (Tower Hamlets) – Tower Hamlets Site Representative Anna Beaumont (Carlisle) – Carlisle Non-Portfolio (Activities) Officer* *Positions eligible for Carlisle students to vote on
voting opens between 3pm Friday 20th and 3pm Wednesday 25th May through the SU online voting portal:
www.thestudentsunion.org.uk/election
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Emma Green Interview
The Perks of Presidency AN INTERVIEW WITH EMMA GREEN by Andy S Hamilton
In these unfortunate times for students going into or studying in Higher Education, competition in employment can be as tough as ever, making it ever harder for graduates to get on the career ladder. So what could be more useful for a CV, than having been the former President of the UCSU. Emma Green 24, studied Outdoor Leadership at the Newton Rigg Campus in Penrith. After being approached by the then vice president, she decided to stand in the elections, becoming the Vice President in Penrith 2008-9 and becoming the President of the UCSU the following year in 2009-10. Emma has now gone on to have a career working with the National Union of Students. During her time in the UCSU, Emma was instrumental in saving the Ambleside Campus, getting a promise from management to bring in anonymous marking, a backtrack on removing outdoor education students from Ambleside as well as the highest turnout in elections for many years. When asked what made her want to become involved with the union, Emma said, ‘Originally I had thought of the SU as simply a bar and sports teams throughout most of my first year, however after working at the bar and then meeting the campus Vice President at the time, I got to understand what the
union was really there for.’ ‘In my final year I wasn’t sure that I wanted to continue down the path of being an outdoor instructor (at least not immediately anyway) and so I started to think about my other options...I realised how the role really spoke to some of my passions for changing things for the better and generally being a part of something bigger... following my year as Vice President I went on to stand for President and was successfully elected.’ Whilst you might think that being President of the SU would be too stressful for someone already working towards a degree, Emma says, ‘Ultimately anyone who has a desire to really achieve great things or even simply to just make life better for other students, should not find this role demanding in a way that would be detrimental to them.’ ‘The challenges I faced, whilst at times quite emotionally draining, have undoubtedly given a rocket boost to my development as a person, not only in terms of employability but in terms of my ability to deal with issues in general life and to be a confident individual.’ ‘I think the role of President is only truly demanding in a negative way if you either go into the role believing it will be about getting drunk and organising events (it isn’t, although the socialising aspect is amazing) or if you
are not truly passionate about turning student’s thoughts, ideas, grievances or problems into real outcomes’. The post of President and involvement in the SU can also help develop many skills, greatly valuable to employers and always handy for blank spaces on a CV. With the help of her time spent in the UCSU, Emma Green says she developed skills in ‘diplomacy, networking, negotiation, management, relationship building, finance, campaigning, lobbying, time management and use of the media.’ ‘Without the masses of experiences I went through and the breadth of situations I dealt with as part of this role, I could not have been capable of facing an interview at such a level, and certainly would not have been as instantly employable as I am now.’ Today, Emma works as a North West Regional Organiser for the National Union of Student, helping Unions to develop themselves in areas such as campaigning, elections and representation. Commenting on how her time as president helped with her current work for the NUS, Emma said, ‘My position as President has led directly to my progression into a career path with the National Union of Students... This is a role which effectively could have
taken me years to achieve by working in less senior positions in other students’ unions, and is effectively a boost up the career ladder of at least 4-5 years, not to mention a significant pay rise which I do not believe I could have hoped to achieve within such a short time frame otherwise.’ ‘It involves a significant level of travel all over the North West, everywhere from Carlisle down to Chester. There are also a lot of times when I am expected to travel to various cities in the country to deliver training for officers, steward at demonstrations or provide advice and assistance. It is an incredible job which gives a great level of satisfaction because I truly feel as if I am helping to achieve positive change for unions and students across the country.’ ‘Whilst the hours can sometimes be long and the travelling can take time, it is entirely worthwhile for the sense of achievement and relationships that you build throughout the entire student movement.’ The UCSU is currently holding the Bye-Election, with voting open until 3pm Wednesday 25th May. Anyone who wants to find out more about the UCSU can contact; Daniel.Prescott@cumbria.ac.uk or Martin.Dodd@cumbria.ac.uk
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Building A Better University For You
Activities Assembley You Have Spoken On Thursday 7th April students held a cross-campus Activities Assembly where various ideas concerning the development of student-lead activities within the Students’ Union were debated and voted upon. What is an Activities Assembly? Our Assemblies are to allow any student like you to have your say on what we do. We are here to represent your needs and the only way we can do this is to engage with you along the way. We do this in various forms, but by having these meetings they set formal policy (what we should be doing) which binds the Union to acting on your behalf. Anything can be discussed in these meetings as long as it comes under the meetings purpose, so in the case of the Activities
Assembly we look at issue surrounding Student Groups (such as sports, societies and other activities). What Happened? Firstly and importantly, the meeting was quorate (Union regulations state a minimum number of students that must attend for the process to be democratically legitimate) which means changes can be officially adopted and that the Union is bound to carrying out the actions decided. There were 5 items submitted to be debated and voted on and 4 of these passed which included: Lifting the Membership Cap. The motion was presented to remove the current minimum membership cap, which to start up or
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continue a student group states you have to have 10 members. However as this motion was passed groups now only have to fulfil a full leadership committee structure (which is currently 5 people). We will still encourage group pooling, which means trying to join groups with similar objectives/overlap together, for example instead of separate mountaineering, walking and climbing groups encouraging a merger into one Outdoors society. Impartiality within Student Groups. The motion was presented to see if students wanted a policy to allow people full and equal access in participating in all Student Groups. We are currently analyzing to see if the policy is possible. Funding From the Union The motion was presented to see if any further funding can be provided for our student groups. Even though the emphasis should be on student groups to find funding themselves, which was clearly highlighted in the meeting, additional support in maximising all avenues of funding is something which people felt they needed help with, therefore our External Sales and Events Coordinator has been asked to provide support in terms of making funding and sponsorship bids. It was also mentioned we could link up with bigger businesses to try and get some additional funding from them and offer it out to all student groups as currently only local bars and clubs are approached in this manner rather than the full range of local businesses. The Big Item: The Activity Group Review Yes, you have spoken and have decided in light of student feedback and changes within the SU sector on how Union’s ‘run’ student groups to review the way in which we enable students to run their own activities (Student Groups). So Where Does the Review Go From Here? Some of the things we will be doing as part of the
Activities Review include; • Set up action plan meetings with Emma Egglestone (Volunteer Support & Development Manager), Allan (Student Group Facilitator) and Rachel Garlick (Student Life Sabbatical 2011/12) and invite other interested persons. • I will write to all Student Groups individually explaining the process. • Hold Student Group Focus Meetings to be held in September/October (covering student groups, societies sports, faculties, diverse range of students). • Visit other similar sized Students’ Unions along with Rachel to see how they operate. • A comprehensive review of what we currently do (facts, figures accounts etc). • Another Activities Assembly will be held in October, to discuss where we are and listen to student views on the Reviews findings and recommendations at a half-way stage. • Questionnaires - What do our students want? • Look into Intramural Sport and see how this can fit into the plan. The Final Date for the Review The final date for the Review is January 2012, we will ensure an Activities Assembly is called with a submission paper covering all aspects of the review from day one and at this point a series of recommendations will be put to the student membership for debate, amendment and approval. This, in turn, will probably lead to a new series of directives about how the Union and students work in relation to student groups, with the ultimate aim being a better, fairer, more open and transparently student-lead system.
The motions from the Activities Assembly can be found on our website www.thestudentsunion.org.uk and the minutes from the meeting are available by request. I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who turned up and made the meeting possible, which allowed the motions to be voted on. Please contact me if you want to speak about anything relating to the review or any other non academic issue. Hope to see you around soon Cheers, Liam Walker (Student Life Sabbatical 2010-11/Representation Sabbatical 2011-12).
liam.walker2@cumbria.ac.uk 01524 526566 01228 616253
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Article by Danny Prescott
What did the SU ever do for us? The Students’ Union has a simple purpose, which is to improve the educational opportunities for our members as students at the University of Cumbria. Behind the scenes of the Union offices, shops and bars there is a team of elected officers and staff beavering away to this end, and although some of the activity we undertake is long-term ‘big picture’ stuff there are plenty of small victories to report. Some of the successes we’ve achieved for our members are reported in brief here, but rest assured that every working day there are dedicated people looking after your interests. Here are top results achieved by your Representatives in 2010/11: Turn around time for assignments tightened and even reduced! Thanks to a presentation made by the SU to University staff the new Pro-Vice Chancellor Academic made it one of her top priorities upon starting in January to make sure tutors return assignments within the 25 day limit specified by academic regulations. (Shockingly research done by the SU suggested 50% of assignments were returned later than 25 days). Recently
Academic Sabbatical Lorri Millar has been strongly supporting a move to reduce assignment marking turn around time to 20 days, which has been approved and should be implemented next year. Student lead by Lorri Millar Academic Sabbatical lorraine.millar@cumbria.ac.uk Forestry students get the degree they want After student’s asked the Union to investigate the use of the word’s “top-up” on their degree certificate we managed to successfully negotiate the removal of the term as per the academic regulations. They will now be graduating without the phrase on their degree’s to the satisfaction of themselves and their future employer’s. Student lead by Martin Dodd Representation Sabbatical martin.dodd@cumbria.ac.uk Tower Hamlets gain study space After years of lobbying by the Students’ Union the University announced it had designated private study space within the library for students to use. Union Community Sabbatical Tom Underwood
was instrumental in meeting with relevant service head’s to lobby for the change in recent months and will now be working to measure the suitability of the new space to ensure it meets the needs of students at the site by visiting Tower Hamlets in May. Student lead by Tom Underwood Union Community Sabbatical tom.underwood@cumbria.ac.uk Fee’s not as high as they could have been No-one’s happy with the new tuition fee situation, least of all the SU. But through a series of meetings and close scrutinisation of the Universities decision-making process the Union feels that our constant involvement helped edge the final fees position to the lowest end of the range the University was considering. Although shaving £200-300 off a fee level of £8,400 might not seem like much of a margin of success, bearing in mind that regional competitors like UCLan and Edge Hill have set their fees at £9000 it does reflect the time spend by the Union asking probing questions. Student lead by Martin Dodd Representation Sabbatical
martin.dodd@cumbria.ac.uk Automatic Book Issuing equipment in Ambleside The SU channelled student opinion that ended up with LISS installing automatic book issuing equipment in the Library space in Ambleside allowing students there to be able to borrow and return books outside of the libraries normal opening hours. Student lead by Tom Underwood Union Community Sabbatical tom.underwood@cumbria.ac.uk Cat Bells Forum set up in
Newton Rigg Thanks to the SU lead Pro-Vice Chancellor open meetings residents in the Newton Rigg Cat Bells portacabin accommodation were offered regular contact with Facilities Management and other key staff on site to manage issues arising from living in the ‘temporary’ accommodation. Student lead by Liam Walker Student Life Sabbatical liam.walker2@cumbria.ac.uk Department Heads actively
seeking student input Through the ‘Dialouge Group; initiative Service Department Heads
(such as LISS, Facilities Management etc) are recognising the importance of communicating in advance with students about changes and new ideas, and the Union is working with them and our members to set up regularly meeting sessions where students and University staff can freely exchange ideas and opinions. Student lead by Liam Walker Student Life Sabbatical liam.walker2@cumbria.ac.uk
has seen the University awarded the highest rating. Fundamental to this was the Students’ Written Submission report, authored by the Union, which turned a constructively critical eye to the full range of issues defined by our members as having a positive and negative on their student experience. Student lead by Lorri Millar Academic Sabbatical lorraine.millar@cumbria.ac.uk
SU opens door for University Fair Trade Status The passing of the SU’s Fair Trade
Course Reps professionally supported by permanent staff member The Union has created a staff position to provide dedicated support, training and advice to Student Academic Representatives (Course Reps) significantly improving the ability of students to have an impact on their educational experience at programme level. We have been able to employ a qualified solicitor to bring a rigorous analytical approach to this vital Student Voice activity. Student lead by Lorri Millar Academic Sabbatical lorraine.millar@cumbria.ac.uk
and Environmental Policies enables the University to bid for Fair Trade Status, putting environmental sustainability and ethical trading firmly at the heart of the University of Cumbria student experience. Student lead by Matt Tennant Environmental & Ethical Rep Student input helps University achieve top QAA status The University has been audited for the first time ever by the independent quality watchdog the Quality Assurance Agency, and thanks to the SU students were involved at the heart of this inspection which
Student allotment and on-campus wildflower garden
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Article by Danny Prescott
In Lancaster the SU has set up an allotment 2 minutes away from the campus for students to grow their own food, plus we have negotiated space on campus for a wildflower garden to improve the environment on site. Student lead by Tom Underwood Union Community Sabbatical tom.underwood@cumbria.ac.uk Unprecedented year of activism With 150 students going to the NUS National Demo in November, over 125 attending the Debating the Cost debates streamed simultaneously across Lancaster and Carlisle, students supporting the joint UCU/NUS march in Manchester in January and many more local demonstrations 2010/11 has been seen more student activism than the past ten years combined. The SU has been instrumental in facilitating student opposition to spending cuts and the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review on vital services both in the Education and Health sectors. Student lead by Martin Dodd Representation Sabbatical martin.dodd@cumbria.ac.uk
SU ‘Top Ten’ issues prioritised by the University As part of the QAA process the Union identified ten over-arching issues that we felt had to resolved before the University could enter in a full-fee contract with students in 2012. These issues are large and wide ranging, and include IT provision (both start-up times, network access and relevant software), time tabling (room and space allocation for teaching), the Personal Tutor system, the future of Gateway Sites, Education Faculty placements, the Campus Carlisle project, anonymous marking, provision of childcare facilities at the main campuses, customer service training for UoC staff and hidden course costs. The timetable for movement on these various issues varies, some (such as IT) are expected to be resolved to the SU’s satisfaction by the beginning of the next academic year wheras others require some significant investment and/or process revision to sort out. Never-the-less, the top managers of the University have taken very seriously the need to improve these areas and updates
on progress will form part of the Unions’ regular meetings with the Senior Management Team. Student lead by Martin Dodd Representation Sabbatical martin.dodd@cumbria.ac.uk
Top left: Lorraine Millar, top right: Liam Walker, bottom left: Martin Dodd, bottom right: Tom Underwood.
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REPRESENT. +
Course Representatives Article by Debra Robinson.
I undertook my role as Representation Facilitator for the Students Union in February. After being a Course Representative during my time as a law student at Newcastle University, and then also being elected as one of two reps during my Legal Practice Course, I felt this role would be perfect for me and I could use my skills to help transform the current structure to help students get the best from their academic experience. The Students Union has been concentrating this semester on revolutionising the Student Academic Representation system, and I have been working behind the scenes on making sure that everything is in place to start the next academic year with an entirely new scheme which focuses on recruiting new reps, supporting current reps and ensuring recognition for everyone who works towards guaranteeing that the student voice is heard and is a key feature of quality assurance.
+
Where we are? I have had to start completely from scratch, and correlating information about 13,000 students across various campuses across the country is no easy task. We are currently in a position where we are planning a training regime which will go live in September, a massive recruitment drive, there will be a definitive list of WHO your reps are, and where you can find them and a new focus on advertising the Student Academic brand. Where we are going? With the support of staff and students, the sky is the limit with Student Academic Representatives; the new system will never be ‘fully’ completed, as it is an organic process which will involve trial and error. The best way to make progress is to engage as many students as possible, after reading this article I urge as many of you as possible to get in contact with me, and help the Students Union work towards a bright future of representation. How YOU can get involved. Please email me with any comments, questions or suggestions at debra.robinson@cumbria.ac.uk.
3pm Friday 20th May
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TV License Refunds for Students
Cash-back for students with TV Licensing refund TV Licensing is reminding students from University of Cumbria who are moving back home for the summer holidays that they could be eligible for a refund of around £37 on the final quarter of their annual television Licence. Many students moving back home for the summer from halls of residence or shared flats and houses will no longer need their TV Licence over the holidays. If so, and there are three full calendar months before the licence expires, they are entitled to a refund for the unused quarter. Students need to ensure they buy a TV Licence early on, by the end of September/ early October, in order to allow enough time at the end of the academic year to qualify for a refund. A colour TV Licence bought in October 2010 cost £145.50 so the refund is around £37. You need a TV Licence to watch or record programmes at the same time as they are shown on TV, whether you are watching on TV sets, or other devices including laptops.
Nearly a quarter of students surveyed (23 per cent) watch live TV online, according to wresearch conducted on behalf of TV Licensing*. The survey also showed ownership of computers is generally much higher than TVs among students. Seventy-six per cent of students living in rented property have a TV, compared to 27 per cent in halls of residence. However, 100 per cent of students in rented accommodation have a laptop or PC, as do ninety-nine per cent of students living in halls of residence, suggesting that more are watching TV through this medium.
Tim Downs of TV Licensing said: “We know for students managing tight budgets every little helps, so we want to ensure those who are eligible know to claim the TV Licence refund. It could help by easing the burden of end-of-term household bills, or just by putting a little cash back in pockets.” Students who wish to arrange a refund or who need further information, simply need to complete an online form at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/studentinfo or call TV Licensing on 0300 790 6090
Ben Whittaker, National Union of Students (NUS) VP added: “The TV Licence refund offers students a great opportunity to save some cash, which will be particularly welcome in the current economic climate. We are glad TV Licensing continues to raise awareness about television licensing requirements among students,
particularly around watching TV online where there can sometimes be confusion over when a licence is required. Students need to be aware of the law, so they avoid risking a prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.” For further information please contact the TV Licensing Press Office on 0113 2200700 or send an email to tvl@brassagency.com. To arrange your refund, or for further information, simply visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk/studentinfo where you can complete an online form, or call TV Licensing on 0300 790 6090.
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BE VIGILANT! TRUE OR FALSE? It is safer if you are walking home alone at night, to use your mobile to chat to someone at home until you get there, so that you feel more comfortable and they know you are safe. In recent weeks the University of Cumbria Students’ Union have had reports of random attacks upon males and females in the Lancaster and Carlisle areas. We would like to remind all students of a few hints and tips for your personal safety; You may often be laden with books and bags but always try to keep one hand free and walk confidently and purposefully. If you are out at night, try to stick to busy streets and near other people. Avoid danger spots and short-cuts such as poorly-lit areas, deserted parks, or quiet alleyways and walk facing on-coming traffic to avoid kerb crawlers. Think about getting a personal safety alarm. Keep it in an easily accessible place and carry it in your hand if you feel at risk. If you see someone else in trouble, think twice before piling in to help. This may just aggravate the problem and you could end up hurt as well. It may be a lot more helpful to shout for help, call the police or generally make a lot of noise to attract attention. Always carry the telephone number of a trusted, licensed taxi or minicab company with you. Never take an unlicensed mini-cab, as these are unchecked, uninsured and can potentially be very dangerous. Try to plan ahead. Make sure someone knows where you are going, who you are meeting and when you expect to return. Always plan how you are going to get home again. Know your limit. Alcohol will dull your instincts and can lead to you making unsafe decisions. If you are socializing with a group of people, then watch out for each other and make sure everyone stays safe. Remember, the most common date rape drug is alcohol! Keep an eye on your drink so that neither drugs or extra alcohol are added. And finally the answer to the question...
FALSE It is not a good idea to chat on the phone when walking home alone. Although it may be comforting, it does not make you safer – if you were attacked, then the person at the other end of the phone could do nothing to help you – and in fact, it can make you less safe. Chatting on your mobile will only distract you from your surroundings and make you less likely to see or hear danger approaching and therefore make you less able to avoid it.
IS MY DEPOSIT PROTECTED? Since April 2007, landlords entering into new tenancy agreements are now required to place any deposit with a Government authorised scheme, which will safeguard the money and offer independent adjudication in the event of any dispute. Tenants who have kept their rented property in good condition can be confident that they won’t have all or part of their deposit withheld unfairly. This means your landlords (or agent, if undertaking those duties) must also give you information about how your deposit is being protected (normally as a clause within the Tenancy Agreement and by giving you a leaf- let) at the time of entering the deal. The landlord must pay your deposit into one of the three authorised schemes within 14 days of receiving your deposit. One is custodial (where the money is held with the company itself) and two are insurance companies (where the landlord keeps the money but it is insured by these companies for pay out if the landlord goes bankrupt etc). Deposits can only be withheld from tenants for: ⇒
Damage to the property or its fitting in excess of wear and tear. The cost of cleaning necessary to return the property to a lettable condition. Damage to décor. The cost of removing large amounts of waste from the property. The cost of replacing locks or keys if keys are not promptly returned. Any outstanding rent.
Deposits cannot be claimed for fair wear and tear. If the deposit is protected, the tenant can dispute the deductions of monies by contacting the scheme administrator and following their mediation service or go through the small claims court. If the deposit is not protected this is illegal and you can claim for a breach of the law. Contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or local council for legal advice on how to proceed. If you do not have any information as to whether your deposit is protected, you need to ring the three schemes stating your address and the lead tenants name (normally the one at the top of the contract but not necessarily). If the tenants are not registered with any scheme they must inform the landlord in writing that they are breaching the law and that they expect their deposits to be protected as soon as possible before legal proceedings may be ensued. You can find example letters on our website at www.thestudentsunion. org.uk/advice The three schemes are; Deposit Protection Service (custodial) 0844 4727000 My Deposits (insurance) 0844 9800290 Tenancy Deposit Scheme (insurance) 0845 2267837 If, at the end of your tenancy you can’t agree with your landlord/agent over the amount of the deposit to be returned, or aren’t satisfied with the explanation for withholding the deposit, you can register the dispute using whichever scheme your deposit has been protected with. For any further questions about housing, deposits, tenancies and contracts please contact Mike, Hayley or Chloé on 01524 526560 (L) or 01228 616272 (C)
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