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Day: 2 December 2013

All Student Vote cancelled after admin error

Written by Jonathan Breen on . Posted in News.

A Student referendum had to be cancelled after the Students’ Union failed to uphold the guidelines dictating its publication last month.

The University of Manchester Students’ Union’s Returning Officer Emma Powell, who is responsible for the good conduct and administration of UMSU referendums, put a stop to the recent All Student Vote after a complaint was made by a student.

All Student Votes are required to be publicised no less than 10 working days before the vote is to take place, in order to allow students adequate time to create a campaign either for or against an issue. The vote in question was published 10 working days before hand, but with a typing error showing the dates for voting as October 22-29, rather than November 22-29. The referendum also had no “Abstain” vote on the ballot, as required.

Returning Officer Powell said in a statement, “Having considered the points raised by the complainant, I have ruled that, as the Formal Notice was not both comprehensive and accurate for at least 10 working days before polling began and that there was no “Abstain” option on the ballot, that these All Student Votes are not valid and will be stopped immediately and should be rerun with full and accurate formal notice at the next appropriate opportunity and with the ‘Abstain’ option added on the ballot.”

The vote will be re-run alongside the Executive Officer elections in March 2014, the time of the next scheduled All Student Vote, the Union confirmed on Friday November 29.

The cancelled All Student Vote had four questions; should students with British passports who have spent the last three years living abroad pay home student tuition fees? Should the University provide merit-based scholarships to international undergraduate students? Should all expiring Student’s Union policy automatically be resubmitted and put forward to Assembly? Should the Students’ Union create a rep council and merge its Assemblies?

Physics PhD student Joseph Clough, who made the complaint to the Union, told The Mancunion, “The All Student Vote should be all student in nature as well as name.

“The [vote] had not been communicated effectively prior to, and during, it taking place meaning that very few students were aware the votes were taking place and there was little possibility of effective campaign teams being able to be formed.

“If the all student vote had been allowed to continue, it would have been unfair and undemocratic and not engaged the students who belong to the Union.”

University staff to stage second strike

Written by Dan Harold on . Posted in News.

University academics and support staff will strike this week as part of a second day of action in the ongoing row over pay.

Members of the three campus trade unions – Unison, Unite, and the University and College Union – will walk out on Tuesday in protest at the employers’ pay offer of a one per cent increase.

Union members and students first took strike action on 31 October, in protest at the pay offer, which unions say would mean a fourth year in a row that university staff have been hit by below inflation rises.

Unite officer for education Mike McCartney, said, “The employers have refused to budge from their hard line in refusing to recognise the contribution that the workforce makes to the excellent global reputation that Britain’s universities currently enjoy.

“We hope that this latest strike will drive home the determination of our members to achieve a fair pay deal and focus the minds of the employers that they need to get around the table promptly to negotiate in a constructive and positive manner.”

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association, which represents higher education institutions, said that while the announcement is disappointing it “continued to be clear that, given the challenging and uncertain operating environment, the one per cent pay uplift is a good and sustainable offer and is at the limit of affordability.”

A spokesperson for the UCEA added that the assocation “continues to say that it is willing to talk to the disputing trade unions.”

UCU head of higher education Michael MacNeil, said, “We remain committed to trying to resolve this dispute and the employers now have until 3 December to sit down and positively engage with the unions.

“If they don’t, then our members and those from our sister unions will be out on strike again, as well as continuing to work to contract.”

Foreign student recruitment agencies to be scrutinised

Written by Aidan Gregory on . Posted in News.

Recruitment agents hired by UK universities to recruit international students will be vetted under new plans by the government.

Agents will be made to sign a new ‘code of practice’, undertake regular assessments, and will have to obtain a professional accreditation before they can start work. The British Council will then keep a database, and monitor their conduct.

These changes come after The Daily Telegraph discovered that overseas agents were bragging to prospective students that they could secure them places at UK universities, even with worse A level grades than British students.

Kevin Van-Cauter, the International Higher Education Advisor to the British Council, said, “We do not accredit education agents or agencies but we hope the global trained agents database and roll-out of the advanced training will add greater assurance to institutions that they are getting the best possible services when it comes to international student recruitment.”

He went on further to say that “International students make a tremendous academic, cultural and economic contribution to the UK, and our research suggests that the number of mobile students globally will continue to grow over the next decade – making the need for better quality agents who support that mobility process greater than ever.”

International students are well known as a lucrative market for UK universities, because under the current regulations they are able to charge them in excess of the £9000 cap imposed on UK/EU students. More than 488,000 come to the UK to study each year, and the government expects that the numbers are going to continue to rise.

Last year research demonstrated that over 51,000 students were recruited by foreign organisations, and UK universities had paid these organisations over £220 million to recruit international students. Newcastle University alone spent £2.2 million.

Manchester student profiles uploaded to Ratemash

Written by Aidan Gregory on . Posted in News.

Dozens of University of Manchester students have had their Facebook profile pictures uploaded, without their consent, to the controversial new site Ratemash.

The website, which uses Facebook to get students from 138 UK universities to rank each others pictures based on “hotness”, has taken 150,000 images from the social networking site. It promises “modelling contracts, access to top nightclubs, party invitations, free alcohol, spa vouchers and cash if you are in the top 50”.

It also claims to “sort out your nightlife”, by “giving you access to the coolest clubs and parties in town”.

Following an expose by The Huffington Post, there has been an outpouring of criticism from students across the country, and Facebook have confirmed that the site is now under investigation. .

The National Union of Students has described the website as an “appalling invasion of students’ privacy”.

Colum McGuire, NUS Vice President for Welfare, said, “it is concerning to hear that students appear to be featured on this website unknowingly or without their consent. If this is true it would be a gross invasion of privacy. Those who have been featured without being asked should immediately contact the website owners and ask to be removed”.

Andy Shortland, studying Accounting, has found himself uploaded to the “top 50 hottest guys of all time at the University of Manchester”.

He told The Mancunion, “I was pretty shocked about it to be honest”.

Shortland had heard about the site following the expose by The Huffington Post, and on discovering that ratemash.com had used his profile without asking, he “didn’t really know what to think. It’s very very odd”

He now wants his profile to be taken down, but said “every time I’ve tried their website, the server has crashed. I’ve signed up and there’s no way to delete.

“It’s just not really very cool at all”.

Manchester Wetherspoons in homophobia row

Written by Pippa Allen-Kinross on . Posted in News.

A Wetherspoons in Manchester has come under fire for refusing service to a group of gay men.

The men were allegedly told twice by a barmaid “I know what you queers are like”. She then told them they were not wanted and threatened to call the police.

The incident occurred after the three men entered the Piccadilly branch at 7:30 a.m. to get breakfast after working at a venue on Canal Street.

The men reported the incident to the police, and the barmaid was questioned but released without charge.

A spokesperson for Wetherspoons told Mancunian Matters: “The member of staff serving them believed one member of the group to be intoxicated.

“After conducting an investigation into the matter, we are satisfied that the decision to refuse service was not based on the sexual orientation of the individuals concerned.

“In the conversation that followed the initial refusal of service both the group and member of staff made reference to the sexuality of the customers but  this was not intended on the member of staff’s behalf to be in any way offensive and we apologise if it was considered so.”

Matt Bonilla, 23, one of the men refused service, told Mancunian Matters: “This whole episode will make us a bit more cautious about where we go to eat or drink around Manchester in future.

“We certainly won’t be going in this Wetherspoons again.

“All we wanted in the first place was an apology and it’s just annoying that it takes it to get to this point for a major company like Wetherspoons to bother saying sorry.”

A spokesperson for Wetherspoons said, “Until we have spoken with those concerned we are unable to give a fuller account. We guarantee it will be investigated.”

Shock as “joke” candidate becomes president of Oxford Students’ Union

Written by Pippa Allen-Kinross on . Posted in News.

Louis Trup wrote a ‘personifesto’ in crayon – declaring that a ‘manifesto’ would be sexist – and promised a monorail, world peace and double beds for all.

He also suggested that people vote for him because “I often wear flip flops”.

However, the unusual campaign won over his fellow students, as he received 700 more votes than his nearest rival.

Perhaps none were so surprised as Trup himself, who was in a university bar when he heard the news, and shouted “what the f*** just happened?”

Despite performing a spoof country song whilst wearing devil horns instead of giving a speech at the central hustings, there appears to be a serious side behind Trup’s less than serious campaign.

In an article for The Oxford Student before the election, Trup wrote: “I am clearly not a careerist – a quick Google search of my name will show how unlikely I am to ever get a job anywhere where there is widely available internet access.  That’s good.

“OUSU positions should not be seen as stepping stones. We should have fun students working for fun students, not un-fun student politicians working towards a cosy Labour seat in 20 years.”

He also spoke of his commitment to ensuring enough aid is given to those needing support with mental health issues, arguing: “OUSU should be spending money on hiring more university councillors, sending them to every college, and creating ‘admiral welfares’ to look after the peer-supporters and welfare reps, not infantilising welfare with petting zoos and mug painting.

“I still can’t believe people call me the ‘joke candidate’.”

Trup will no doubt be hoping to increase the popularity of OUSU, which came bottom for student satisfaction in this summer’s National Student Survey.

40 years for murderer of MMU lecturer and family

Written by Pippa Allen-Kinross on . Posted in News.

A businessman has been sentenced to life with a minimum sentence of 40 years for murdering an Manchester Metropolitan University lecturer and his family in a revenge attack.

Anxiang Du, 54, was found guilty of stabbing to death Jifeng “Jeff” Ding, a senior lecturer in the Division of Chemical and Environmental Science at Manchester Metropolitan University, along with his wife Helen Chui and daughters Xing (also known as ‘Nancy’), 18, and Alice, 12.

Although Du initially pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, the jury found him guilty of four counts of murder.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Tom Davies, said: “Today we have seen justice done.

“This was a heinous crime, committed by a man who knew what he was doing and went with a plan to kill an entire family in cold blood.”

He added, “While the result today has been successful, we remain sorrowful and cannot lose sight of the fact that a family, including two very talented young girls, had their lives tragically taken away from them.”

During the trial, the jury heard that Du had travelled to the Ding’s family home in Northampton on 29th April 2011, the day of the Royal Wedding, and “massacred” them.

Du demanded money from Jeff Ding before stabbing him a total of 23 times. When his wife Helen tried to stop the attack Du stabbed her 13 times.

After hearing a noise upstairs, Du proceeded to one of the bedrooms where Xing was stabbed 11 times and 12 year old Alice was stabbed four times, including once to the heart.

Du then slept for a short time in the house before stealing the family car.

After fleeing the country, Du was found in Morocco in July 2012 and extradited back to Britain to stand trial.

Du and his wife had been business partners with the Ding’s, opening a herbal medicine shop together in 1999. However, in 2001 Du was accused of stealing money from the business, leading to a series of bitter court disputes.

Helped by their friend Paul Delaney, the Ding’s won the court battle against the Dus, leaving Anxiang and his wife with a bill of £88,000.

The day before the murders, Mr Delaney’s solicitor delivered an injunction to the Dus, freezing their assets.

During the trial, prosecuting counsel, William Harbage QC, said: “Du made a plan and carried it out with ruthless efficiency.

“Having massacred the Ding family, he stole their car and went looking for Paul Delaney. Fortunately for Mr Delaney, Du did not find him.”

Mr Delaney has since died of natural causes.

Earlier in the trial, the playing of a 999 call from the mobile phone of Xing Ding, an A-level student who had secured a place to study medicine at university, caused several members of the jury to wipe tears from their eyes as they listened to the screams of both girls before the line went dead.

Sentencing Du, Mr Justice Flaux said: “There can be no doubt that this was savage butchery on your part.

“Not content with the slaughter of the parents downstairs, you then went upstairs to the back bedroom where the two Ding girls were cowering.

“It is apparent from the fact that Nancy’s mobile made the 999 call, that they had heard what was happening downstairs and she was frantically trying to ring the police for help.

“At that moment it seems you came into the room and within a short period of time you had also murdered those poor defenceless girls.

“It is clear from their terrible haunting screams on the 999 call that it was during that call that you murdered them.

“Alice, who was only 12, was on her bed, curled up, no doubt in a futile attempt to get away from you. There was no struggle.”

Mr Justice Flaux defended his decision not to give Du a whole life order, citing a recent European Court of Human Rights ruling that such orders breach human rights.

At the time of the murders, a spokesperson for Manchester Metropolitan University said that the university was “shocked and saddened” by the news, describing Jeff Ding as “a popular and dedicated member of staff.”

They said:  “Jeff will be very sadly missed by all his colleagues in the Division of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, all our staff, students and his friends at Manchester Metropolitan University and by the wider academic and research communities.”

Two men jailed after stabbing in Fallowfield

Written by Gawain Owen on . Posted in News.

Two men have been jailed for a total of eight years and nine months after being convicted of a stabbing a man in Fallowfield last year.

The attack took place on Wilmslow Road directly opposite Revolution Bar. The two men stabbed their victim, leaving blood on the road.

The two attackers, Kemron Aberdeen and Samin Ghulamhan pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court on the 21st November.

Aberdeen admitted to Assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent, landing him with six years and nine months in prison. Ghalamhan also pleaded guilty and received a two-year sentence.

Their attack in October 2012, left a man with a stab wound to the leg and injuries to his neck.

The attackers and the victim had been attending a house party on Ladybarn Road in Fallowfield and following a dispute the situation escalated.

At 4am an officer on patrol found the victim collapsed on the main road, the road was then shut and the victim was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries.

When established that the victim had been attending the party on Ladybarn Road, the police went to the address and identified Aberdeen and Ghalamhan as suspects. Aberdeen was found with blood on his clothing and a hand injury.

Detective Constable Matthew Smith said, “The cause of the incident appears to be a something-and-nothing argument at the party that has resulted with the victim being stabbed”.

Police have also commented on the seriousness of the incident as both attackers were carrying knives, “There was no need for things to escalate the way they did and once a weapon is brought into the equation the severity of what is happening as well as the potential consequences instantly increases”.

Whilst the victim suffered serious injuries they were not life threatening, although according to the police the attack could have resulted in a fatality.

 

Students’ Union lobbies against NHS costs for international students

Written by Inez Dawoodjee on . Posted in News.

Students’ Union Officers are campaigning against plans for the possible introduction of NHS fees for international students.

The proposal, put forward by the government, suggests that non-UK students from outside the European Union should pay a minimum of £200 in order to procure NHS treatment.

Currently all international students staying in the UK for longer than 6 months have free access to the NHS.

A petition protesting the proposal has been set up by Clifford Fleming, Campaigns and Citizenship Officer for the University of Manchester Students’ Union.

“International students should not face added financial worries regarding their healthcare,” said Flemming. “If the government proposals pass in parliament many international students may avoid healthcare registration due to the added financial pressure.”

He added, “The proposals further discriminate those from countries outside the EU, and doesn’t respect the huge net benefit our international students provide, which the department of Business, Innovation and Skills estimates at £7.9bn every year.”

The Union has also endorsed the  ‘I am not welcome’ campaign which protests the introduction of increased surveillance of international students.

Wellbeing Officer Kazi Tasweef said, “We hope to persuade the UK Border Agency to change its monitoring process and end unnecessary hostile action towards non-EU international students.”

Earlier this year the Home Office called for greater surveillance of international students. The University of Sunderland and the University of Ulster have since introduced fingerprinting systems to monitor attendance of international students.

Universities UK condones segregated debates

Written by Sean Doherty on . Posted in News.

The group representing vice-chancellors of universities in the UK has stated gender segregation at university events may be condoned, should a speaker request it.

In its recently published guideline for universities regarding external speakers in higher education institutions, Universities UK has followed a ‘separate but equal’ policy as regards the segregation of males and females in audiences at university events.

Within the report, it is stated that segregation would only be “discriminatory on the grounds of sex if it amounts to ‘less favourable treatment’ of either female or male attendees.”

In a case-study in which a representative of an ultra-orthodox religious group is invited to speak at a university event and then insists that males and females be segregated, the report advises that segregation would be acceptable provided neither group is disadvantaged, such as placing females at the back where they would face certain restrictions i.e. the increased difficulty in being able to ask questions.

The report claims that “there does not appear to be any discrimination on gender grounds merely by imposing segregated seating. Both men and women are being treated equally, as they are both being segregated in the same way.”

The report addresses the legal problems which universities face in accommodating the views of different groups.

It states that, “one cannot rule out the possibility that discrimination claims will be made on other grounds. For example, it is arguable that ‘feminism’ or some forms of belief in freedom of choice or freedom of association, could fall within the definition of ‘belief’ under the Equality Act. This would in turn mean that applying a segregated seating policy without offering alternatives (e.g. a nonsegregated seating area, again on a ‘side by side’ basis with the gender segregated areas) might be discriminatory against those (men or women) who hold such beliefs.”

Although the report proposed that a non-segregated area should be made available alongside segregated seating, it advises that, should the speaker demand unsegregated seating not be an option on the basis of their religious beliefs, the university should still go ahead with the event with only segregated seating as to do otherwise may be seen as a breach of the Equality Act, which explicitly protects religious freedoms more so than ideological (i.e. feminist) freedoms.

It said, “Ultimately if imposing an unsegregated seating area in addition to the segregated areas contravenes the genuinely held religious beliefs of the group hosting the event, or those of the speaker, the institution should be mindful to ensure that the freedom of speech of the religious group or speaker is not curtailed unlawfully.

“Those opposed to segregation are entitled to engage in lawful protest against segregation, and could be encouraged to hold a separate debate of the issues, but their views do not require an institution to stifle a religious society’s segregated debate where the segregation accords with a genuinely-held religious belief.”

Lizzie Bowen, a third year Classics and Ancient History student, said, “It’s 2013! I definitely wouldn’t go to an event if I had to sit in a separate seating area from guys. People can say ‘separate but equal isn’t discrimination’ but everyone knows that you don’t demand separation unless you favour one side”.

To see the full report, visit: http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Documents/2013/ExternalSpeakersInHigherEducationInstitutions.pdf

Government sells £900 million of student loans for £160 million

Written by Sean Doherty on . Posted in News.

The government has sold off £900 million worth of student loan repayments for 16% of their face value.

The move on Monday 25th November saw Erudio Student Loans, a consortium backed by private debt collection agencies Arrow Global and CarVal Investors, purchase roughly 250,000 student loans belonging to individuals who began their courses between 1990 and 1998 for £160 million.

The NUS president Toni Pearce stated that the sale will effectively lead to “the public subsidising a private company making a profit from public debt”.

Wednesday 20th November saw protests take place across the UK as students criticised the privatisation of the student loan book. A petition opposing the sell-off has also gathered 15,000 signatures. The fear among students is that with loans being sold off to private companies, the rates of repayment will also change.

The sell-off comes in light of the recent news that the debt which UK households are facing has risen for the first time in five years due to the pressure of student loans. The report by PwC also estimated that university students who began their courses last year will graduate with debts of £40,000-£50,000.

Fiona Edwards, of the Student Assembly Against Austerity stated, “We recognise that the privatisation of our student loans will cause interest rates to rise. We are demanding that they drop this outrageous policy immediately or expect further protests in the New Year.”

Toni Pearce claimed that, “The simple fact is that having these loans on the public books would be better off for the government in the long run.

“Selling off the loan book at a discount to secure a cash lump sum now doesn’t make economic sense.”

The government has justified the selling off of student loans for a fraction of their face value on the basis that there is currently a failure to recover many of the loans. 36% of the borrowers whose debts were bought are currently earning under the repayment threshold and 40% are not paying back their loans according to the terms agreed.

Universities Minister, David Willetts, said, “The sale of the remaining mortgage style student loan book represents good value for money, helping to reduce public sector net debt by £160m.

“The private sector is well placed to maximise returns from the book which has a deteriorating value.

“The sale will allow the Student Loans Company to focus on supplying loans to current students and collecting repayments on newer loans.”

Willetts was insistent that the privatisation of loans will not lead to former students having to pay back at higher rates than those they originally agreed to.

“Borrowers will remain protected and there will be no change to their terms and conditions, including the calculation of interest rates for loans.”

However, during a parliamentary select committee in June the Minister for Universities pointed out that, “In the letter that every student gets there are some words to the effect that governments reserve the right to change the terms of the loans.”

Furthermore, in a leaked government report last year, the proposal was put forth that the cap on interest rates for repayments of loans would have to be removed in order for the student loan book to be profitable to private companies.

Clifford Fleming, Campaigns Officer for the University of Manchester, said,“The government’s accounting on the loan book has been disastrous and the loan book sell-off is a quick fix to the serious problem of funding in Higher Education. Continually government’s have over-estimated the number of students fully paying back their loans, gambling public finances on debt repayments.

“With unsustainable levels of debt the likelihood of changing terms and conditions is inevitable. Higher Education funding needs a complete overhaul and ministers need to consider the public good of education.”

New weapon scanner developed in manchester to revolutionise global security

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

A team of developers from Manchester Metropolitan University have created a radar scanner which can detect concealed weapons such as guns, knives and bombs from as far as 25 metres.

It is hoped the scanner will dramatically increase security in high-risk areas, such as airports and transport hubs, and has gained considerable attention from the United States and the Middle East.

University experts spent 9 years perfecting the device, which was developed with funding from the Home Office and the Police.

MMU has signed a deal with electronics firm, Radio Physics Solutions (RPS), to start distributing the machine commercially. The first machines should be ready by next Spring and will retail at approximately £31,000.

Professor Nicholas Bowring led the Man Met research team and believes the scanner could be revolutionary, “It will make the world a safer place – there is a significant amount of gun crime that could be stopped, for example. We know that this technology works and has done very well in trials”.

In contrast to the controversial body scanner, which has been criticised by civil liberties groups, this new model does not produce an image of the subject and uses only a thousandth of the power of a mobile phone.

The scanner works using a low-powered, millimetre-wave radar signals that reflect off weapons and back to the scanner within seconds. The scanner can also detect common metallic items such as keys, belt buckles and mobile phones, however these items will not trigger an alarm.

There are different versions of the scanner currently being tested. Two hand held battery powered prototypes and a much more powerful static version that could also be built for use in busier locations such as airports and shopping centres.