the scene 20_5_11

www.thestudentsunion.org.uk -1

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


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

Radio 1’s Big Weekend

www.thestudentsunion.org.uk -5www.thestudentsunion.org.uk -5

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

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


Radio 1’s Big Weekend

Left; Vernom with his army, right; A proud Volunteer


A Great YearArticle by Kati Brown

Beach Clean at SillothLancaster 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 ResidentsLancaster students volunteered to teach I.T on Wednes-

day 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

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!

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 proj-

ect 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 rela-

tionships by offering practical assistance and support.


Painting and Decorating at Eden FoyerThe 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 decorat-

ing, 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 Infor-

mation & 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 agen-

cies, 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………

RAGfunRachel 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 open-

mic 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 YearThis 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 se-

curing a student allotment and introducing a Fair Trade

Policy, to make the SU and the University more sustain-

able. 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.


Activities include:•

•

•

•

•

Benefits for volunteers•

•

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 [email protected]

Student Run Self Help (SRSH) for students with Eating DisordersCould you work with a team to provide support for

students with eating disorders? We need more volun-

teers 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 ResidentsWe’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 docu-

ment, 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 fundrais-

ing group, organising events throughout the academic

We are now recruiting for friendly and enthusiastic volunteers to help out during the day over welcome weeks in September. WANTED!

Volunteers for Welcome Weeks

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.

Loads of fun and you’ll meet lots of new people.

.An opportunity to develop and use your team-

work, time management, communication, guiding

and problem solving skills.

year to raise and give to identified charities. If you have

a charity you’d like to support, email us today!

Students’ Union Allotment, LancasterCould 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

[email protected]


3pm Friday 20th May


your candidatesChristopher Mason (Carlisle) - Independent Chair*Tom Kenrick (Lancaster) – Lancaster Campus RepSteven Shaw (Lancaster) – Postgraduate Exec Rep*Emeline Crossley (Lancaster) – Lancaster Health Faculty RepIain Younger (Lancater) – Lancaster Health Faculty RepDavide Angeletti (Carlisle) – Carlisle Education Rep*Alex Walker (Tower Hamlets) – Tower Hamlets Site RepresentativeAnna 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


In these unfortunate times for students going into or

studying in Higher Education, competition in employ-

ment 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 Cam-

pus, getting a promise from management to bring in

anonymous marking, a backtrack on removing outdoor

education students from Ambleside as well as the high-

est 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 to-

wards 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

The Perks of PresidencyAN INTERVIEW WITH EMMA GREEN by Andy S Hamilton

Emma Green Interview

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 employ-

ers 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 inter-

view 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, help-

ing 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 Ches-

ter. 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;

[email protected]

or [email protected]


Building A Better University For You

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

Activities Assembley You Have Spoken

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


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;

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

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.

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 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).

[email protected]

01524 526566

01228 616253


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

WhaT did The sU ever do for Us?

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

[email protected]

forestry students get the degree they wantAfter student’s asked the Union to

investigate the use of the word’s

“top-up” on their degree certificate

we managed to successfully negoti-

ate 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

[email protected]

Tower hamlets gain study spaceAfter years of lobbying by the

Students’ Union the University an-

nounced it had designated private

study space within the library for

students to use. Union Commu-

nity 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

[email protected]

fee’s not as high as they could have beenNo-one’s happy with the new

tuition fee situation, least of all the

SU. But through a series of meet-

ings 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 con-

sidering. Although shaving £200-300

off a fee level of £8,400 might not

seem like much of a margin of suc-

cess, 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.



Article by Danny Prescott

[email protected]

automatic Book issuing equipment in amblesideThe SU channelled student opinion

that ended up with LISS installing

automatic book issuing equipment

in the Library space in Ambleside al-

lowing students there to be able to

borrow and return books outside of

the libraries normal opening hours.



[email protected]

cat Bells forum set up in newton riggThanks to the SU lead Pro-Vice

Chancellor open meetings residents

in the Newton Rigg Cat Bells porta-

cabin accommodation were offered

regular contact with Facilities Man-

agement and other key staff on site

to manage issues arising from living

in the ‘temporary’ accommodation.

Student lead by Liam Walker

Student Life Sabbatical

[email protected]

department heads actively seeking student inputThrough 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

[email protected]

sU opens door for University fair Trade statusThe passing of the SU’s Fair Trade

and Environmental Policies enables

the University to bid for Fair Trade

Status, putting environmental sus-

tainability 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 statusThe University has been audited for

the first time ever by the indepen-

dent quality watchdog the Quality

Assurance Agency, and thanks to

the SU students were involved at

the heart of this inspection which

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.


Academic Sabbatical

[email protected]

course reps professionally sup-ported by permanent staff memberThe Union has created a staff posi-

tion 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 ap-

proach to this vital Student Voice

activity.


Academic Sabbatical

[email protected]

student allotment and on-campus wildflower garden


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.



[email protected]

Unprecedented year of activismWith 150 students going to the

NUS National Demo in November,

over 125 attending the Debat-

ing the Cost debates streamed

simultaneously across Lancaster

and Carlisle, students supporting

the joint UCU/NUS march in Man-

chester 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 Educa-

tion and Health sectors.



[email protected]

sU ‘Top Ten’ issues prioritised by the UniversityAs 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, Educa-

tion 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 re-

solved to the SU’s satisfaction by the

beginning of the next academic year

wheras others require some sig-

nificant 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.



[email protected]

Article by Danny Prescott


Top left: Lorraine Millar, top right: Liam

Walker, bottom left: Martin Dodd,

bottom right: Tom Underwood.


Course RepresentativesArticle 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 New-

castle 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, support-

ing 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 corre-

lating 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 train-

ing 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 [email protected].

REP-RES-ENT.+

+


3pm Friday 20th May


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

TV License Refunds for Students

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 [email protected].

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.


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 at-tacks 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;

FALSEIt 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.

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...


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 inde-pendent 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:

⇒

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 pro-ceedings 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)

IS MY DEPOSIT PROTECTED?

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.

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