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.
Ellis, who said she was "too emotional" to read her statement, passed her speech on to Anne-Marie Canning, UGM Chair, to read. It said: "Violence, no matter how small the action or chance of physical harm is unacceptable in my eyes."
Ellis said she felt: "that being responsible for students is a gift of trust."
I am a bloody good Academic and Welfare officer.
She said: "I feel that the integrity of the Union has been questioned and has left her unable to comment on some key issues relevant to her job."
"If people, no matter how few, feel they can't talk to her about their problems then it is unacceptable."
Ellis spoke as one of the 'For' speeches in one of 12 motions debated at last nights meeting.
The full statement made by Joey Ellis can be read here
The debate over the motion of no confidence continued for some time, as various speakers raised their concerns about the continuance of Fletcher-Hackwood in her position.
Both parties involved, Dan Taylor and Fletcher-Hackwood, spoke during the UGM.
Fletcher-Hackwood told the filled Vanbrugh Dining Hall: "I would like to start by saying I am so, so, so sorry for hitting Dan Taylor and I am truly ashamed of my behaviour."
She told the room: "However, there are things for which I will not apologise for. I will not apologise for drinking alcohol. I will not apologise for slipping on a wet floor at a campus event last term, and I will not apologise for taking a leave of absence in my second year. Why do I bring up all these things? You might well ask that of the people involved in the campaign to smear me."
She continued: "On top of the guilt, my family and I have been upset by the malicious lies told about me during the past few weeks. So if you want to hurt me, you've done it."
She ended her speech with: “I’m sorry to sound as arrogant as you all think I am but I am a bloody good Academic and Welfare Officer.”
Taylor said: "It's nice to see Grace playing all our emotions there."
He said that he did not feel the apology issued by Fletcher-Hackwood via his Facebook profile the following morning, and publicly on The Yorker was "unequivocal".
He said: "A YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer hit another student, personalities out of this, because that's what pretty much everyone's tried to do, that is the crux of the matter."
“This boils down to the fact that she hit another student in a drunken, and unprovoked attack.”
For further details on all the motions discussed at the UGM see here
The dismissal of Doorsafe after the discussion of the motion suggests that trouble may have been expected; Sam Bayley, YUSU Societies and Communications Officer and co-Chair, told the bouncers: "Buzz, Nick, if you need to leave please feel free."
As well as Joey Ellis' statement, are transcipts of other statements available? For balance, it might be good to get more than a few lines from the speeches of the two main players in this incident...
The statements from Dan Taylor and Grace Fletcher-Hackwood will be added later this morning.
Ruth
News Editor
'Bluddy'? Is this an attempt to draw attention to my Brumminess? - Grace x
Transcripts of all the speeches are available when you log on to vote next week.
Our minutes takers is typing them up as we speak. www.yusu.org/vote
I will be posting this annonymously for one reason or another, but there is more than 1 YUSU sab. last night who changed their mind on the issue, as well as other individuals who were diametrically opposed to her removal and are now fully behind (if anon.) the proposal.
Dan put personalities behind on the night; Grace and her supporters did not. Russull Truran and another of her friends claimed that personalitites should be taken into account, and as someone who abhors ALL violence, I find this entirely unnaceptable. Violence against a student. Any student, is wrong. They were making the case that because it was 'Dan Taylor', it legitimised it. Like someones politics or not, you do not hit them because you don't like it. In fairness to the chap, he would have probably wanted to hit that feminit speaker against Laura Payne's motion...he did not. This is the bottom line, that Grace hit another student and if you believe this is wrong, put political divides aside and recognise her position is untenable.
I also welcomed the constitutional point that Grace's position would be filled within the next few weeks and that it was the rold of other sabs. constitutionally, to take over her role on a te mporary basis. As someone who was also opposed to her removal before last night, Dan's ability to steer it away from personal lines and Grace's emotionally blackmailing speech turned it for me.
If anyone else in any other industry/job/profession hit a college they did not like, they would all be walking around with bruises. On top of that, they would all be out of a job. Grace, I am afraid to say, should go.
So...the fact that she hit someone doesn't mean she should go, but the fact that her friends made speeches you didn't like, THAT'S a cause to vote for no confidence?
No; they alerted me to the personal nature of their defence which I now believe to be wrong. I will be voting no-confidence because she hit a student. They wil not be voting no-confidence because she hit 'Dan Taylor'. I hope that clears it up.
I'm a member of staff. If I hit a student would you think that was acceptable?
Hitting anyone unprovoked is wrong and a criminal offence. Someone in a position of responsibility to students (A&W Welfare Rep., lecturer etc..) is especially wrong. She should take it onto herself to resign. As the post above says, if a member of staff hit a student they wuld be sacked and rightfully so.
Grace would have been first to support a female student who was hit by a male counterpart! All this rubbish about size and build comepletely discredits her case of which she seems not to have one. Get rid of her and keep up the good work Dan!!
To clarify (particularly to comment 5) - it is unlikely that the Ac & Welf Officer Elect would take over immediately would take over until after their finals in July (if they're a final year student). They would also need permission from the Uni to effectively take a leave of absence if they took over straight away - so the time without an Ac & Welf Officer would be far closer to 5-6 months.
The constitution states that in a potential case like this, A&W Elect officers will take over the role and until this is the case, sabs. and Welfare Team will take responsibility. Sam, with all respect, this is a secondary implication. The primary implication is that Grace hit a student. If she was so concerned about the increase in workload for you guys, she perhaps should have considered that before taking the action. It also points to a constitutional hole, however rare it may be. What if in future, a sab. God forbid, is diagnosed with a terminal illness or something, or for personal reasons they cannot continue theor job? This needs filling and yes, I will be submitting a motion to make a constitutional ammendment. It is prohibiting the entirely justified removal of a YUSU Sab.
What exactly is the appeals process involved? Presumably there is one that allows any officer to appeal against a particular decision. What is the process and how does it work?
It is a vote of no-confidence by the student population so they cannot appeal against a student vote. If it were say removal by her employers or she was sacked for example, then normal legal rules apply with tribunals etc.
12, my response was to comment 5 who had stated inaccurate information - this was just to clarify that point. It was not intended to offer my personal opinions on the debate regarding the motion.
Constitutionally the A&W Officer elect COULD take over the role but practically this is very unlikely. I'm not sure who the "Welfare Team" that you're referring to are, unless you're talking about the volunteer Equality & Diversity Officers, who don't have time to cover the role fully.
Hope that clarifies.
13 & 14, there is an appeals process.
The motion can be heard again by an Extraordinary General Meeting within 5 working days of the result being announced. Any sabbatical officer can call this meeting.
I just can't believe how many burgers you lot ordered - I was off my f8cking feet!
The first, if not only, consideration here, must be that the sabb that the trust of our welfare was given to has hit one of the students. Regardless of ongoing political arguments between the two, a student was hit by a welfare rep, and to try and put across that personalities are in any important in this argument is ridiculous. Also, the fact that the post may not be filled for a period of time is a further reflection on just how disgraceful her action was. The consequences of Grace being removed are entirely her own fault, blame should not be shifted on to the students that voted that she failed in her duties and betrayed the trust she was given. Regardless of who was hit, it is still unacceptable.
Does anyone think this is just descending into a sad farce?
She was wrong. She did make a mistake. But she deserves a fairer treatment than is getting....
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