The Beaver: Week of January 15th, 2013

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WITHDRAWAL OF CHILD BENEFIT | TIL DEATH DO US PART | NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTIONS

TheBeaver

15.01.2013

Newspaper of the LSE Students’ Union FREE

LSE100 nomination for Teaching Excellence Award raises eyebrows LSE100 has been shortlisted for a Teaching Excellence Award in the inaugural Guardian University $ZDUGV WKRXJK WKH KRQRXU has raised eyebrows among students due to the apparent unpopularity of the course. LSE is one of three universities to be shortlisted in WKH FDWHJRU\ ZKLFK LV VSRQ sored by The Higher Education Academy. $ *XDUGLDQ 1HZV 0H dia spokesperson outlined the assessment process for the award. “LSE100 was shortlisted for the Guardian University Awards by a panel of expert MXGJHV IURP DFURVV WKH KLJK er education sector. All enWULHV ZHUH MXGJHG RQ WKH ED VLV RI LQQRYDWLRQ RULJLQDOLW\ and how readily they could be replicated.� In recent survey conductHG E\ 7KH %HDYHU /6( sparked much controversy for high rates of student GLVVDWLVIDFWLRQ +RZHYHU LSE100’s Teaching Survey

results for Lent Term 2012 run contrary to the Beaver’s VXUYH\ VKRZLQJ WKDW PRVW VWXGHQWV KDG LQ IDFW UDWHG /6( KLJKO\ ZLWK SDUWLFX larly high satisfaction ratings for classes. In the teaching surveys collected during Lent Term WKH &ODVV 7HDFKHU Evaluation for LSE100 was rated higher than the LSE DYHUDJH IRU DOO VSHFLன FD tions. LSE100 classes were ranked noticeably higher for “skill at involving members of the classâ€? and “providing helpful feedback on work/ performance.â€? +RZHYHU /6( VFRUHG VLJQLன FDQWO\ EHORZ WKH school-wide average for satisfaction with course conWHQW WKRXJK LW ZDV LQ OLQH with the average for the RWKHU VSHFLன FDWLRQV LQ WKH Course Evaluation section RI WKH VXUYH\ When asked about the assessment process for the *XDUGLDQ $ZDUG DQ /6( VSRNHVSHUVRQ FRQன UPHG that no teaching surveys were required at the current stage. “As part of the entry pro-

cess we had to answer a series of questions. These ranged from outlining the SURMHFW WR GHPRQVWUDW ing how the initiative sits within the School’s overall ethos and how the initiative goes beyond standard practice.â€? The spokesperson went on to explain why they felt LSE100 deserves to be shortlisted. “Its ability to meet academic concerns that students were becoming too specialised has particularly impressed external examiners. LSE100 also enables students from all disciplines to interact with some of the PRVW LQŕŽ‹ XHQWLDO VRFLDO VFLHQ tists of the day.â€? The spokesperson highlighted the attraction of /6( WR HPSOR\HUV FLW ing a graduate recruitment event for key LSE HPSOR\HUV ZKHUH SHU cent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “LSE100 makes LSE graduates more attractive as potential employees.â€?

LSE100

Hayley Fenton

Continued on page 6, col 1.

The Lonely School of Economics? LSE did not manage to seFXUH D WRS VSRW VFRULQJ VWDJ The Complete University geringly low in the snog staGuide 2013 saw the London tistics. The Student Bean survey School of Economics rise from fourth place to become DVNHG VWXGHQWV IURP the highest ranked university XQLYHUVLWLHV LQ WKH 8. KRZ LQ WKH FDSLWDO ன QLVKLQJ MXVW many people they’ve locked behind Cambridge and above lips with since the start of the 2012 academic year. An Oxford nationally. <HW IRU WKH ன UVW WLPH /6( average was then calculated is falling behind on its statis- to work out which university had the most active kisstics. The results of the 2013 ers. The three best performing Student Bean Kissing League were published at the end of universities were NorthumDecember and despite daz- EULD 8QLYHUVLW\ /HHGV 0HW ]OLQJ JUDGXDWH SURVSHFWV ropolitan University and the Jade Jackman

8QLYHUVLW\ RI 'XQGHH UDFNLQJ XS DQ DYHUDJH RI DQG VQRJV VLQFH 6HSWHP ber 2012 respectively. LSE lagged behind in the UDQNLQJ VFUDSLQJ WRJHWKHU an average of 1.38 kisses and placing them in 83rd position. Brunel University proved to EH KRPH WR WKH OHDVW SUROLன F H[FKDQJHUV RI VDOLYD ன QLVK ing last in the survey with an average of 0.88. First year Anthropology VWXGHQW 0DU\DP $NUDP commented that “perhaps it is time to rename our institution as the Lonely School

RI (FRQRPLFV $IWHU DOO LW LV embarrassing to be beaten by Imperial.â€? The exposure of rankings that are viewed by many to be EDVHG RŕŽ‰ PRPHQWV RI GUXQN en impulse has led to certain /6( VWXGHQWV RŕŽ‰ HULQJ KDUVK critiques of the article. First year Government DQG +LVWRU\ VWXGHQW $OLFH $HG\ VDLG RI WKH KLJK UDQNLQJ XQLYHUVLWLHV ‍ڔ‏WKDW‍ڑ‏V VR XQVDQ LWDU\ WKDQN *RG ZH DUH QRW high up.â€? Yet should students instead be considering the wider implications of such a low

ranking? Should we consider whether we are all boring? Is there too much of a focus on careers as opposed to social lives? Do we have so much work that we do not have enough spare time to indulge in semi-open mouthed awkwardness? Do we even care? From observations made by several students that the more prestigious institutions were all to be found at the bottom of WKH WDEOH WKH DQVZHU WR WKLV question is that it does not appear to be so.

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