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.
An email sent to first and second year History students said: "Your choices will be treated as equal choices, and no account will be taken of any numbering 1-4."
This has left some students having to take a number of modules which were selected only to fill the four choices. Another complaint is the lack of variety of modules that some students now face.
A Facebook group entitled 'Help us change the second-year History module system' has been setup to co-ordinate the effort and keep members informed of developments.
The group was set up by first year History representatives Adam Shergold and Olivia Shaw and now contains over 120 members.
We feel that [choice] has been taken away from us. We will fight to get it back.
Tom Langrish, a second year History representative on the Teaching Committee, is putting together a document highlighting similar problems for second year students who are choosing their 'special subject' for their final year.
Shaw said: "Most of us chose York because the choice we had in deciding the course of our degree, and we feel that that has been taken away from us. We will fight to get it back."
She added: "A lot of people feel that by not being able to state preferences not only are they not getting to study what they are truly interested in, but they might be preventing someone else from getting what would have been their first choice."
One solution suggested by members of the group is to allow students to swap modules should they find someone whose preferences match what they have to offer.
Jason Rose, a Board of Studies representive on YUSU Senate, said: "It seems that many History students have an idea or two about what needs to be done and it's a shame that some departments in the university don't listen to the students as much as they could."
The petition will have absolutely no effect in fairness.
Also, myself and several others, found the Facebook group to be fairly non-inclusive. When a joint honours student pointed out they wouldn't be at the lecture to sign the petition, no contingencies were made, and the group creator talked of how it was "interesting to note how this affects joint honours students as well, thereby irritating more people."
This is one of many examples I have noticed, of how Joint Honours students at this University have very little say in the make-up of their degrees compared to single honours students, and are widely ignored!
If it makes you feel any better, us single honours students are ignored too. Did you read Mark's e-mail? He basically said you have the right to complain but it won't make a difference, something he repeated when my friend spoke to him after the lecture, when he openly admitted he'd ignore her request.
This new system is simpler for the department but unfair on students.... a guy I know has been allocated the Guy Halsall module, which was very popular, but it would've been his 3rd choice and is annoyed that he's taking the place of someone who would want it more. I'm happy with three out of my four modules, but the ones I wanted most I haven't got.
I think both single and joint honours students are pretty much equally ignored, especially by the History Department.
As a joint honours myself, who can compare two departments, the way the History department has assigned its modules is a bit of a disgrace really.
I know a few people with the Guy Halsall "problem". They basically put it down as a tactical choice, knowing it would be phenominally popular, but then ended up being assigned it.
As it happens for me, I'm only doing one term of History next year so it's not as big an issue for me, and I did get one of my first choices (and my last choice but nevermind), but I got that choice through luck, sheer luck and nothing else. It's a shoddy, shoddy system, and the arrogance of the department is shining through at the moment.
It's a very noble cause guys, but I'm afraid you really wont get anywhere with it in reality. I'm a duel honours student and ended up having my 1st-term course cancelled because the chap teaching it buggered off on a research trip somewhere. It's by no means an ideal situation.
In 3rd year, we were not even allowed to number our module choices- only tick 4 boxes in no particular order of modules that we would be happy doing. As someone makes the point, this results in people missing out on what might be their 1st choice for someone who might have just ticked it randomly because they hated everything else on offer. It's even worse than the numbering system!
Best of luck though- I'm sure you will have a lot of support.
I'm a joint honours student (HisPol), and do seem to have the misfortune of being involved with the two most disorganised departments on campus.. History in particular seems to be getting worse and worse, I agree this petition is a noble cause and I will sign it, but I have to agree that it seems unlikely to have any real impact, in spite of best intentions
I am a joint honours student (HisPol) and have to agree with Dan that the 3rd year module choice system is even worse. Considering that the Special Subjects are in very specific areas, it is irritating that we can only tick 4 boxes in no particular order and cannot express a clear 1st choice.
Good luck with the petition. There is no harm in trying to change the situation and I am sure it will garner widespread support from History students.
Well, the petition (which, along with the facebook group, I only found out about today - yet another sign of how joint students miss out) seems to have had something of an effect. Apparently the system is being 'reviewed', and we are allowed to make direct swaps with anyone willing. So I expect everyone on the popular courses will be swamped with emails from those who didn't get what they wanted - it's far from ideal.
#7, the compromise may be far from ideal but at least it's something. Having seen the outcry caused by the change to the system, I think there's a good chance they'll revert back to the old method of numbering by preference. In the mean time, I'm sure a fair few people will benefit from swaps - people have mentioned elsewhere in the thread that some students have been given popular courses they weren't keen on, now they have a chance to get courses they were more interested in and likewise, students who wanted those popular modules are in with a chance again.
comment deleted by the author If you're too fussy to choose one degree discipline then maybe the university is entitled to get fussy when you're picking modules?
What an utterly ridiculous and unfounded comment #10. I don't think doing a joint degree means you are 'fussy' in any respect. If you are interested in 2 subjects and the degree offers those subjects together, why would you not make use of those facilities?!
Furthermore, you are *supposed* to be a valid member of both departments as a joint student, why shouldn't the same rules of module choice apply to both?
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