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.
Grenville told The Yorker: "The university is appreciative of the input of YUSU into this problem. They have made a very constructive suggestion and we are considering our response to it."
YUSU Democracy and Services Officer Lewis Bretts announced the proposal in his latest officer blog, published on the YUSU website this past Monday. Bretts explained that he had written to Grenville and the Directorate of Facilities Management, proposing that YUSU run Derwent Bar for the first five weeks of the autumn term.
Bretts' proposal entails opening the bar from Tuesday to Sunday in the evening for these five weeks, and determining from the income in this period whether or not YUSU can continue the service. He said: "This solution would offer Derwent Students social provision and an opportunity to demonstrate their support for their college bar, while keeping the financial risk to YUSU to a minimum."
The proposal has the support of Derwent JCRC Chair Joe Rankin, who called upon the university "to work closely with YUSU and allow them to provide this service in the interests of student welfare and fairness."
It was via his blog that Bretts first announced to students that the university intends to close Derwent Bar. Bretts explained that he had been informed in a meeting with Grenville and Phil Kember, the Head of Hospitality, which had been held the previous Monday on the 17th of August.
Bretts informed students in the blog that Commercial Services do not have the resources to maintain an evening bar service in Derwent, and so the bar will only open for two late-licence events in Freshers' Week and a further two late-licence events per term. Bretts expressed the belief that this would be "detrimental to students".
The Derwent JCRC responded swiftly, creating the Facebook group "Save Derwent Bar". In a statement posted on the group, JCRC Chair Rankin criticised the university for neither inviting nor informing him of the meeting between Bretts, Grenville and Kember. Rankin called this "unacceptable behaviour" and added: "The fact this decision was reached in the middle of summer and with an apparent disregard for those most affected by it is most disappointing." Grenville has since apologised to Rankin, both over the telephone and in writing.
In addition to praising the proposal put forward by YUSU, Rankin used his statement to invest further in college bars. Rankin said: "In the long term, there evidently needs to be extremely wide-reaching reform of the University's Commercial Services. College Bars are essential social spaces, in which a lot more than just drinking occurs. To close them has knock-on effects for welfare, communities, the effectiveness of JCRC's and the atmosphere of Colleges."
Speaking to Nouse, Jane Grenville defended the university's conduct, and announced that in a meeting with members of Derwent JCRC on 19th June she had explored the best and worst case scenarios for the college. Grenville also praised the JCRC's response to the recent announcement, saying: "I have to confess to a sneaking admiration for the swiftness with which a rearguard action has been mounted."
A key part of Derwent’s action, the Facebook group "Save Derwent Bar", had 816 members at press time, including first-year students not yet at the university. One student who will be attending York in October posted on the group: “It [sic] a raw deal for us first years firstly not to be made aware that this was the situation and secondly to not be a part of the Derwent bar culture!”
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The whole situation seems a little silly - will the University just let YUSU take over every bar in turn and lose revenue streams or buck their ideas up and focus on improving the attraction of each one? One of the big reasons that the Courtyard is doing well is because it cost a lot to fix - looking at it over a rolling short-term period means that no expensive changes can realistically be made. I hope the University reconsider and YUSU don't even need to show that their offer is serious!
comment deleted by the author Not wanting to be anal or anything but... I own that damn logo!
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