Students Slam Unis Bosses MP in Short Supply University Bosses Came to Union Council on Across the Entire University for Students Being Assessed
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(What was supossed to be...) Monday 3 October 2005 Published by the USSU Communications Office. Issue number 1091 Free The University of Surrey Students’ Newspaper Konsumer Revolt! Once Room 101: Before you say Comment | You’re beautiful! | again, our team of lab-rats anything, we’re aware that Page 4 are subjected to the lower- the heading of this paper is Arts Section |Film, Music, etc. ends of the food-chain - value almost exactly the same as |Page 11 products! Check their offering before. Room 101 continues Puzzles| Freakin’ hell! That’s a this week | Page 9 where it left off... | Page 6 big freakin’ maze! | Page 22 UniS Bottom Of The Pile By Chris Ward survey was topped by the Open University, followed by the Royal Academy of Music, The University of Surrey has been Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, St slammed in the results of the national Mary’s University College, and Birkbeck student survey. The poll, which ques- College. The only chartered higher edu- tions students about their higher education cation institutes appearing in the top ten institute is said to provide an alternative to besides the OU were Loughborough and the more common league tables, which are Leicester. based purely on quantitative data, such as Those that slumped to the very bottom of entry grades and graduate employment rates. the poll were led by the University of the Instead, students are asked to scale their Arts (London). Chartered institutes hit- thoughts on qualitative data such as personal ting the low of the results included Brunel development, academic support, organisa- University (117th place) and the University tion and management, etc. of Wales Institute (113th). Surrey appeared The result is quite a blow for UniS, which as one of the chartered institutions whereby came 94th place. 128 higher education students were least satisfied. In particular, institutes participated in the survey. Those the Assessment and Feedback criteria was that didn’t include Oxford, Cambridge, and one in which UniS did particularly badly on Warwick. The survey results vastly differ with a mark of 3.3. The University of the from those of the conventional league tables, Arts, despite being at the bottom of the poll, with institutes such as the University of East did better than Surrey in this category. Anglia falling within the top twenty. The Does UniS offer value for money for students? Students Slam UniS Bosses MP in Short Supply University bosses came to Union Council on across the entire university for students being assessed. Anne Milton, the recently elected Tuesday to discuss the possibility of reforming the Students at council rejected this, arguing that courses Conservative MP for Guildford, exam structure at UniS so that students take all their are all different, and some methods of assessments chose to turn down the invitation by exams at the end of spring semester. Despite clearly relevant for one course may not be relevant for USSU to meet her student electorate expecting an amicable debate on the way forward another. The university officials present at the meeting at freshers’ fayre on 21st September, for student assessment, they were met with hostility. added that there would be a cap on the number of despite the fact that parliament was in recess. Every question expressed dissatisfaction with either assessments taken by students, to ensure that they are Ms Milton was elected as the current system, or the plans for the new one. The not over-assessed. Guildford’s MP in May with a slim university team did not respond to every question (the Another student exposed an apparent university plan majority of 347, succeeding the meeting may have proceeded long into the night if to remove all part-time staff in order to cut costs. In previous Lib Dem MP, Sue Doughty, they did), although one of the team appeared to display particular, she referenced a lecturer of the Computing who served Guildford from 2001 - very patronising frowns at students who expressed Department who has served many years with the 2005. All candidates pledged to serve their distaste for the plans. University, and is particularly popular amongst the the student community during the general election this year, and Other students were unhappy with the way the team students. She asked the university officials to not previously to the election, Ms Milton attended three freshers fayres seemingly insisted a “now or never” agenda, this was compromise quality in favour of small cuts in costs. to talk to students and campaign for their support. however due to the meeting over-running and going on Her comment was not responded to. barefacts would like to add that although Ms Milton did not far longer than expected. For further details of the plans turn to page 2. Watch take up the opportunity to meet the few thousand new members of The exam plans are rather vague at the moment, but this space... Guildford’s population, she did send a letter of apology to USSU they appear to involve an assurance of consistency excusing herself from the event. Make way, Truth is coming through... 2 NEWS 3 October 2005 News, glorious news, a record of what has happened! Editorial? UniS plans to scrap winter exams All these addresses are @surrey.ac.uk (unless otherwise mentioned). Funny that. By Marcin Stylski modules, and increasing that of the 5-credit teasers. Under the plans, semester one modules would be assessed Editor-in-Chief Senior UniS academics, concerned with the University’s by coursework alone, therefore reducing the number of Neil Boulton: ussu.comms@ poor exam performance in recent years, have come up with examinations students would need to take each year. This an ingenious plan to improve our exam scores: firstly, to would free up time to permit lectures to run right up until the Editor simply get rid of most exams; and secondly (for those exams end of the Autumn semester, allowing more time for “teach- Chris Ward: cs21cw@ it can’t scrap) to reduce the size of the exam papers, to make ing and learning”. it easier for us to score higher marks. Deputy Editor The proposal which is being considered as Barefacts goes Joshua Bates: cs52jb@ to press, is to scrap all exams in the first semester of the academic year. The aim: to enhance the institution’s [rather Deputy Editor poor] ranking in the national league tables. Sophia Hawkins: li52sh@ Recent low scores awarded by the Qualifications and As- sessment Authority (QAA) have contributed significantly Head of Design to the University’s stagnant position in the league tables. Rachel Hana Cresswell The objectives of this proposal are: firstly, to create condi- tions where students will “learn more and be less inclined to News Editor academic failure” and secondly, to allow staff to “perform Marcin Stylski: li12ms@ their duties at a higher level, without interfering with other activities such as research”. The new examination system Features Editor would also include the “standardization” of the credit size Lia Parker: ps41lp@ of modules – i.e. reducing the depth in heavier 15-20-credit Arts Editor Beth Heale: [email protected] Arts Editor NUS attack “lazy slob” image Nicole Heel [email protected] By Chris Ward funding to unions for such extra-curricular activities, as well as providing non-monetary facilities such as the use of class- Fashion Editor NUS have launched a new campaign to curb the apparent rooms for meetings. Natalie Dowle: ms42nd@ image of students being “lazy slobs”, The Times reports. The University of Surrey already provides a substantial The Participate - Actions speak louder than words cam- level of support for sporting and extra-curricular activities on Fashion Editor paign is hoped will counter the famous stereotype of students campus. Wednesday afternoons are lecture-free, reserved for Jamila Gangadeen “sitting in front of the TV with a six pack of lager”. Instead, those that wish to take part in sport. the NUS argue that students are “more likely to be found USSU similarly provides many schemes to ensure that Webmaster & Puzzlelord helping in their local commuinities, playing in a university students have plenty to occupy themselves with in order to Colin Everett: ma41ce@ orchestra or band or busting a gut on the sports field”. pursue interests, but also to follow accredited qualifications The crux of the campaign is to promote the use of sport- that can be added to the CV, making students much more Postgraduate Editor ing facilities and to persuade students to make the most of employable. Lisa Ahmed extra-curricular activities, such as getting involved in clubs The DAVE project allows students to address any areas of and societies. weakness that they may find in regards to employability fac- Adverts & the like The NUS also hope that the campaign will apply pressure tors, whilst the V Project allows students to get the most out Aaron Salins: a.salins@ to both higher and further education institutes to provide of helping their local community in various ways. An attempted list of Contributers: barefacts is an editorially independant newspaper Contributions must be submitted by the If you’re name has been missed off this list, and is published by The University of Surrey Stu- Monday before publication date to guarantee humblest apologies... dents’ Union Communications Office. publication. Letters may be edited at the The views expressed within the paper are those of discretion of the editorial team. Please send Student X the individual authors and do not necessarily repre- them to [email protected]. Folarin “Flo” Oyeleye sent the views of the Editor, the University of Surrey You can take the time to write and post in if Sarah Mullholland Students’ Union or the University of Surrey.