WesternEye w w w. we s te r n eye . n e t
UWE’s Student Voice - Issue No. 1 - September 2010
Talking shop...
UWE Vice-Chancellor Steve West discusses NSS results >> 3
Satisfaction drop leads to new 24 hour window
Photo: Ellie Kynaston
> 24 hour window returns, but grades will be capped > Backpedal due to poor student survey results
In News >> 6
A Tale of Two Reps: student representatives speak out
Sam Butler newsandpolitics@ westerneye.net Last year’s changes to the academic regulations were met with much wcriticism by many students. One of the most unpopular changes was the abolition of the 24 hour window for submitting coursework. The 24 hour window is to return as a direct result of student feedback, following UWE’s drop in certain areas of the National Student Survey (NSS) polls [see page 3] and an analysis of how the previous regulations have worked one year on. But there will be one major difference. Submissions made after 2 pm on the actual due date, but within the 24 hour window, will be capped at 40% for undergraduates and 50% for postgraduates. This move by UWE could be interpreted as backtracking on previous policy in light of the problems brought by throwing students in at the deep end last year. Vice-Chancellor Steve West told WesternEye that the sudden elimination of the 24 hour window had undoubtedly had an influence on UWE’s NSS results. “What we’ve done is responded to student feedback and you will see some changes this year.” Other changes made at the beginning of last year included a limit of one resit per student, for which students are charged a £50 fee, and the introduction of printable submission slips on Blackboard. WesternEye put it to the Vice-Chancellor that £50 seemed an arbitrary figure, and possibly
“Are domestic applicants being squeezed out in favour of lucrative foreign students? In a word, no...”
In Life >> 11
Every little hurts: is Tesco dominance getting too much?
In Comment >> 12
“A degree might get you an interview, but it won’t get you the job.”
Features Just what is humour? >> 26 unaffordable to some students. “It’s not arbitrary. There was a lot of research into what goes on across the country in terms of resit fees. This university, for years, didn’t have resit fees and other universities did, ranging all the way up to about £150. We went with the median.” Mr. West also stated that UWE implemented resit fees to cover the costs of running the extra exams,
but also to “encourage slightly different behaviour”; in reference to an alleged ‘resit culture’ among students. “What went wrong with the F12 regulation changes [last year’s academic alterations] was that we did not communicate it well. Although we did work with the SU, we missed some fundamental goals and we cannot afford to do continued on page 2
**** Freshers’
Pull-Out Inside
In Features >> 29
UWE Clubs look to the year ahead In Sport >> 30
Westworld returns: back cover