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.
Second year Dan Taylor has submitted a motion of no confidence against the welfare representative that could see her removed from her position.
He said: “I think the motion will hold, and if Grace were to do the honourable thing and resign now, it would save a lot of trouble.
“I don’t think it takes away from any good she may have done in the past in her position, but her credibility in terms of ability to campaign on welfare issues – like domestic violence and responsible drinking – is compromised by this.”
The Yorker reported on Friday how Fletcher-Hackwood had admitted hitting the history and politics student after a drunken argument outside Derwent theme night Chav D.
She described the incident as one "deeply regrettable, never-to-be-repeated mistake" and added: "If you think I'm going to resign over this, you are sadly mistaken."
A Facebook group set up in support of the welfare officer had this morning attracted more than 120 members - while one created by Taylor calling for her resignation had just over 60.
The motion submitted yesterday will be put before the next Union General Meeting next week and will be open for voting to all students in week 5.
It states: “This Union notes that YUSU Welfare Representative, Grace Fletcher-Hackwood, hit a student outside ‘Chav-D’ on the night of Friday 11th January 2008.
“This Union believes that violence from the sabbatical YUSU Welfare Representative to another student is unacceptable. As a result, the students of the University of York have no confidence in Grace Fletcher-Hackwood in her position of YUSU Welfare Representative.
“This Union resolves to remove Grace Fletcher-Hackwood from her position as YUSU Sabbatical Welfare Representative”.
Taylor said: "I think it is only right that students get to have their say on whether they wish to see a welfare representative in position who assaults students, unprovoked, under the influence of alcohol. We await the outcome.”
Grace Fletcher-Hackwood yesterday declined to comment.
The no confidence motion will be put before the next Union General Meeting on Thursday Week 4, at 8:15pm in V/123. Voting will open online at www.yusu.org from Monday Week 5
I hope that the people who have proposed this motion understand how difficult it would be to replace her this far through her term. YUSU would have to find a current student who was both willing and able to give up on the rest of this academic year to take on the role. They'd then have to be elected and trained up before they could start doing any work. It may be wrong for a welfare rep to hit another student when drunk, but I don't think that no-confidencing her is in the interests of students of this university - a welfare rep who has made one serious mistake in her personal life is better than having no welfare rep at all.
I beg to differ . . . I think that for someone who has made her strong opinions known consistently in the public domain on almost every issue known to man would be quite the hypocrite if they were not to stand down on what can only be described as disgusting behaviour.
Perhaps if the person in question had been less pedantic throughout her career on campus people may be able to cut her some slack but that is unfortunately not the case. Thankfully it cannot be one rule for one and another for another . . .
What mug wouldn't want to put Welfare Officer of YUSU on their CV when it only required half the years work...
I absolutely agree with Andrew. People who express their views too strongly should not expect to get the same treatment as us other less-committed folk. People with clear views who express them too strongly are given far too much slack in our society. It's about time for some double-standards!!
The fact that Dan Taylor is the one submitting the motion does little to shake the idea that he's on a petty personal crusade.
So what happens if the no-confidence motion fails?
Rose, if the motion doesn't reach quoracy it can be resubmitted at a future UGM. If it falls at a majority vote (more than 50% vote against) then no further action is taken.
I think it is important that the students of York decide on the future of their welfare rep. after such an incident. I can assure you that if we do not reach quoracy I will not be resubmitting the motion- the University will have spoken through its apathetic voice, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Alex Richman, I appreciate your viewpoint but I have, throughout this campaign been trying to get away from the personal element- 'Dan v Grace' as people in your support group are putting it. Given, we are both controversial figures but I think from both sides, this is not personal (I can't speak for Grace). I find it unnaceptable for a welfare rep. to hit a student whose welfare they are meant to be looking after. That is not such a wrong stance is it?
On one final subject, my biggest consideration with this motion was the future welfare rep. if it did pass. YUSU personel are all trained in welfare, and I happen to think two second years on YUSU (Michael Batula and Tom Langrish) would make excellent deputy welfare reps. and in the future, excellent YUSU sabbatical reps. I think that rather than falling victim, the welfare of York students would be enhanced by someone as welfare rep. who acts within the mandate they have been given as well as hold credibility on the campaigns that they represent.
Dan Taylor
"I have, throughout this campaign been trying to get away from the personal element- 'Dan v Grace' as people in your support group are putting it."
To clarify, I am not a member of any support group, merely commenting on how it looks to an outsider. I don't doubt you feel Grace has acted irresponsibly, but you can surely see the problem with the proposal coming from you. Would it not send a stronger message for you to let the student populace speak for themselves in bringing the case to YUSU rather than position yourself firmly at the centre of the debate's attention?
I accept your point Alex, and the facebook group has no longer me as an admin. on it- this is the degree I wish to distance myself from the campaign.
I could have others propose the motion- I have many seconders, however in a UGM (so I am told), the proposer of the motion gets to open up the debate with a 3 minute speech. I felt that it was important as the syudent directly involved that I gave my side of the story from my own mouth and not used someone else as a voicepiece. To clarify, if I did not submit the motion, I would only have a minute from the floor to outline the issue. I happened to think that this was not enough to relate what I felt I needed to to the students of York. I do take your point into consideration however, and I hope you are able to see it from my perspective. The people of the group in support of GFH have made an concerted effort to make it a personal campaign against me because this is how they believe they will win.
While Grace may hold strong views, I challenge anyone to think of an occasion where she has called for the resignation of, or a no-confidence vote in anyone.
Seems like Dan's only real argument is that this incident has cost Grace the ability to do her job.
I don't get this. Does he really think that the people she orders the condoms for will black-list her? That the university's academic committee won't take her arguments against library spending cuts into account? That students will be too terrified to come and see her to take out a hardship loan, get someone to represent them in front of disciplinary panel, or to get advice on what to do when they find out they're pregnant? That the liberation officers, welfare officers, and welfare staff will suddenly refuse to work with her? That she'll be to embarrassed to distribute leaflets and advice on housing, security, sexual health and yes, even safe drinking? Because she once got drunk and hit him?
Remember, if she gets no-confidenced, there will be no-one to do ANY of these jobs, and many more. Dan has every right to sumbit a motion of censure, but to submit a no confidence and argue that she can no longer do the job she's been doing brilliantly for a long time is just plain wrong.
PS - shall I just go ahead and give you permission to use all of my facebook pictures? This one is one of mine too... 
Yes there will be people to do 'her' job. Funnily enough, there is life on YUSU welfare before/after GFH. Michael Batula, Tom Langrish as well as the entire YUSU sabbatical team will enact the responsibilities of welfare reps. until the next election for the position.
comment deleted by a moderator This isn't intended to add to the debate one way or the other, and is just intended to clarify in regards to worklaosd.
The other sabbaticals definitely do not have time to cover the workload of an Academic and Welfare Officer. Also, Mike Batula and Tom Langrish have their own remits and degrees to do (and don't have the complete training that Grace has).
In reply to 15. I just read the article and the quote you seem to be referring to, has her as describing herself as a "five-foot, seven-stone weakling". There's nothing there about her being a woman or a girl. So not actually hypocrisy at all.
Grace did something wrong, and she has made amends. Can't we just draw a line under the whole thing, dragging it out like this embarrasses the SU much more than the original incident. It also makes Dan look pretty silly, he could have kept his mouth shut, allowed it to come out in Nouse and maintained the moral high-ground.
Grace helped my housemate out no end when he was mugged, as did all the sabs. It would be a disaster to lose someone so talented at their job simply because of something daft she did when she was drunk.
Grace is a good friend of mine too, but even those who aren't her friends would admit that she has done an excellent job this year.
13 - You very obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Read Sam Bayley's post.
14 - What? No she didn't. She didn't even drink much, if memory serves, and certainly wasn't chucked out. Check your facts...
15 - Grace has apologised unequivocally in public and in private, and accepts what she did was wrong. Attempting to set the context for the incident is not the same as attempting to excuse it.
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