A group of York students has won the opportunity to have their very own I-phone application developed after winning The App Challenge final, held at the Ron Cooke Hub on Wednesday, January 18.
YUSU Welfare officer Bob Hughes has warned students to be vigilant after a student loans phishing scam has been revealed.
Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting York on Maundy Thursday, 5th April, as part of the 800th anniversary of York’s Charter for the traditional “Royal Maundy” ceremony.
A flood caused by a heating system “failure” forced the university IT services to shut down many essential systems on Sunday night, causing problems for many students on the eve of their exams and assignment due-dates.
A Hes East working group told YUSU President Anne-Marie Canning that prices “are likely to be higher” than current accommodation.
They were also told that not only could prices rise but letting periods may also be extended. Canning told Union Senate: “It’s not just different in terms of rent, but also much longer lets.”
Canning said that a 33-week let could also be removed, in favour of higher grossing 38- or even 51-week lets.
Zach Pepper, Langwith Chair, voiced concern over the extension of lets: “Moving from a 33- or 38-week let to a 51-week let is going to stretch people more.”
Debate raged among Union Senate members over whether the introduction of brand-new accommodation should lead to differentiated rent prices.
Canning asked Senate members whether, “someone living with a 40-year-old wall and carpet [should] pay the same as someone who has those brand new?”
Matt Burton said that standardised rent prices are a way "to stop different colleges becoming different classes".
Canning told members that there would be the same rent prices for standard and en-suite accommodation. She said: “Some students want to pay for exactly what they get.”
Joe Clarke, Goodricke Chair, whose college will be the first to move to the new campus, told Senate: “charging the new Goodricke the same for standard and en-suite means that some who may not want, or be able, to pay as much for accommodation will be.”
He said that if building work goes to plan, it could be current Goodricke students that are in-situ by October 2009.
YUSU Societies and Communications Officer Sam Bayley said that pressure could therefore be on the university to maintain the quality of the new buildings, meaning that older colleges fall further behind. “If you pay £50 for one and £80 for the other, they would be under pressure to maintain the £80 accommodation more than the £50.”
Rory Shanks, YUSU Ents Officer, said: “I’m concerned about the complexity of the issue and we’ve hammered it out here for 20 minutes. I’m concerned about taking it to UGM.”
It was decided that a survey will take place to determine student consensus, followed by a vote to decide Union policy.
It was also announced that after Goodricke moves to the new campus, the existing buildings will still be used by students, despite their condition. Canning said: “Goodricke will be used, there’s talk about Wentworth, James or even a new college [using it] there’s talk about refurbishment into office space like Vanbrugh.”
Any support or views on this are really welcomed guys....please let us know what you think. If you could e-mail chair@goodricke.co.uk with your thoughts then I will make sure they are raised.
Going by current records, by the time it's actually built anyway it'll be 2030 and inflation will have made these rates look very attractive 
What is the 'standard' room being compared here? Are there going to be some blocks in Hes East that are en-suite and some that aren't?
I really don't like the idea of different rents on the two campuses - it will end up with those who can afford to pay being on Hes East and those who can't on Hes West, and that means a rich campus and a poor campus, with students mainly interacting and making friends with people from social backgrounds similar to their own. University should be about making friends with people from all backgrounds and from all parts of the world.
Whether or not there are standard or en-suite rooms on Hes East is something that YUSU is still discussing with the uni.
Originally when Goodricke offered to be the first college on Hesling East a focus group was set up with students to find out exactly what people thought the new college buildings should be like, to try and maintain the spirit and feeling of Goodricke as much as possible.
One of the things that came out of the focus group ws that lots of people didn't want en-suite accommodation, they wanted standard rooms with shared bathroom facilities, because they thought this made it more social and helped people interact with each other.
It also means that there are more affordable rooms for people who cannot afford to go en-suite.
At the most recent stage of planning the plans showed 162 standard rooms and 408 en-suite. This is including both Undergrad and postgrad rooms.
Any more questions please let us know!
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