Durham’s independent student newspaper
Palatinate
No. 757
Thursday 5th December 2013 | FREE
www.palatinate.org.uk
Students turn to crowdfunding to pay for degrees Amal Vaidya
Durham’s 1st Women’s Lacrosse Team beat the national side at Maiden Castle
Photograph: Caspian James
Durham dissuades disabled students Palatinate investigates whether the University is doing enough to encourage applications from students with mobility impairments Charlotte Bransgrove A recent investigation by Palatinate reveals the University appears to be failing to reach out and encourage students with physical disabilities to submit an application. Durham city, famous for its hills, cobbles, and listed buildings, might seem a location less than ideal for a student with a mobility or physi-
cal impairment; and because of this association, capable people with physical disabilities can be held back from applying to the University.
0.17%
Percentage of 2012/13 applicants with a physical disability
The 2010 Equality Act requires all institutions by law to make rea-
sonable adjustments to remove any substantial disadvantage to a person with a disability in comparison to a person who is not disabled. For the academic year 2012-2013, out of the 25,472 undergraduate applications made to Durham University, 45 were made by applicants with physical impairments or mobility issues, accounting for around 0.17%. Jamie Green, a second year German and Italian student who has
Cerebral Palsy and sits on Hatfield College JCR Executive as Welfare Officer, spoke to Palatinate about the issue, explaining: “When I first came to Durham I took one look at the cobbles and thought it was a terrible idea. “It was actually somebody from my school who went to Durham who later urged me to apply, but it was a bit of a last minute decision.
Continued on page 7
The best of our Comment Competition entries Has the coalition failed? Competition winner Jade Azim writes that the Coalition has not been a success due to a ‘stunningly salty lack of empathy.’
Read the full article on page 14
Is ‘feminism’ an outdated term?
Jennifer Horrocks, Sam Courtney-Guy, Ellen Orange and Cherise LopesBaker argue yes. Read more on page 16
Originally used by ambitious graduate start-ups and technology projects, students are beginning to use crowdfunding websites in order to fund their education. Crowdfunding websites, such as Kickstarter, allow developers to pitch concepts directly to their target audience, who can pledge to support them in return for some tangible return once the project is completed. In the wake of greater financial pressure, students have begun to use more creative ways to fund their degrees. A recent report by the 1994 Group, a collection of eleven UK universities, detailed how changes in the funding of postgraduate degrees have led to a decrease in the number of domestic students studying at a postgraduate level. The report, entitled The Postgraduate Crisis, says that due to higher fees and fewer funding options, coupled with greater undergraduate debt, postgraduate study is becoming less accessible. While it began as an American phenomenon, there has been a growing interest in crowdfunding within the UK. Websites like Studentfunder consider themselves a service for students who have tried and failed to secure scholarships and bursaries, they have attracted attention from postgraduate and international students. Unlike generic crowdfunding sites, they help verify the student’s claims and help ensure that the donations are used as intended. They also encourage students to pledge something in return for a donation, like a professional service or a piece of bespoke artwork; related to what they’re studying. Usually students attempt to raise money by branching out to the social groups of their family and friends, but some campaigns can get the attention of organisations or individuals who are willing to fund a particular kind of student. Continued on page 3