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.
Grace Fletcher-Hackwood has been voted out of her position by only 8 votes.
1440 votes were cast, an unprecedented total for a Union General Meeting (UGM) vote.
The vote passed by just a 0.5% majority.
The results were announced to campus press at 12.40pm, and YUSU have announced: "YUSU are able to announce that the motion has passed and that Grace will leave her position with immediate effect."
I'm delighted by the result, I think the students have spoken.
The unprecedented step leaves YUSU without a welfare representative, until either Fletcher-Hackwood launches an appeal, or a replacement is found.
The likely replacement would be the Academic and Welfare Officer-elect, who would not be voted in until Week 9 during the YUSU Elections.
Should Fletcher-Hackwood wish to appeal, she would have to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM.)
Dan Taylor, who proposed the motion, and was the student involved in the incident told The Yorker: "I'm delighted by the result, I think the students have spoken and I thank Grace for the work she has done in the past but this incident has impaired her abilities to do the job in the future."
Fletcher-Hackwood spoke on her 'Your:Support' radio show on URY and said: "The no confidence vote was put through by a student who has made it one of his missions at university to... well, perhaps to destroy me is too strong a way of putting it. But Dan wanted me out of this job and he has succeeded."
She also revealed that she hadn't yet decided whether or not to appeal but added: "I'm grateful for the amount of support I've had."
Anne-Marie Canning, YUSU President, said: “The students have spoken on this one, though the result was very, very close. The outcome does worry me, because we’re now without an Academic & Welfare Officer and aren’t likely to have the job covered until July."
Canning added: "However, we’re confident that we can make sure that students don’t lose out – it’s just going to mean more pressure on Union Officers and staff."
Should Fletcher-Hackwood successfully appeal, the alternative motion to censure Fletcher-Hackwood, which received 688 votes 'For' whilst 488 voted 'Against', would stand instead. It would result in her being disciplined, but would allow her to retain her post.
All other motions passed, including a controversial decision to make Women's Committee 'Open to all'.
Those requiring Welfare support should contact Mel Nichol, Academic and Welfare Co-ordinator on mjn500@york.ac.uk or at her office in the YUSU building.
Mrs Fletcher-Hall,
Indeed I am familiar with Ghandi- one of my own quotes came from the chaps mouth: "be the change you wish to see in the world". That could be applied to this incident really, could it not?
Just to enlighten you on the apology I received from Grace. It was prompted by me in a facebook message- not her. Her public apology was frankly embarassing for her; claiming that she was sorry but the fact she was a "5ft 5 midget" and me a "strapping" individual made it somehow legitimate. Next time a man comes into her office and says he is being hit by his 5ft wife, will Grace react the same? Before this incident, I would have said no. Now, I have genuine concerns that she may not.
I am delighted to hear that your daughter comes from a family of strong women. Two things I was taught as a kid, just for your interest were 1) that apologising is always unconditional and to someones face (not by facebook messages or through media channels with silly excuses) and 2) that if you do wrong, there will be no-one to bail yourself out and as a result you should take responsibility for your actions. Grace did neither.
The integeral side of Grace should have resulted in her resigning. It did not. Instead, the students of this institution have spoken and that is that. Finito.
I have no personal victory in this- democracy is the true victory with 1440 people voting. They have spoken. Oh, how unpopular democrary becomes when those who advocate it the most see the wrong side of it.
Dan Taylor
About bloody time!! Well done Dan and all of us who supported the motion! How can someone stay when they hit another student from her position! LUDICROUS!
comment deleted by a moderator
comment deleted by a moderator Dan,
I don't wish to enter into correspondance with you, but it aint over till the differently weighted female bursts into chorus!
Sorry forgive me for maybe missing something, but you begun this correspondance with me. I have no interest in justifying the student response to someone with a clear personal interest in this matter. I think the "differently weighted female's" cause is being done little good by her mother posting on a student paper website trying to emotionally blakmail students who made a considered decision on the future of their A&W Rep, just as Grace did at the UGM.
It's called humour, Dan! I forgot you were Southern!
OK...thanks very much for your support, Mom, but this is now getting pretty weird, so both of you, leave it. Thanks x
Grace
I agree with Grace. Mudslinging stops. The judgement has been passed and I will from now on be offering no more comment on the matter. It is descending into a comeplete farce otherwise and makes both sides look like idiots (the first name-calling I have used...).
Dan Taylor
You wouldn't want to cross Mrs F-H, would you? Atta-girl. Wherever you end up, Dan, she'll be watching...
I'd like to hear from John Lewis on this matter.
John Lewis' Office has offered this statement on the matter: 100101110100101011101010
I think it's admirable to see the support from Grace's mum, and she should be treated with respect not smartarse comments. She is also right; what goes around, comes around and I honestly hope that Dan Taylor gets what is coming to him for launching what was essentially a smear campaign. It will be a long way to fall; off his pedestal on top of the moral high ground. The decision today was, in my eyes, not democratic or representative of the majority of students views on the matter due to the ridiculously small margin. Everyone who played a part in getting Grace ousted should be aware of the part that they have also played in depriving other students of welfare support. Whilst YUSU may insist that the decision will not affect the welfare of the students, it clearly will do: if there was sufficient welfare support within the union, then they wouldn't have needed Grace in the first place. Plus, as this removal is unprecedented, there really can be no guarantee of the subsequent quality of support. The students have shot themselves and their peers in the feet.
people say that 1440 votes were cast..
Votes for: 656
Votes against: 648
thats a total of 1304. Unless you count abstentions as votes, which would mean there were 1440 votes and that only 45.55*% of people supported the motion.
Just a thought, for all you budding political journalists.
i'm aware of the part YUSU have played in depriving students of welfare support by having the option of a vote of 'no confidence' in their constitution with no policy to what should happen if it actually occurred. i am sure if this policy was in place Grace would have lost the vote by a much larger margin. this kind of blackmail from the Grace campaign has probably been the most undemocratic part of the whole saga.
I bet Grace wishes she had 8 more friends
I think Grace is a great person and am really sad to see her go, but i voted for her to go because regardless of personality it was the right thing to happen.
Violence is unacceptable full stop. She simply should have know better and I find it really very sad she did not.
36. What do you mean, 'this kind of blackmail from the Grace campaign'? Do you mean that thinking of the students' welfare is 'undemocratic' somehow? How ridiculous. How could this issue have been discussed without bringing into it the potential consequences of such a motion in terms of welfare provisions for the students? The welfare of the students is surely the most important concern.
I think the reputation and standing of the Union and the right of Union members (that's all of us) to have our vote are both equally important concerns. It's not like we are all going to die or go mental because the Welfare Officer has gone. There are many other welfare resources on campus - counselling, college welfare representatives, tutors, provosts...
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